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A review by bluefairybug
The Orphan List by Ann Bennett
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Oh my, what an astonishing story. I've read a few books about the Lebensborn programme, so the idea of it wasn't new to me. But that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking to read about.
I don't know how much of this story is true or if any of the characters were real people. Obviously Lebensborn was a real programme, young girls really were picked to have babies for the Fatherland. But I'm not sure if there really were nurses and doctors working against the Nazi machine to prevent it.
I suspect the characters are totally fictional, but I like to think that someone with Margarete's bravery really did exist. The book also shows how ordinary people were made to do awful things by the Nazi regime, how far would we go to protect our families? I hope we never have to find out.
I'm a massive fan of this genre of fiction, and have read more books than I care to think set around this time. There's always an element of romance that can, at times, detract from the heartbreaking story at the heart of it. But this is one of the best I have read. Ann had managed to weave a fantastic story that I just could not stop reading. I'm desperate for part 2.
I don't know how much of this story is true or if any of the characters were real people. Obviously Lebensborn was a real programme, young girls really were picked to have babies for the Fatherland. But I'm not sure if there really were nurses and doctors working against the Nazi machine to prevent it.
I suspect the characters are totally fictional, but I like to think that someone with Margarete's bravery really did exist. The book also shows how ordinary people were made to do awful things by the Nazi regime, how far would we go to protect our families? I hope we never have to find out.
I'm a massive fan of this genre of fiction, and have read more books than I care to think set around this time. There's always an element of romance that can, at times, detract from the heartbreaking story at the heart of it. But this is one of the best I have read. Ann had managed to weave a fantastic story that I just could not stop reading. I'm desperate for part 2.