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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
We meet Gundi, who is very against Hitler and works against him alongside the Jews, Irma who is pretty much in the middle and can’t decide what she wants, and then Hilda who is extremely for Hitler and does just about anything she can to move up in rank. This book had tons of potential but felt extremely unfinished. All three of them had compelling stories to tell, and yet all three fell short, and we were left with tons more questions than answers. Does Gundi ever find Leo? Why does Irma give up so easily and just seem to accept her fate? In the beginning, she seemed like a much stronger woman. What happened to Hilda? I can’t even remember how her story ended.
I would’ve normally recommended this book as I usually really enjoy the Hitler-era books and learning more about what happened, but this book just didn’t deliver and I felt could’ve gone through a few more edits to clean up a few things left unanswered.
Thank you for this ARC that was generously provided by the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I would’ve normally recommended this book as I usually really enjoy the Hitler-era books and learning more about what happened, but this book just didn’t deliver and I felt could’ve gone through a few more edits to clean up a few things left unanswered.
Thank you for this ARC that was generously provided by the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Servicable but not stellar writing. Written from three perspectives: Gundi, Hilde, and Irma but none are particularly memorable. The tension is shallow and their characters are flat (and, actually, all are kind of dumb and do or say dumb things throughout the book).
It's not a bad book, and if you're particularly fond the the genre, it's not a total waste of time, but it's just not engrossing the way it ought to be. I mean, this is one of the most despciable regimes in history and Lebensborn is downright creepy when you look into it. So this ought to be a riveting story but it's just...there. (Also, does it not play into eugenicist tropes to have your heroine / good character constantly worrying that her baby will "look Jewish"?)
It's not a bad book, and if you're particularly fond the the genre, it's not a total waste of time, but it's just not engrossing the way it ought to be. I mean, this is one of the most despciable regimes in history and Lebensborn is downright creepy when you look into it. So this ought to be a riveting story but it's just...there. (Also, does it not play into eugenicist tropes to have your heroine / good character constantly worrying that her baby will "look Jewish"?)
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Important information from a historical perspective, but the story was poorly written. Too bad. Could have been a very compelling book.
After reading this well written, absorbing novel, I can see all the research the author put into the book. The story is set in Germany in the late 1930’s as Hitler’s Reich takes over and the harsh treatment of Jews begins. In order to fulfill the Aryan ideal, the Lebensborn Society is created, housing pregnant mothers and young women trained to be mothers of Nazis, to create the pure race Hitler desired. Two pregnant girls, Gundi and Hilde, end up at Heim Hochland, in very different circumstances. Hilde is brainwashed by the Nazi propaganda, while Gundi is rebelling against the treatment of Jews. Nurse Irma is the third main character, a German beginning to question what is happening at the home. I was on the edge of my seat to read how the story ends. I highly recommend this novel, telling another important detail of that most horrible time. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
If I could give this book zero stars I would. I want the space this book took up in my brain back.