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ewheather's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
marilynw's review
4.0
Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn
I remember first learning about the Lebensborn Society maternity homes from the same television program that that author mentions in her afterward. I spent time researching what I could when I learned of it. The program was far reaching in the ways it intruded into the lives of others, all for the goal of "racial hygiene".
We follow three fictional women who become cogs in the wheels of this program. One young woman, Gundi, is pregnant by the Jewish man she loves but she hides that fact as she is whisked off, against her will, to bear what is supposed to be a "racially pure" baby. The other young woman, Hilde, is a pregnant zealot for the madman that is destroying lives and people, she is a true believer and willing to do most things for her country. The third woman, Irma, is forty two, has burned bridges in her current life, so takes a job at the same breeding home in Bavaria where the other two young pregnant women have been taken.
Gundi could lose everything if her secret is found out, she's already lost almost everything. Hilde soon realizes that her situation isn't the wonderful setup she thought it was and she has to make some desperate choices to even salvage undesirable solutions. Irma sees that no matter how low things have sunk in her life, that she wants to at least make the time the girls are with her as good as they can be. But she can dig even deeper when the time comes and give even more. I enjoyed her awakening and the way she sees the past differently than she thought it was before she found out about this program.
I do wish the story didn't end so quickly, with so much left unsaid and unknown. The ending felt rushed, with much left dangling, unanswered. But the story is a good one and I felt for each woman, even misguided Hilde.
***The program that addresses this subject is The Man in the High Castle (TV series).
Pub October 11th 2022
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this ARC.
I remember first learning about the Lebensborn Society maternity homes from the same television program that that author mentions in her afterward. I spent time researching what I could when I learned of it. The program was far reaching in the ways it intruded into the lives of others, all for the goal of "racial hygiene".
We follow three fictional women who become cogs in the wheels of this program. One young woman, Gundi, is pregnant by the Jewish man she loves but she hides that fact as she is whisked off, against her will, to bear what is supposed to be a "racially pure" baby. The other young woman, Hilde, is a pregnant zealot for the madman that is destroying lives and people, she is a true believer and willing to do most things for her country. The third woman, Irma, is forty two, has burned bridges in her current life, so takes a job at the same breeding home in Bavaria where the other two young pregnant women have been taken.
Gundi could lose everything if her secret is found out, she's already lost almost everything. Hilde soon realizes that her situation isn't the wonderful setup she thought it was and she has to make some desperate choices to even salvage undesirable solutions. Irma sees that no matter how low things have sunk in her life, that she wants to at least make the time the girls are with her as good as they can be. But she can dig even deeper when the time comes and give even more. I enjoyed her awakening and the way she sees the past differently than she thought it was before she found out about this program.
I do wish the story didn't end so quickly, with so much left unsaid and unknown. The ending felt rushed, with much left dangling, unanswered. But the story is a good one and I felt for each woman, even misguided Hilde.
***The program that addresses this subject is The Man in the High Castle (TV series).
Pub October 11th 2022
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this ARC.
rosepup77's review
5.0
The synopsis and the cover really grabbed my attention. This was a fantastic book and I really enjoyed reading it. I just wish there had been an epilogue letting us know what happened to each of the main characters after. Did they survive and find happiness and love?
jessicareadsmanybooks's review
emotional
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
macrosinthemitten's review
4.0
If you like WWII books, you should definitely check this one out! I loved that it was different from a lot of typical historical fiction books. Set in late 1930s Germany, Cradles of the Reich tells the story of the Lebensborn program. Set up as a home for pregnant German mothers, the house was supposed to provide care and nutrition for women who would then give their babies up for adoption to German families who couldn't bear children. It was also a state-sanctioned brothel. Three women from very different walks of life find their paths crossing when they all arrive at the home under different auspices. This was an incredibly disturbing story but also fascinating. I knew a little bit about this program through my studies, but not nearly the depth and detail that I learned after reading this book. It's a beautiful story about what it means to be a mother, to honor one's duty, and what it means to be brave.
booknerd315's review
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Publication: October 11, 2022
I had a hard time with this book even though I so badly wanted to love it. The writing felt a bit long winded and a tad disjointed. One minute I'm engulfed in the story and then I'm thrust into the past but no idea how far in the past. I wished the author tried to make those transitions a little smoother.
Another thing that didn't jive with me is how flat some of the characters seemed to me. They weren't very well rounded so I felt that some characters where just stereotypical. For example, some of the German officials were just painted as pigs and only interested in sex. Maybe that is what the author was going for but it left me feeling discombobulated as a reader.
Overall, I appreciated how well researched this was and that it was a topic I knew little about. However, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.
Publication: October 11, 2022
I had a hard time with this book even though I so badly wanted to love it. The writing felt a bit long winded and a tad disjointed. One minute I'm engulfed in the story and then I'm thrust into the past but no idea how far in the past. I wished the author tried to make those transitions a little smoother.
Another thing that didn't jive with me is how flat some of the characters seemed to me. They weren't very well rounded so I felt that some characters where just stereotypical. For example, some of the German officials were just painted as pigs and only interested in sex. Maybe that is what the author was going for but it left me feeling discombobulated as a reader.
Overall, I appreciated how well researched this was and that it was a topic I knew little about. However, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.
sarah_reading_party's review
4.0
Cradles of the Reich is an inventive and interesting World War II novel! The story centers around the Lebensborn Society, a Nazi breeding program to further the Aryan cause. The history is creepy and horrifying, but the book itself draws you in as you follow several women and their roles in the program. Though the author really focused on Gundi, a young woman who is "racially pure" yet part of the Resistance, I was really captivated by Hilde's story and how she had been indoctrinated in Nazi philosophy.
I do have a couple of complaints about this novel. First, I thought the women (Gundi, Hilde, and Irma - a nurse) would interact more and influence each other. There is some of that, but the premise made me feel it would be more prominent. And also, the book ended really quickly. I would have liked to know how their stories ended in the years after the war. Now it's just left to my imagination to figure that out, which isn't a bad thing!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced ebook copy. All opinions are my own.
I do have a couple of complaints about this novel. First, I thought the women (Gundi, Hilde, and Irma - a nurse) would interact more and influence each other. There is some of that, but the premise made me feel it would be more prominent. And also, the book ended really quickly. I would have liked to know how their stories ended in the years after the war. Now it's just left to my imagination to figure that out, which isn't a bad thing!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced ebook copy. All opinions are my own.
kirstenwhite's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
This book was definitely well researched, which I especially appreciate when dealing with such serious subject matter. I enjoyed it, but was hoping for more moments of “I can’t put this down.”
I think there were missed opportunities for emotional depth, but I also think the author’s focus was on making the novel as historically accurate as possible and highlighting the Lebensborn Society. So, emotional tid bits (and honestly, character development) were lacking for me.
The ending felt very abrupt and somewhat forced. Gundi’s story is tied up in a nice bow, but we could have used a few more chapters for other characters - especially Sister Dorothea.
All of that to say, I did really enjoy it! I’ve always enjoyed historical fiction, especially books about World War II, so I really liked it. If historical fiction isn’t your thing and you’re looking for a “gripping novel,” this may not be for you.
This book was definitely well researched, which I especially appreciate when dealing with such serious subject matter. I enjoyed it, but was hoping for more moments of “I can’t put this down.”
I think there were missed opportunities for emotional depth, but I also think the author’s focus was on making the novel as historically accurate as possible and highlighting the Lebensborn Society. So, emotional tid bits (and honestly, character development) were lacking for me.
The ending felt very abrupt and somewhat forced. Gundi’s story is tied up in a nice bow, but we could have used a few more chapters for other characters - especially Sister Dorothea.
All of that to say, I did really enjoy it! I’ve always enjoyed historical fiction, especially books about World War II, so I really liked it. If historical fiction isn’t your thing and you’re looking for a “gripping novel,” this may not be for you.
kait_reads_books's review
4.0
I was lucky enough to receive an e-Arc from the author and also surprised me with a finished copy a few weeks ago! This historical fiction novel is out Tuesday 10/11 and I highly recommend it!
This is a historical fiction novel following three women who find themselves involved with the Nazi’s Lebensborn Society. This was the Third Reich’s program to breed the “perfect” Aryan child. The three women have vastly different perspectives of this program:
Gundi, who becomes pregnant and brought to a home where she will carry the baby where it will then be taken from her for adoption.
Irma, who is a staff nurse at the home and unknowingly becomes involved in this society.
Hilde, who I s a young 18 year old nazi supporter who is proud to carry the baby of a Nazi officer.
This was something in history I had no clue about. It is a work of fiction but based on true events and wonderfully researched. I could tell the author did a lot of work making it historically accurate. This novel evokes the same feelings I felt when I read Hold My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. I highly recommend this novel to history lovers 4⭐️
This is a historical fiction novel following three women who find themselves involved with the Nazi’s Lebensborn Society. This was the Third Reich’s program to breed the “perfect” Aryan child. The three women have vastly different perspectives of this program:
Gundi, who becomes pregnant and brought to a home where she will carry the baby where it will then be taken from her for adoption.
Irma, who is a staff nurse at the home and unknowingly becomes involved in this society.
Hilde, who I s a young 18 year old nazi supporter who is proud to carry the baby of a Nazi officer.
This was something in history I had no clue about. It is a work of fiction but based on true events and wonderfully researched. I could tell the author did a lot of work making it historically accurate. This novel evokes the same feelings I felt when I read Hold My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. I highly recommend this novel to history lovers 4⭐️