Summer of My German Soldier was published in 1973. It is a work of fiction. It was written by Bette Greene in 1972. Bette Greene grew up in a small Arkansas town and in Memphis, Tennessee. She studied in Paris and in New York, where she was a student of Martha Foley’s at Columbia University. She has published short stories and newspaper and magazine articles. This was her first novel.

The major characters in the book are Patty Bergen, her father Harry Bergen, her mother Pearl Bergen, their nanny Ruth, and Anton. Patty is a girl who likes to ask a lot of questions. This often gets her into trouble because she pokes her nose into places it shouldn’t be. She often questions the directions her parents or other adults give her. Harry Bergen is Patty’s father. He is a man who has a short temper and often loses it with Patty. He beats her many times for disobeying him, even if it is just a minor thing. It is almost as if he doesn’t love her at all. Pearl Bergen is Patty’s mother. She is a woman much focused on outer beauty and how other people perceive her family. She is always nagging Patty because she doesn’t think her hair looks good or her dress is pretty enough. Ruth is the Bergen’s black nanny. She is one of the only people who genuinely cares for Patty. She is never mean to Patty and is always willing to help her with her problems. Patty and Ruth get along well because Ruth looks past Patty’s dirty dress and uncombed hair. She does not judge Patty on outward appearances like everyone else does. She knows Patty has a good heart and that is all that matters. Anton is a German soldier who has been brought to the United States as a POW. He escapes from the prison camp and stays in the small quarters above Patty’s garage. Patty brings him food and clothes and eventually begins to love him. Anton is one of the only other people who genuinely loves Patty. He and Patty got along very well because he actually listened to what she had to say and didn’t just blow her off like everyone else did. He actually cared about what she had to say.

Patty Bergen lived in Jenkinsville, Arkansas, in the 1940’s. One day a train arrived carrying German POW’s from World War II. Even though Patty was a little Jewish girl, she was interested in these soldiers and noticed that as they got off the train, they were smiling and didn’t seem to be the monsters that everyone said they were. Patty’s father owned a local General Store. One day Patty was walking through town when she saw an old, dusty Army truck pulled up in front of their store. Seven prisoners got out and were escorted into the store by some military officers. They were trying to tell Mr. Bergen what they needed, but they were all speaking German and he couldn’t understand. The officers said one of the soldiers, Reiker, knew English, and they called him up to the front. He translated to them in very good English that the soldiers said they needed hats for working in the fields. While they were all trying on hats, Reiker wandered off over to the stationery counter. Patty observed that no one was around to help him, so being intrigued with him, she went over to give him some help. She talked to him and found out that he was a very nice man. She found out that his full name was Frederick Anton Reiker. He was very polite and seemed to be genuinely interested in what she had to say. In the end he bought a pencil sharpener, some pencils, and a gaudy pin with fake, glass diamonds in it. After that, Patty was infatuated with Anton. She could not stop thinking about him. She tried to tell a few people about Anton, but usually the only thing she got was scorn because he was a German soldier. Patty prayed every day that she would meet again with Anton.

One night, Patty was in her hiding place above the garage. It was an old living quarters that she had cleaned out. Right as she was being called for dinner, something in the window caught her eye. She noticed someone running through her yard towards the train tracks. She then realized that it was Anton. She jumped down and chased after him, finally getting his attention. She then led him up into her hiding place and told him to stay there because it would be safe. She then went to dinner. The next morning at breakfast, Patty got Ruth to fix her some hard-boiled eggs. She then got some leftover chicken and potatoes and took it all up to Anton. While she was up there, they talked about his family, his feelings on the war, and why and how he escaped from prison. He asked her about her family, but at first she was hesitant to tell. She finally conceded, though, and told him some about her family and the rest of her life. It was then that she told him she was Jewish. He was very surprised but not the least bit angry. He had no hate towards Jews. He did not agree with what Hitler was doing, but he had no choice in the matter of joining the German Army. He did not want to hurt anyone, then or now. All he wanted was his freedom. Earlier the day before, eight German saboteurs were captured. There was now a huge search going on for Anton. The government thought he was escaping to meet with the saboteurs, so they thought his being found was a matter of national security. Patty said she would tell no one that he was there.

Patty later met a woman named Charlene Madlee who was a reporter. Together they went and interviewed the commandant at the prison camp Anton escaped from. When she got back, she got some of her father’s clothes and gave them to Anton. Later, Patty was sitting on the curb with a friend she was not supposed to play with. When her father came home and saw this, he started to give her a severe beating. Anton started to run out of the garage to save her, but she yelled at him to go back before either of her parents could see him. When Patty woke up the next morning, Ruth asked her who that man was. She had been inside and had seen Anton run out of the garage. Patty told Ruth all about it, knowing she would understand. Ruth did, and since Patty’s parents were gone, she invited Anton in for some breakfast. A few days later, Anton told Patty he had to leave. She was upset, but she too knew it had to happen. She told him that she loved him and he told her he loved her, too. He gave her his most prized possession before he left. He gave her a ring made of 24 carat gold that had been in his family since his great-grandfather. He gave it to her so she would always remember that she was a person of value and that she had a friend who loved her enough to give her his most valued possession. He then gave her a swift kiss on the mouth and left to catch the ten fifteen train.

A few days after that Patty was at her father’s store showing off her ring when her father took it from her and asked her where she got it. She said she gave an old man some bread and butter because he was hungry, and he gave it to her in return. He thought she was lying and he hit her. He thought she had let him fondle her to get the ring. He then called the sheriff. The sheriff came and she told him the same story. He believed her and told her father to give the ring back. Later that fall, Patty was sitting at home with Ruth when her father showed up with some men from the FBI. They said they wanted to ask her some questions. They started asking about the bum who she said had given her the ring. When they showed her a picture of Anton, she said she didn’t know who it was. He then took a shirt out of his bag. It was the one Patty had given Anton. She asked what happened to him and basically confessed that she had helped him and had lied about knowing him. They then told her that he died of gunshot wounds received while trying to avoid arrest. Patty was crushed. Her father then started yelling at her. Ruth tried to step in and Mr. Bergen fired her. Patty was then taken to Memphis where she was tried and sentenced to no more than six months but no less than four months in an Arkansas girl’s reform school.

She hated it at this reform school. People even called her Nazi there. One day, Ruth came to visit her. She told her that she had found a new job and was doing okay. She told Patty to keep her head up and things would get better. Patty found this hard to believe, but she knew Ruth was right. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to make it, but all she could do is try.

I learned from this book how cold-hearted some people can be. It shows that people will sometimes turn on you if you do something socially unacceptable, even if it is morally right. It also shows that people can turn out good despite what bad things happen to them. Finally, I learned how prejudiced people were towards Jews in the 1940’s. Even though they said they disagreed with Hitler, they still took any chance they could to belittle and disgrace Jews.

I think this was a very good book because it shows that just because someone appears to be something you don’t like on the outside, it doesn’t mean you have to hate them for it. They could be something totally different on the inside. I think this book encourages people to look past prejudices and open our hearts and minds to everyone around us. It shows that two people can love each other no matter how different their upbringings or lifestyles. This book also tells people to always do what you think is morally right, no matter what the consequences.