Interpretive Sign at Flandrau State Park in New Ulm, MN.

I'm reading a book called My Enemy, My Beloved by Minnesota author Karl Vanghen, published by North Star Press of St. Cloud, and though I have just gotten started, I have to say that Vanghen is a truly masterful writer. His eye for detail and descriptions of  New Ulm in southwestern Minnesota are right on the money.

POW Camp near New Ulm, Minnesota.

Vanghen's book is a fictional account of a young German soldier's journey to the real-life prisoner of war camp which still exists in Flandrau State Park . Since I've only just begun the book, I can't tell you what lies ahead - but I suspect there will be romance and intrigue since the young women in town are curious about the handsome soldiers. What I do know is that I am truly enjoying Vanghen's style and gift for turning a phrase.

Flandrau State Park was originally established in 1934 as a project to provide employment during the Great Depression. It later became home to WWII POW's who were treated well according to the Geneva Convention and provided much needed labor in local canneries and the farming community.