Summer of My German Soldier
Series: Summer of My German Soldier, Book 1
By: Bette Greene / Narrated By: Dale Dickey
Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
Better than the TV flick… sweet… devastating… sweet… devastating
Remember Kristy McNichol as 12-year old Patty Bergen? I do, and that’s been my memory of this, Summer of My German Soldier, wherein the young Jewish-American girl befriends and helps to hide an escaped POW German soldier. But I remember the TV version was bittersweet whereas here, the audiobook version is particularly bitter.
Jenkinsville, Arkansas, near the end of WWII, and German POWs have been brought to the outskirts of town to be housed and to pick cotton until the end of the war. On a trip to town to buy straw hats to protect against the searing summer sun out in the fields, the only prisoner who knows English comes into Patty’s family’s store. This is Anton, and tho’ the rest of the townsfolk sneer, jeer, and hurl invective at him, Patty’s immediately drawn in by his politeness. Also, she rather follows the beat of a different drummer, existing on the fringes of society, always getting in trouble for speaking her mind, for doing things her own way, for wanting. Peace, yes. To be loved, most definitely. She’d like an easy acceptance, and this is what she discovers from the amiable Anton.
As time passes, not much is seen of the POWs until Patty witnesses Anton running, scooting, hunched and hiding. It takes her not a moment’s thought, there’s no hesitation whatsoever. This is her friend, the only one she has, and so she helps conceal him on the Bergen property. This she does, setting up the friendship and devotion between a Jewish girl and a Nazi soldier… one who loudly decries Hitler but who is fiercely patriotic of Germany.
Tho’ much happens between the two and the relationship is developed, cripes! there’s so very much more of Patty’s life as she struggles to belong within her own family. She has a little sister named Sharon who’s all beauty and playfulness, sunshine and innocence. Patty, on the other hand is completely ignored at best, derided by Mother, beaten and abused by Father.
As her friendship with Anton grows, Patty starts seeing the world, and people, through eyes not her own; Anton’s eyes. He doesn’t like Patty’s father, sees him as cruel, sees him as pathetic, wanting acceptance of his own but being too cowardly to shape his behavior accordingly, preferring to shame and strike out, beat Patty to his own low level. This is a new thought for Patty who’s only ever been wanting his love, or even just a paltry form of acceptance. As time goes on, as the beatings and humiliations continue, Patty feels the growing warmth of the self-worth she’s developing, of being the loving and graceful young girl she is, a human worthy of simple respect and dignity.
This is rather a hard Listen as things start careening out of control, as the escape takes on vast import, coming at a time when saboteurs have been caught off the coast. Anton is denounced as being on the hunt to join the saboteur ring, to have motives that are dangerous, vile, can cause great destruction. He soon has to leave Patty (And Patty’s only other friend, the only other person who truly loves her, Ruth, the family’s Negro housekeeper).
And Patty, seeking attention, makes things sooo much worse for herself as the story continues. A ring, signifying love, friendship, a promise of better times, is shown and given a grand and convoluted story… which gets out and which spins out of control. There were so very many times that her actions, her words were beyond ill-advised, and my toes would curl as Nooooo! went through my head. I’d have to sit back and remind myself: She’s only twelve; she’s lonely; she’s been invisible and of COURSE she’d like very much to be Seen, just a little bit, to sport her newly budding self-worth as she navigates a hostile environment in hostile Jenkinsville.
At first I wasn’t sure about Dale Dickey’s narration because I made a mistake a friend of mine once shouted to me. This friend had such a pronounced Southern drawl that people, as she did phone customer service, would begin talking verrrrry slowly to her, as tho’ she was slow herself. My friend would shout, fed up to the nth degree: I have an accent but I ain’t stupid, y’all! Dickey’s accent for Patty had me wondering about her snap at the beginning, but hey! this is Arkansas, and hey! this is a town that throws rocks into the windows of the store owned by a Chinese clerk… NOT Japanese, but for this Arkansas town? Close enough. So Patty is just one of this crowd, and I settled into it. Plus it added a sort of innocence to her, especially as she navigates her newly enlarged world, her new self, even as she suffers from old impulses to belong and to be loved. And Dickey’s voice for Anton was perfect which balanced nicely with how outrageous Patty’s father’s animosity and gross abuse went. We feel how Patty can seek Anton’s views and begin to shun dearest Papa’s. So all around a grand performance. EsPECially for the other two people (Three counting the journalist who befriends Patty) who are ALL love, warmth, there during the harsh and difficult times.
And make no mistake: Harsh? Difficult? Sheltering and aiding the enemy is called Treason at the best of times. During War, with saboteurs caught in the act? Times are particularly fraught. So gear up for the devastating.
Still, such a warm little Listen, and I must admit that Kristy McNichol waaaay back when did an admirable job in conveying Patty’s spunk and sensitivity. Not bad for the young actress, certainly as I admit to seeing her as Patty which is usually NOT the case when books become films and such-all.
Sweet, devastating. Kindness, oh dear Kindness.
People in an out of control world, a world at war, where a town’s worst characteristics are given free rein, where a 12-year old girl waits hopefully for a nod from people she’s invested so much time and love in.
All to discover what love and acceptance truly mean.
…And how lonely that can be…
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