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Book Review of Morning Is a Long Time Coming

Morning Is a Long Time Coming
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Six years later. After being sent to reform school for hiding a German prisoners during the war she finds home life is no better. Her mother still finds fault with her appearance and actions. While her father no longer beats her she endures his verbal abuse at every turn. She graduates from high school. College? Yes, but she really wants to go to Europe to put closure on her relationship with Anton and visit with Anton's family. Her parents are so furious with her choice that her father removes her name from his will.

Traveling to Europe, Patty marvels at ocean waves, makes friends on the ship and travels to Paris with the help of a shipboard friend. She enrolls in a French language school and meets Roger, a photographer, who falls in love with her. He is as different from her father as he can be - kind, loving, gentle and considerate. He is as poor as she is. She collapses, lands in the hospital and discovers she has a peptic ulcer. Roger is there for her then, too. However, she realizes that she has not fulfilled her wish to put closure on her friendship with Anton. In her heart she thinks that Anton's mother may be the mother she wished she had had and and they can share their grief. Roger is upset, they fight and she leaves for Germany. What she discovers in Germany is far from what she dreamed she would find. In addition, she discovers more about herself. This YA read is a good sequel to The Summer of My German Soldier.