Bette Greene's 1973 novel, Summer of My German Soldier, can best be described as adolescent or young adult fiction. It features 12 year-old Patty Bergen as the protagonist and narrator, and the story describes her life as a lonely Jewish girl in Jenkinsville, Arkansas, and her relationship with the escaped German POW who she hides in her father's garage apartment. It follows the typical style of juvenile fiction where the main character, usually young, attempts to find her place in the adult world. It also falls under the category of romance and drama, since Patty falls in love with the German soldier, Anton Reiker. There is a certain element of drama as she hides Anton and then helps him escape, only to be found out and arrested. Patty eventually serves a six-month term in an Arkansas juvenile facility for her actions.
Summer of My German Soldier
by Bette Greene