Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene (Sarah Capps): 3D Gallery

Walk with twelve year old Patty Bergen through Arkansas in World War Two.

This historical fiction novel is about a young abused girl sheltering a German Prisoner of War in her hideout. Will she be discovered?

Setting: Jenkinsville, Arkansas

The novel is set in 1944, at the near end of World War Two. Our protagonist, Patty Bergen has always been abused by her father and oppressed by her mother. She is never good enough for them, especially when her younger sister, Sharon, is an angel to her parents, simply because she does not have obnoxious curiosity. The family is considered poor, yet they have an African-American servant named Ruth, who is Patty's only real friend.

German Prisoners-Of-War Arrive At Camp

One day, Patty discovers that the government has built a POW camp. After a few days of working, the prisoners decide to visit Patty's father's store to buy hats for the sun. She is working at the cash register that day when a young man named Anton strikes up a conversation with her. Soon they become acquaintances, for he is far more intelligent and witty than anyone she had ever met. Along with the hat, he buys a false-diamond pendant, but does not tell Patty why.

Rising Action

Patty longs to speak to Anton again, yet she is still struggling with her parents treatment of her. Her father continues to beat her for unnecessary things, while her mother psychologically punishes her for not being beautiful. That night Patty spots Anton escaping from prison to his certain death. He recognizes her and she invites him to hide in her hide-out, where she always hides from her miserable life. They both converse for many hours, and she discovers that he had used the false-diamond pendant to bribe the simple prison guard.

Movie Clip: https://youtu.be/pabuf4Ag4rg?t=25m4s

The Climax

Anton’s escape is now national news, as he is expected to be plotting terrorist actions. The government investigates the family store for clues, and interrogate Patty to no avail, except for a made-up story about Anton being a beggar asking for food. Later, at home, she talks with Freddy, her school friend, whom her father does not approve of. Shockingly, Harry comes home and shoos him away, then beats Patty in front of Ruth and her mother. Disturbed to see this abuse, Anton forgets who he is and dashes out of his hideout to save her. After Ruth has already seen him, he suddenly realizes his situation and runs back. This event leads to Patty’s confession of what she had done.

Anton's Last Bow

Ruth invites Anton and Patty to breakfast and has a hostile discussion with them. Patty hosts a tour of the prison to a reporter, and they quickly become friends. She informs Patty that she can be a reporter if she strives to escape from the uniformity and oppression of her home life. When she gets back to the hideout, he tells Patty that he heard her father muttering self-deprecating things after he beat her. Then he tells Patty that he has endangered her far too much to stay any longer. He plans to leave by nightfall. Despite her attempts, he is gone the next time she checks on him.

"The Summer of My Anton Was Gone..."

The FBI continues to investigate Patty and her family. They offer her a picture, asking if she had encountered him. She shouted in joy, yelling about her precious Anton, whom she had once loved. Then they informed her of the grim reality. The government had killed him for resisting arrest. She then accidentally revealed herself to be an accomplice to a Nazi.

The End of All Good Things

Patty’s entire world began to collapse. On the way to the store, people screamed at her and belittled her. They called her a Nazi and even threatened her with death. She was offered a lawyer, by her father, that was located in Memphis, purposely far from their small town. She stayed with her grandparents, whom she loved, while the trial happened. The verdict for a minor was six months in a reformatory.

Patty's Last Hope

Patty’s life at the reformatory was bleak and lifeless. No creativity thinking was allowed. Only awful reflections. She got a letter from the reporter she had befriended, Charlene Madlee, who gifted her with a subscription to the newspaper she would be working at. One hopeful day, Ruth visited her and explained how she had been fired by the Bergen’s and was now a schoolteacher. This betrays Patty, however they pleasantly discuss their new perspectives on life. Then the caretaker, Miss Maud, tears Ruth away from her, and leaves her dazed, for the last of her hope is drained.

To Conclude...

In the end, this novel reflects the lives of home-bound Americans in World War Two. The theme simply is to show friendship and love, no matter the cost.

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Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene (Sarah Capps)