Response on "Summer of my German Soldier"

          I just finished the book “Summer of My German Soldier” by Bette Greene Patty Bergen has a lot of hardships. The whole story takes place in Jenkinsville, Arkansas during World War II. Patty is a Jewish girl. Her parents do not like the way she dresses, acts, and looks. They want her to be more like Sharon who is Patty’s sister. Sharon is more of the girly type. Her dad is extremely strict with Patty and almost never strict with Sharon. Patty tries to make them appreciate her everyday by acting nice in front of them and telling them what they want to hear. It gets harder for her when she meets Anton.

            Anton is a German prisoner. They meet when all the prisoners are brought to buy things at her father’s shop. They meet again when Anton escapes from the prison and is escaping. Patty lets him stay in her secret hiding spot above the garage. She brings him food and has to lie to her parents of where all the food went. When police turn up at her house to search for Anton and question her, she fakes being nervous. This makes the father scream at the police and made the police leave. When Patty sat with a poor boy her father got angry and started to beat her. Anton saw this and rushed out to stop Patty’s father before he could whip her with his belt but was too late. Ruth, their maid, saw Anton run out and questions Patty about it. Since Patty is very close to Ruth she told her everything. That day Anton told her he was going to leave. Patty and Ruth gathered up some money and Patty gave it to Anton when he was leaving. In return he gave her his gold ring and a kiss.

            Later on when police found out Patty was behind Anton’s hiding they came to question her. Patty tried to deny it but they told her news that made her admit. (I’m not going to tell you what she was told because I don’t want to spoil it). She always kept her ring with her and wore it around. I thought this story was very sad and sweet. The only person who messed it up was the dad. I wish he was never in the story because he was so harsh.