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tadpole_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Racism, and Antisemitism
soobooksalot's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So many unexpected perspectives make up Cradle Of The Reich.
Thank you to author Jennifer Colburn for putting this on my radar!
Cradles Of The Reich is told from three women's experiences with Himmler's Lebensborn Society in Nazi Germany.
The fictional characters of Gundi, Sister Irma and Hilde, tell the story of Lebensborn, with the goal of encouraging the births of children who met the Nazi standards of "racially pure" Aryans, based on eugenics - light skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, no physical anomalies.
Having relations with a Jew was a crime, to create a Mischling, or Untermensch.
"If you were a true Nazi, you wouldn't call it murder. You'd call it cleansing, purifying, euthanizing, liquidating, but never murder."
It's a piece of history that sounds too fantastical to be real, but Cradles Of The Reich brings it to life.
The experiences of the women were surprising in their differences - loyalty versus survival. Colburn obviously did her research to paint such scenes of the time.
This is a story that will stay with you, and if you're like me, prompt further reading. Don't miss the Author's Note at the end.
Recommended!
Thank you to author Jennifer Colburn for putting this on my radar!
Cradles Of The Reich is told from three women's experiences with Himmler's Lebensborn Society in Nazi Germany.
The fictional characters of Gundi, Sister Irma and Hilde, tell the story of Lebensborn, with the goal of encouraging the births of children who met the Nazi standards of "racially pure" Aryans, based on eugenics - light skin, blonde hair, blue eyes, no physical anomalies.
Having relations with a Jew was a crime, to create a Mischling, or Untermensch.
"If you were a true Nazi, you wouldn't call it murder. You'd call it cleansing, purifying, euthanizing, liquidating, but never murder."
It's a piece of history that sounds too fantastical to be real, but Cradles Of The Reich brings it to life.
The experiences of the women were surprising in their differences - loyalty versus survival. Colburn obviously did her research to paint such scenes of the time.
This is a story that will stay with you, and if you're like me, prompt further reading. Don't miss the Author's Note at the end.
Recommended!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexual content, War, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
micasreads's review against another edition
4.0
Heim Hochland is the Nazi maternity home in Bavaria and the home of the Lebensborn project - the Nazi program for creating the master race. This is the story of a nurse, Irma, who believes she is bringing new lives into the world but quickly learns there is more to her job than that. There are also two young mothers, Hilde, a Nazi mistress who realized how unimportant she is to the Reich, and Gundi, a young German girl carrying a Jewish baby. Each woman must deal with being a German woman during World War II and decide how best to live their lives.
This was a book I was intrigued by the moment I saw the cover. The Nazi breeding program is not something I have seen covered in many historical fiction novels. Coburn did a wonderful job researching the project and portraying it in her setting. The characters were well-fleshed out with wonderful backstories. The only thing I found lacking was not having a clear idea of how Hilde ended up when she was abandoned. Her ending is alluded to but never set in stone. With that being said, this was a fantastic read and I hope there is more to come from Jennifer Coburn.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Miscarriage and Antisemitism
hannahd_19's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Antisemitism, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Medical content, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Genocide
noble_editorial's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a really enjoyable WWII story that shed light on the Lebensborn Society network of maternity homes in Nazi Germany. The setting and main characters are all interesting and well-developed. The contrast between the motivations of each character is particularly well-executed, making it an absorbing read.
I did find the climax fell a bit flat, and I think the events near the end of the book could have been explored in more detail for added tension and interest, but I still enjoyed the story a great deal.
Thank you to the author, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I did find the climax fell a bit flat, and I think the events near the end of the book could have been explored in more detail for added tension and interest, but I still enjoyed the story a great deal.
Thank you to the author, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, War, Antisemitism, Grief, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Sexism
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Miscarriage, Racism, Confinement, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, and War
Moderate: Death
Minor: Homophobia
ceeemvee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This historical novel focuses on the Lebensborn homes established by Heinrich Himmler. The program’s purpose was to increase the number of Aryan children based on eugenics. Unmarried mothers meeting the criteria were encouraged to have their children adopted by families, particularly SS member families. The program also provided women for soldiers in the hopes the “model” women would become pregnant, and went so far as to kidnap children based on their desirability in order to “Germanize” them.
There are three main characters who all meet at Heim Hochland, a Lebensborn home. Gundi is part of the resistance and while she is a master specimen of Aryan eugenics, unbeknownst to authorities her unborn child is half Jewish. Hilde is a true believer and is proud to be having the child of a married SS officer. Irma is a middle-aged nurse who was widowed during the Great War and is questioning the direction the SS is taking her country.
The story was well-researched, and I would recommend reading the author’s endnote at the beginning. This is a dark and depraved part of history, but was handled delicately. The story was paced well, even if it was formulaic. Each of the women were fairly predictable. While all three have different attitudes, they were written without any distinction. I would have perhaps enjoyed the book more if each of the three women had a noticeably different voice. If you have no knowledge of this subject, it is a great introduction to set you on the path to learning more.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
This historical novel focuses on the Lebensborn homes established by Heinrich Himmler. The program’s purpose was to increase the number of Aryan children based on eugenics. Unmarried mothers meeting the criteria were encouraged to have their children adopted by families, particularly SS member families. The program also provided women for soldiers in the hopes the “model” women would become pregnant, and went so far as to kidnap children based on their desirability in order to “Germanize” them.
There are three main characters who all meet at Heim Hochland, a Lebensborn home. Gundi is part of the resistance and while she is a master specimen of Aryan eugenics, unbeknownst to authorities her unborn child is half Jewish. Hilde is a true believer and is proud to be having the child of a married SS officer. Irma is a middle-aged nurse who was widowed during the Great War and is questioning the direction the SS is taking her country.
The story was well-researched, and I would recommend reading the author’s endnote at the beginning. This is a dark and depraved part of history, but was handled delicately. The story was paced well, even if it was formulaic. Each of the women were fairly predictable. While all three have different attitudes, they were written without any distinction. I would have perhaps enjoyed the book more if each of the three women had a noticeably different voice. If you have no knowledge of this subject, it is a great introduction to set you on the path to learning more.
https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, and Miscarriage
World War II Nazisoceanwriter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The Nazi breeding program seems to be one of those things that people have inklings about but sounds too dystopian to entertain the thought too much. Kudos to Jennifer Coburn for tackling this lesser-spoken time in history. Not only does she illustrate victims, but also those who embraced the program.
The book follows Gundi, Irma, and Hilde, three women with vastly different stories that all intertwine in Heim Hochland. The three have different roles and backgrounds: Hilde is there to produce Aryan children, specifically the child of a Nazi officer, Gundi is carrying a Jewish man's baby and can only pray the child will inherit her Aryan features rather than his Jewish looks, and Irma is a nurse at Heim Hochland seeing to the needs of the mothers to be.
Of the three, I liked Gundi's story the best and found it to be the most fleshed out with her being both part of the Resistance as well as a resident of the maternity home. Her and Irma's relationship was so sweet. That being said, I enjoyed Irma's POV immensely as well and her journey as she comes to learn more about the true reason for her work at the maternity home. As for Hilde, her story is both difficult and interesting to read. Difficult because it's uncomfortable being placed in the mindset of someone who wants to contribute to the Nazi party, especially in such a way as being a breeder. Interesting because it's not a perspective you'll often see visited nowadays. I can't imagine how difficult it would be as a writer to take on a character like this.
Hilde's storyline sort of drops off toward the end, making Gundi and Irma the ultimate protagonists of the book. Their stories were solid enough that Hilde was a bit of a third wheel, but it did add something having that not-so-pleasant POV. It added a layer of harsh reality to the situation. There were women willing to compromise themselves for the sake of producing the 'perfect' child and people willing to bring harm to those who didn't fit the bill.
There's a lot going on in the book, but there's a lot to cover and a lot of intricacies that make up the bigger picture. I don't know a whole lot about this program, but it appears to be thoroughly researched which I always appreciate. I'm curious to look more into the subject now.
A huge thanks to the author for inviting me to read the ARC through NetGalley! I plan on buying a physical copy once the book is released.
The book follows Gundi, Irma, and Hilde, three women with vastly different stories that all intertwine in Heim Hochland. The three have different roles and backgrounds: Hilde is there to produce Aryan children, specifically the child of a Nazi officer, Gundi is carrying a Jewish man's baby and can only pray the child will inherit her Aryan features rather than his Jewish looks, and Irma is a nurse at Heim Hochland seeing to the needs of the mothers to be.
Of the three, I liked Gundi's story the best and found it to be the most fleshed out with her being both part of the Resistance as well as a resident of the maternity home. Her and Irma's relationship was so sweet. That being said, I enjoyed Irma's POV immensely as well and her journey as she comes to learn more about the true reason for her work at the maternity home. As for Hilde, her story is both difficult and interesting to read. Difficult because it's uncomfortable being placed in the mindset of someone who wants to contribute to the Nazi party, especially in such a way as being a breeder. Interesting because it's not a perspective you'll often see visited nowadays. I can't imagine how difficult it would be as a writer to take on a character like this.
Hilde's storyline sort of drops off toward the end, making Gundi and Irma the ultimate protagonists of the book. Their stories were solid enough that Hilde was a bit of a third wheel, but it did add something having that not-so-pleasant POV. It added a layer of harsh reality to the situation. There were women willing to compromise themselves for the sake of producing the 'perfect' child and people willing to bring harm to those who didn't fit the bill.
There's a lot going on in the book, but there's a lot to cover and a lot of intricacies that make up the bigger picture. I don't know a whole lot about this program, but it appears to be thoroughly researched which I always appreciate. I'm curious to look more into the subject now.
A huge thanks to the author for inviting me to read the ARC through NetGalley! I plan on buying a physical copy once the book is released.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Antisemitism
Moderate: War, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
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