Morning is a Long Time Coming [Paperback]

Bette Greene (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Pocket Books (October 1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671424564
• ISBN-13: 978-0671424565
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,864,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bette Greene's award-winning classic novels will be celebrating 40 years in print!

As an award-winning author, screenwriter and news reporter, Bette Greene is read worldwide in over 16 languages. Bette continues her legacy of writing and speaking for the victimized. Within the heartbeat of her storytelling and the realism of her prose lies Bette's demand that her readers feel what she feels and sees what she sees, taking us beyond our differences.

As the 20th century's youngest professional news reporter, Bette published her first news story at age eight. Bette Greene's first book, "Summer of My German Soldier", won the first "Golden Kite" award. This same novel outsold Prince Charles' book in his own country.

Bette Greene holds the honor of being the only author included in "Writers of Holocaust Literature", without having been a victim of the Holocaust.

As a 21st century master author, Bette Greene uses the social media platforms to reach out and touch her readers, Gen-X, Y and Z. According to critics, Bette Greene has given a voice to the voiceless, changing the course of young adults' literature in America.

For nearly 40 years, Bette Greene's books have been banned, censored and challenged. The theme of Bette Greene's award-winning library is always the same - Bullying!



AWARDS

* Summer of My German Soldier: Golden Kite Society Children's Book Writer's Award, New York Times Outstanding Book Award, ALA Notable Book Award, National Book Award Finalist, Massachusetts Children's Book Award.
* Them That Glitter and Them that Don't: Parent's Choice Award, Parent's Choice Foundation.

*Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe: New York Times Outstanding Book Award,
New York Times Outstanding Title Award, ALA Notable Children's Book Award, Child Study Association Children's Book Award, Kirkus Choice Award, Newbery Honor Award.

* Summer of My German Soldier, The Film: Emmy-Award & Humanitas Prize Award film promoting human dignity, meaning and freedom

Bette Greene's literary library includes: "Get On Out Of Here Philip Hall", "I've Already Forgotten Your Name, Philip Hall!", "The Drowning Of Stephan Jones".

____________________________________________________________________________

Website: http://www.bettegreene.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bette.greene

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars this was so disappointing..., October 27, 2001

By 

T. E. Mcconnell (middle of the usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Morning is a Long Time Coming (Paperback)

I definately consider "summer of my german soldier" to be one of my top 3 favorite books of all time, so of course I was anxious to read the sequel. After reading some disappointing reviews, I was skeptical, but decided I had to read it to find out what ends up happening in Patty's life. Actually, the first half of the book is pretty good, although her relationship with Ruth is not what I pictured it would be, the first half of the book ends well with Patty getting ready to leave for Europe. Through the first part, she goes on about how she misses Anton and what her life has been like over the past 6 yrs. Then come the second part, and let me tell you...almost anyone could have written a better conclusion. It starts out with Patty on a boat to Paris, where she meets a fairly nice guy named Michael, who likes her. They are in love for a while, and there is even the chance of them getting married. Then he makes a joke about her "reeling in a doctor" (he's an american med student at switzerland) and she gets mad at him saying this and all of a sudden realizes that she dosent want him and he is somehow just like her father(although I never understand her point on this.) Soon she is in Paris, and meets another guy named Roger, who is the biggest jerk, and who most resembles everything that is bad about her father. Somehow, she still thinks hes good looking, so she has sex with him less than a day after she meets him! He even asks if it hurt when he entered into her, so this is definately NOT a childrens book! When she finally gets the courage to tell him she's going to Germany (months after she arrived in Paris) he goes wacko and tells her he considers her dead, and dosen't blame her father for disowning her because she is ungrateful to him, etc. Basically, Roger is a younger version of her father. When Patty gets to Germany, thats when she really goes off the wall. She thinks that everybody is a Nazi, and although everyone is really nice to her, she seems to hate them all of a sudden. She goes to the home of Anton, and his father welcomes her in and is really great to her, but once she learns that Mrs.Reiker is dead, she goes without asking him about Anton. That is when Patty really goes anti-German and even gets thrown in jail for making a big scene back at her hotel. She goes back to Paris after calming herself, and realizes that Paris and Roger and the right things for her life, and she is sooo sorry she casued Roger so much pain and she'll never think of Anton again. (At this point, I was about ready to throw up)

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Summer of My German Soldier was better..., August 10, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Morning is a Long Time Coming (Paperback)

Morning is a Long Time Coming was an ok book, but as the sequel to Summer of My German Soldier, I expected much better. This tells the continuing story of Patty, who helped an escaped POW, Anton, when she was 12, during WW2. Now 18, she leaves her abusive family to go to Europe, in hopes of finding her German soldier's family; she wants a better family relationship then she had at home. However, she gets sidetracked in France over a love affair. She and Roger keep having silly arguements, problems spring up, and it gets old after a while. I think that this book should have focused more on her finding Anton's family, rather than a love affair in Paris. The humor was good though, and I liked the French thrown in. This book was all right if you want to know what became of Patty, but it was rather disappointing. If you want a really good read, read Summer of My German Soldier.

25 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adult novel with an adult theme, September 7, 2004

By 

Jayme "jchristine26" (Plano, TX United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Morning is a Long Time Coming (Paperback)

This is a beautiful book--one I too picked up and tried to read at age 11 right after reading Summer of German Soldier. I didn't like it then. How could I? At age 11, change is not a favorite condition--which is all this novel is about. I decided to try it again at 21. The book is just wonderful for adults seeing Patty grow up and make decisions as an adult. An adult knows that sick feeling when they are about to disappoint their family but knows they have to to follow their own path. To address other issues: Michael Werner was abusive like her father--she had to learn to choose someone not abusive. There is the reference to sex--it is not out of place in a coming of age novel. And at 18, she is not particularly young to be portrayed as a young woman losing her virginity. If it helps the morality police--this is the guy who begs to marry her. There should be no more mention of Anton. He's dead--they were never in love or a couple. They were good friends. He opened her eyes to another continent and she went as soon as she got the chance. She chose to go to Paris first--Roger did not cause her to detour. She finally does go to Gottingen. Sure, she could have talked to Anton's dad--but why? When she realises his mother is dead, she also realises Anton is gone and the past is just that--past. She freaks out--and quite frankly Anton's poor dad had lost his wife and a son--why bring it up and cause him grief? The novel is a sweet story about a woman realizing she can tell others not to abuse her--the way a child cannot. She is learning to let go of the past the way a child cannot, and she is learning to live a new life--her own in the place she chose. This novel was about Patty--not about what happened 7 years earlier with her now dead friend. Patty goes from being a girl to a woman in this novel. This is a book that needs to be read by adults and certainly not just after reading Summer of My German Soldier in school.