Summer of My German Soldier

By: Bette Greene

Narrated by: Dale Dickey

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

The summer that Patty Bergen turns twelve is a summer that will haunt her forever. When her small hometown in Arkansas becomes the site of a camp housing German prisoners during World War II, Patty learns what it means to open her heart. Even though she’s Jewish, she begins to see a prison escapee, Anton, not as a Nazi, but as a lonely, frightened young man. As their gentle friendship blossoms, Patty experiences a kind of love she never felt from her abusive father or her distant mother.

Soon Patty must weigh the cost of harboring a Nazi prisoner - the possibility of losing family, friends, and even her freedom - against the beauty of this dangerous but unforgettable friendship.

Based on the author’s own painful experiences growing up in Arkansas during World War II, this poignant novel is an ALA Notable Book, a National Book Award finalist, one of the New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year, and the winner of the Golden Kite Award.

©1973 Bette Greene (P)1995 Recorded Books, LLC

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I enjoyed everything, there was great use of voice. Made my reading much more simple.

Didn't want it to end

Good narration, interesting story, real characters. Story of the innocence of a child and how prejudice is taught. Occasionally a child can escape and learn about love and respect from strangers.

I first read this as a teen and I just love it.

The author makes you feel like you are the main character living her life. I loved it.

Lovely narration of fascinating story

The bright 12 year old Jewish girl in 1941 small-town Northeast Arkansas relates her wartime experience when German prisoners of war are based there to carry out agricultural labour in place of the local young men off fighting the war in Europe. The social dynamics of her school and the town are captured vividly, as are her dysfunctional family relationships. A very engaging and poignant story that I dearly loved and highly recommend. The narration is perfect.

By 1943 over 23,000 German and Italian POWs had been sent to the USA, a part of history I had never heard before and am now looking into. Some variation of this story could very well have happened!

An Emotional and Important Story

Originally published in 1973, this book is a searing story of a young Jewish girl who befriends a German POW. In it, the author explores such difficult topics (for teens) as prejudice, abusive behavior, and the importance of self-esteem.

Patty is a smart and precocious 12-year-old girl living in a small Arkansas town Her intelligence is not appreciated by her frivolous mother or especially her curt and abusive father, despite her efforts to impress them with her wit and knowledge. Instead, her parents prefer to give their attention to Patty's younger and prettier sister Sharon. As a result, Patty is somewhat of a renegade, sassy and misbehaving, and appears to be loved by only one person -- Ruth, the family's black housekeeper.

Patty's life is forever altered when a group of POWs from Germany are assigned to a prison in her hometown. During the summer, a group of POWs enters her father's mercantile and she meets 18-year-old Anton who is the only one who can speak and understand English. Patty is impressed by Anton and thinks about him on those lazy summer days. Then, one day, she sees him escape the POW camp. She chases after him and gives him shelter. Eventually, Ruth figures out what's going on when food continues to disappear and she sees the friendship that has developed between the two. Anton is kind and gentle and encourages Patty to understand how smart and special she is, despite the physical abuse her father dishes out to her at the slightest provocation.

While the town is upside-down over the escaped prisoner, Patty and Ruth do what they can to help him find his freedom, the result of which brings harm and sadness not only to Patty but to her family, her town, and Anton.

This book is a difficult read because of Patty's constant stream of abuse by her father. But, it is an important one, as the author offers an indictment on prejudice and shows us through these two young people that prejudice doesn't always have to be a part of life, even if we're different from each other.

The narrator does an excellent job reading this book. Her voice is clear and easy to understand and she makes Patty's story come alive.

Deeply touching.

An amazing story of humanity surviving in the face of hatred. Touching and provocative. And sad.

Summer of My German Soldier, one My favorite books

I love the story but I did not especially enjoy the narrators babyish sounding voice.

irritating after awhile

Not a fan of the reading. Great story though. But the reader frequently makes a very irritating clicking noise in her mouth as she's reading. I found this terribly distracting.

Bland

It was a bland book that was really was a tragedy that had a hint of ww2 elements and the book is filled half way with meaningless blabbering with no impact to the story and reading it was a drag.