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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
Just when I think I've hit all the depravity that was part of WW2, I read another book and learn more. This book had me hooked from beginning to end, and I was at times hopeful, horrified, sad, happy and amazed. The true strength that was shown in this book was incredible. You find yourself cheering for the characters and that they will be successful. A must read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the privilege to read this ARC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the privilege to read this ARC in return for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Heart wrenching story of the pull between doing the right thing and staying alive in an evil regime. And of the powerful bind between mother and child.
emotional
informative
sad
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:
No
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Orphan List by Ann Bennett
(The World War Two Orphanage #1)
I have the audiobook ARC The Stolen Sisters (The World War Two Orphanage #2) so in preparation for listening to that audiobook, I wanted to read this first book. Over the last several years I've been reading a lot about the Lebensborn program initiated by Heinrich Himmler. Started as a program to breed a master race of Aryans, the babies bred from the most perfect of women (often, young girls) and Aryan men, were then given to parents who passed the most rigid standards of party compliance. The program was expanded in a number of ways to also kidnap racially pure (or close enough) children from their families to be given to approved true believers of Germany's superiority. Along the way, inferior babies were exterminated and the families of the children that were kidnapped were also often exterminated. The goals of the program were very narrow and any sign of humanity towards humans was to be extinguished.
In this book, we follow several woman and several timelines. This program affected people throughout their lifetimes and on into future generations. Another feature of this program was that the babies born to this program were not to be touched or coddled unless absolutely necessary to keep them alive. From birth the babies were left to cry, to harden to their surroundings, to either thrive or perish. We now know this kind of treatment of infants and toddlers leaves lasting damage to the children who grow into adults who are unable to function emotionally.
Almost all facts of the program were hidden from the girls having babies for their country, from the parents adopting these babies, and from the children, themselves. With this story we get to see events from several directions, including a nurse who was forced to work for the program through threats towards her family. Actually, no one was ever safe, once one was no longer useful to the program they could be sent to various places to be dealt with permanently. Thankfully, so much has come out now, this program is no longer a secret, and people can know something of their history and that of their family that came before them. I'm glad I have the second book already, so I don't have a long wait to learn more. This author is now on my TBR list and she has several more books waiting in the wings for me.
This is a KU selection
(The World War Two Orphanage #1)
I have the audiobook ARC The Stolen Sisters (The World War Two Orphanage #2) so in preparation for listening to that audiobook, I wanted to read this first book. Over the last several years I've been reading a lot about the Lebensborn program initiated by Heinrich Himmler. Started as a program to breed a master race of Aryans, the babies bred from the most perfect of women (often, young girls) and Aryan men, were then given to parents who passed the most rigid standards of party compliance. The program was expanded in a number of ways to also kidnap racially pure (or close enough) children from their families to be given to approved true believers of Germany's superiority. Along the way, inferior babies were exterminated and the families of the children that were kidnapped were also often exterminated. The goals of the program were very narrow and any sign of humanity towards humans was to be extinguished.
In this book, we follow several woman and several timelines. This program affected people throughout their lifetimes and on into future generations. Another feature of this program was that the babies born to this program were not to be touched or coddled unless absolutely necessary to keep them alive. From birth the babies were left to cry, to harden to their surroundings, to either thrive or perish. We now know this kind of treatment of infants and toddlers leaves lasting damage to the children who grow into adults who are unable to function emotionally.
Almost all facts of the program were hidden from the girls having babies for their country, from the parents adopting these babies, and from the children, themselves. With this story we get to see events from several directions, including a nurse who was forced to work for the program through threats towards her family. Actually, no one was ever safe, once one was no longer useful to the program they could be sent to various places to be dealt with permanently. Thankfully, so much has come out now, this program is no longer a secret, and people can know something of their history and that of their family that came before them. I'm glad I have the second book already, so I don't have a long wait to learn more. This author is now on my TBR list and she has several more books waiting in the wings for me.
This is a KU selection
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book gripped me from the very first page right up to the very last page. I had only recently heard of the lebensborne programme and that is such a scary thing to think about. How sad it is for those people who gave birth and the children they never got to know. I think the even scarier part is young women were all for this and were willing to get pregnant by some stranger that was an officer of the Reich willingly.
This book was so interesting to think about Margarete and her bravery while being forced to work at this particular facility/castle and the father of her baby being a doctor forced also to work at this place. The work they did was admirable to say the least.
I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this advanced reader copy. I highly recommend this book! And these are my honest opinions of the book.
This book was so interesting to think about Margarete and her bravery while being forced to work at this particular facility/castle and the father of her baby being a doctor forced also to work at this place. The work they did was admirable to say the least.
I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this advanced reader copy. I highly recommend this book! And these are my honest opinions of the book.