Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene Summary

Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene tells the story of 12-year-old Patty Bergen, a lonely Jewish girl living in Jenkinsville, Arkansas during World War II. When Anton Reiker, a German prisoner of war, escapes from a nearby POW camp, Patty hides him in her family's garage apartment despite the risks. The novel explores themes of prejudice, domestic violence, and the power of unconditional acceptance through the unlikely friendship between Patty and Anton.

Summer of My German Soldier is ideal for young adults and middle-grade readers interested in historical fiction set during World War II. The book resonates with anyone who has experienced family rejection, bullying, or feeling like an outsider. Teachers frequently assign this novel in classrooms to spark discussions about prejudice, moral courage, and domestic abuse. Adults who enjoy coming-of-age stories with complex emotional depth will also appreciate Bette Greene's realistic portrayal of adolescent loneliness and resilience.

Summer of My German Soldier remains a worthy read as a young adult classic that has endured since 1973. The novel was a National Book Award finalist, won the Golden Kite Award, and earned recognition as a New York Times Outstanding Book. Bette Greene's honest portrayal of domestic violence, anti-Semitism, and an adolescent's search for love continues to resonate with modern readers. Though frequently challenged for its depictions of prejudice and abuse, these difficult subjects make the story psychologically realistic and emotionally powerful for generations of readers.

Bette Greene was an Arkansas-raised novelist born in 1934 who drew from her own childhood experiences to write Summer of My German Soldier. Growing up as the only Jewish family in Parkin, Arkansas, Greene understood firsthand the isolation and otherness that Patty Bergen experiences. She wrote the partly autobiographical novel at age 38 while taking a creative writing course at Harvard in 1972. The manuscript faced 18 rejections before Dial Press published it in 1973, launching Greene's successful career as a young adult author.

The main themes in Summer of My German Soldier include:

• unconditional love versus conditional acceptance
• domestic violence
• prejudice
• identity

Patty Bergen desperately seeks love from her abusive parents who favor her younger sister, finding genuine care instead from Anton Reiker and Ruth, the family's Black housekeeper. The novel explores multiple forms of prejudice—anti-Semitism, racism, and wartime xenophobia—showing how outsiders recognize and support each other. Bette Greene also examines how abuse damages self-worth and how unconditional acceptance helps victims recognize their inherent value.

Patty Bergen helps Anton Reiker because he treats her with genuine kindness and respect—something she never receives from her abusive parents. When Anton meets Patty at her father's department store, his polite manners and easy conversation make her feel valued as a person. This instant connection deepens when Anton risks his own life to stop Patty's father from beating her, demonstrating care she has never experienced. Patty chooses to hide Anton not only to protect him but to preserve the one relationship where she feels truly seen and appreciated.

Anton Reiker is shot and killed in New York while resisting arrest after escaping from Patty's hideaway. Before leaving Jenkinsville, Anton gives Patty his grandfather's gold ring—his most prized possession—to show how much he values their friendship. When the FBI captures Anton, he is wearing the monogrammed shirt Patty gave him, which leads authorities back to her. Patty learns of Anton's death when the sheriff shows her the bloodstained, bullet-riddled shirt during questioning, causing her to break down and confess to helping him.

Summer of My German Soldier appears on the American Library Association's annual lists of most frequently banned or challenged books due to its depictions of domestic violence and prejudice. The novel portrays Patty's hot-tempered father beating her and verbally abusing her throughout the story. Bette Greene does not shy away from showing the psychological and physical impact of parental abuse on a child. Additionally, the sympathetic portrayal of a German POW during World War II and the romantic undertones between a Jewish girl and German soldier make some adults uncomfortable despite the book's anti-Nazi stance.

Ruth, the Bergen family's Black housekeeper, serves as Patty's true maternal figure in Summer of My German Soldier. Unlike Patty's critical mother and abusive father, Ruth loves Patty unconditionally and recognizes her inherent worth. When Ruth discovers Patty is hiding Anton, she prepares a meal for him and shares one of Patty's happiest moments at the kitchen table. Ruth intervenes when Patty's father abuses her and loses her job defending Patty. Later, Ruth visits Patty in reform school and tells her the truth: Patty is not a bad person—her parents are the problem.

Summer of My German Soldier portrays domestic abuse through Patty's father's pattern of physical beatings and emotional cruelty. Mr. Bergen beats Patty for minor infractions like accidentally breaking a car window or associating with poor children. Beyond physical violence, Bette Greene shows psychological abuse through constant criticism and favoritism toward Patty's younger sister Sharon. The novel demonstrates how abuse destroys self-worth, with Patty believing she must be "bad" if her parents cannot love her. Ruth's character provides critical counterpoint by affirming that Patty's parents—not Patty—are flawed.

Summer of My German Soldier is partly autobiographical, drawing from Bette Greene's childhood experiences as the only Jewish family in Parkin, Arkansas during World War II. While the specific story of Patty hiding Anton is fictional, Greene incorporated authentic details about the social isolation of being Jewish in a small Southern town and the historical reality of German POW camps in Arkansas. The emotional truth of family rejection and finding acceptance from unexpected sources reflects Greene's own experiences. She worked for five years crafting the psychologically and historically realistic narrative.

Summer of My German Soldier earned multiple prestigious awards in 1973, including becoming a National Book Award finalist and winning the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers. The novel was also recognized as an American Library Association Notable Book and selected as a New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year. The 1978 television movie adaptation earned Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Writing, with Esther Rolle winning the Outstanding Supporting Actress Emmy for her portrayal of Ruth, Patty's housekeeper who provides unconditional love.