Book Review: Summer of my German Soldier

"Cruelty is after all cruelty, and the difference between the two men may have more to do with their degrees of power than their degrees of cruelty."


We are almost caught up!




Patty Bergen is a young Jewish girl living in the Southern United States during WWII.  Her mother loves Patty's younger sister more, and her father is a harsh and strict man, who doesn't seem to love either of his children.  The only person who seems to love Patty is the black nanny/housekeeper, Ruth.  Then Patty meets Anton, a German prisoner of war, who seems to understand her like no one in her turbulent home ever could.  But how could an American girl, especially a Jewish one, ever befriend a German soldier?

Apparently a lot of people had to read this one in school.  I never did nor did I ever know anyone who did.  I wish that I had.  Apparently, there was a movie.  I never saw it nor heard of it.

I really enjoyed this book.  I am so glad that I saw in on the shelf at the library and thought, "I think maybe I heard of this book once.  I'll read it."  It was a great book that asks questions about friendship and enemies, and cruelty and loyalty.  Ultimately, it is a story that centers around filtering the evil from the world and seeing the good.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it.  But not if you demand happy-endings.  In the bent, broken, whole or healing books, I would definitely call this one a broken or healing.

Five Stars.


Comments

Evelyn said…
This is one of my favorite books. (I actually saw the movie first; it was a made-for-television movie.) I have taught it a couple of times to 8th graders, and it proved to be the best female-protagonist-that-also-works-for-boys-books that I have ever taught.
February 21, 2015 at 1:22 AM
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