Six Degrees of Separation: The End of the Affair to Bitter Greens

Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best.  The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links.  I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz. 

The starting point this month is The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. I vaguely remember reading Graham Green in high school but I am pretty sure it was The Power and the Glory.

This month I have taken a very simple approach and I am focussing on the word green, whether it be spelt with or without an E.

My first choice is Summer of my German Soldier by Betty Greene which is another book I read in high school. I reread it back in 2006 (review here)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - By losing the E off the name Green I have read a number of books by YA author John Green but not for  a long time now.

The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood - I started reading Australian author Kerry Greenwood back in 2006, but I have chosen this book because of the green both in her name and in the title. This is the fifth book in the Phryne Fisher series.

Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery -  I feel as thought I can't choose books with Green in the title without mentioning this book.

Evergreen Falls by Kimberly Freeman - What's more green than just green. Why, evergreen of course.

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth - My final choice is one of my favourite books by Aussie author Kate Forsyth.

Next month, the starting point is Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.

Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene

I first read this book when I was about 13 or 14 for school. Kailana was talking about it to me one day during a conversation that we were having and as soon as she mentioned it I was like I have to reread this book!!

The summer that Patty Bergen turns twelve is a summer that will haunt her forever. When her small hometown in Arkansas becomes the site of a camp housing German prisoners during World War II, Patty learns what it means to open her heart. Even though she's Jewish, she begins to see a prison escapee,
Anton, not as a Nazi, but as a lonely, frightened young man with feelings not unlike her own.

In Anton, Patty finds someone who softens the pain of her own father's rejection and who appreciates her in a way her mother never
will. While patriotic feelings run high, Patty risks losing family, friends -- even her freedom -- for this dangerous friendship. It is a risk she has to take and one she will have to pay a price to keep

I did have some recollection of the basics of the story when I started reading it, but I have to say that I was very surprised by how vicious Patti's father really is to her, and the reasons why Patti isn't really loved by her family is never explored or answered. I don' t remember thinking about this when I read it the first time around at all (of course that is a LONG time ago!)

The Bergen's are the only Jewish family in their small Arkansas town and Patti has always known that she is different. Her father runs the local store, and Patti tries to help out when she can to try and gain some approval from her father. One day she gets to serve a young German POW when a group of them come in to the store to buy some hats.

When the same young man escapes from prison, Patti sees him running along the railway tracks, Patti gives him a hiding place, and starts to befriend him, feeding him and spending time with him in his hiding place.

This is not only a look at the unlikely friendship between a young Jewish girl and a German POW, but also between Patti and her family's African-American servant, who is the only person apart from Anton who seems to value Patti.

I was left with an overwhelming feeling of sadness for this young girl who was living in an abusive family, and wondered how she would ever get to a point in her life where she could be successful and happy. There is a sequel to the book, but I haven't been able to locate it anywhere here.

Reading it did, however, make me think about rereads in general a little. This is the first reread for me this year, and it was a book that I read over twenty years ago. That doesn't mean to say that I haven't tried to reread other books this year. I have tried to reread two of my favourite books and the thing that seems to happen is that I really enjoy the book, and then I put it down, and something that I haven't read calls my name and that is it! Maybe I am just not cut out for rereads.....at least not whole books! I do reread the good bits of certain books though!!! So why do I keep all of these books? Maybe a just in case thing I think.

Rating for this book 4/5

Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Framed and Booked