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The Sunflower House
The beloved international bestseller!
Family secrets come to light as a young woman fights to save herself, and others, in a Nazi-run baby factory—a real-life Handmaid's Tale—during World War II.
In a sleepy German village, Allina Strauss’s life seems idyllic: she works at her uncle’s bookshop, makes strudel with her aunt, and spends weekends with her friends and fiancé. But it's 1939, Adolf Hitler is Chancellor, and Allina’s family hides a terrifying secret—her birth mother was Jewish, making her a Mischling.
One fateful night after losing everyone she loves, Allina is forced into service as a nurse at a state-run baby factory called Hochland Home. There, she becomes both witness and participant to the horrors of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program.
The Sunflower House is a meticulously-researched debut historical novel that uncovers the notorious Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. Women of “pure” blood stayed in Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of perpetuating the Aryan population, giving birth to thousands of babies who were adopted out to “good” Nazi families. Allina must keep her Jewish identity a secret in order to survive, but when she discovers the neglect occurring within the home, she’s determined not only to save herself, but also the children in her care.
A tale of one woman’s determination to resist and survive, The Sunflower House is also a love story. When Allina meets Karl, a high-ranking SS officer with secrets of his own, the two must decide how much they are willing to share with each other—and how much they can stand to risk as they join forces to save as many children as they can. The threads of this poignant and heartrending novel weave a tale of loss and love, friendship and betrayal, and the secrets we bury in order to save ourselves.
Family secrets come to light as a young woman fights to save herself, and others, in a Nazi-run baby factory—a real-life Handmaid's Tale—during World War II.
In a sleepy German village, Allina Strauss’s life seems idyllic: she works at her uncle’s bookshop, makes strudel with her aunt, and spends weekends with her friends and fiancé. But it's 1939, Adolf Hitler is Chancellor, and Allina’s family hides a terrifying secret—her birth mother was Jewish, making her a Mischling.
One fateful night after losing everyone she loves, Allina is forced into service as a nurse at a state-run baby factory called Hochland Home. There, she becomes both witness and participant to the horrors of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program.
The Sunflower House is a meticulously-researched debut historical novel that uncovers the notorious Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. Women of “pure” blood stayed in Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of perpetuating the Aryan population, giving birth to thousands of babies who were adopted out to “good” Nazi families. Allina must keep her Jewish identity a secret in order to survive, but when she discovers the neglect occurring within the home, she’s determined not only to save herself, but also the children in her care.
A tale of one woman’s determination to resist and survive, The Sunflower House is also a love story. When Allina meets Karl, a high-ranking SS officer with secrets of his own, the two must decide how much they are willing to share with each other—and how much they can stand to risk as they join forces to save as many children as they can. The threads of this poignant and heartrending novel weave a tale of loss and love, friendship and betrayal, and the secrets we bury in order to save ourselves.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2024
1367 people are currently reading
46148 people want to read
About the author
Adriana Allegri
2 books333 followersAdriana Allegri is a first-generation American whose parents lived in Europe before, during, and after World War II. She grew up on stories about how small acts of compassion saved lives, a theme that shows up in everything she writes, regardless of genre. A former high school teacher and educational program administrator, Adriana also served as a writer and project manager for a leading data analytics company. She spent fifteen years in the New York metro area but is happily relocated in Chandler, Arizona with two ornery rescue cats. When not at the keyboard, she enjoys painting, cooking, jewelry-making, antiquing, travel, and, of course, curling up with a favorite read.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,804 reviews
January 18, 2025
The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri
Have you ever heard of the Lebensborn Program? Part of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program consisted of housing and providing for pregnant “Aryan” women with financial assistance, a series of private maternity homes where they could live and give birth, and adoption services. But the program was so much more (or less, depending on how you look at it). Young women taken into the program were encouraged to "mingle" with the SS soldiers who visited the homes for a variety of "social" activities. The homes were baby factories of only the purist of Aryan children. The program was expanded eventually to include the kidnapping of “biologically valuable" children to be adopted by German couples deemed to be excellent party members. Any children that did not meet the standards of perfection were eliminated in one way or another.
In 1939, sixteen year old Allina Strauss lives in a small village with her aunt and uncle. When Allina's family and most of her village is wiped out by German soldiers looking for traitors to the party, Allina is severely beaten and more and then is made to work as a nurse at a state-run baby factory called Hochland Home. Among the many horrors that Allina witnesses is the fact that the babies are not to be touched any more than absolutely necessary to clean them, change diapers, and feed them. Those are the lucky babies, the babies deemed suitable to carry on the Aryan race. There are worse horrors at this house and Allina will do whatever she can to help the children.
Allina is under the protection of the brute who brought her to the house and later to a Karl, a high-ranking SS officer who isn't like the other officers. This is such a difficult story, seeing all the devastation of lives, the use of humans that are disposed of once they are no longer useful. Plus, learning the background of Karl and the guilt that eats at him even while he is trying to help what children he can help. Karl's story is heartbreaking in its own way and I was torn in so many directions by the choices he made in the past, by all his choices.
I'm ready to read whatever Adriana Allegri writes next. I could not put this story down despite knowing my heart would be broken. I applaud the way she handled the two timelines set so far apart in time. We see only what we need to see in the present day and instead get to be with Allina in her younger days, as she lives events that will be a part of her for the rest of her life, even if she keeps them locked up in her heart.
Pub November 12, 2024
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, SMP Influencers program, and NetGalley for this ARC.
Have you ever heard of the Lebensborn Program? Part of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program consisted of housing and providing for pregnant “Aryan” women with financial assistance, a series of private maternity homes where they could live and give birth, and adoption services. But the program was so much more (or less, depending on how you look at it). Young women taken into the program were encouraged to "mingle" with the SS soldiers who visited the homes for a variety of "social" activities. The homes were baby factories of only the purist of Aryan children. The program was expanded eventually to include the kidnapping of “biologically valuable" children to be adopted by German couples deemed to be excellent party members. Any children that did not meet the standards of perfection were eliminated in one way or another.
In 1939, sixteen year old Allina Strauss lives in a small village with her aunt and uncle. When Allina's family and most of her village is wiped out by German soldiers looking for traitors to the party, Allina is severely beaten and more and then is made to work as a nurse at a state-run baby factory called Hochland Home. Among the many horrors that Allina witnesses is the fact that the babies are not to be touched any more than absolutely necessary to clean them, change diapers, and feed them. Those are the lucky babies, the babies deemed suitable to carry on the Aryan race. There are worse horrors at this house and Allina will do whatever she can to help the children.
Allina is under the protection of the brute who brought her to the house and later to a Karl, a high-ranking SS officer who isn't like the other officers. This is such a difficult story, seeing all the devastation of lives, the use of humans that are disposed of once they are no longer useful. Plus, learning the background of Karl and the guilt that eats at him even while he is trying to help what children he can help. Karl's story is heartbreaking in its own way and I was torn in so many directions by the choices he made in the past, by all his choices.
I'm ready to read whatever Adriana Allegri writes next. I could not put this story down despite knowing my heart would be broken. I applaud the way she handled the two timelines set so far apart in time. We see only what we need to see in the present day and instead get to be with Allina in her younger days, as she lives events that will be a part of her for the rest of her life, even if she keeps them locked up in her heart.
Pub November 12, 2024
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, SMP Influencers program, and NetGalley for this ARC.
November 28, 2024
Just when you think you couldn’t read a new angle on WW2, this story delivers one.
Allina has been brutalized and brought to Hochland House to serve as a nurse for the Lebenshorn Program. A program designed to perpetuate the German pure blood of the arayan population. Women getting medals for breeding the most children -Many of whom were single and proud to do their work for the Reich. But not all are perfect babies. They may have a speech impediment or a physical defect which has them banished to the 3rd floor where they have little interaction with adults, borderline starve and sit in their filth for hours.
Allina meets and falls in love with a SS officer who is committed to throwing over Hitler and the nazi regime through small acts of treason. Both are of Jewish decent and risk their lives to help save children to escape from Germany while also trying to rehabilitate those imperfect children to prevent their demise at the "labs" for further testing.
The history of eugenics is a well known yet disturbing piece of Nazi history. The fact that Nazis' didn't even respect their own is even more appalling.
This story does have some historical facts blended into it. The number of children sacrificed due to imperfections shouldn’t come as a shock but it did to me. All those 'successful' children bred for the arayan population were also quickly abandoned after the war leaving many to carry their shame.
4.5⭐️
Allina has been brutalized and brought to Hochland House to serve as a nurse for the Lebenshorn Program. A program designed to perpetuate the German pure blood of the arayan population. Women getting medals for breeding the most children -Many of whom were single and proud to do their work for the Reich. But not all are perfect babies. They may have a speech impediment or a physical defect which has them banished to the 3rd floor where they have little interaction with adults, borderline starve and sit in their filth for hours.
Allina meets and falls in love with a SS officer who is committed to throwing over Hitler and the nazi regime through small acts of treason. Both are of Jewish decent and risk their lives to help save children to escape from Germany while also trying to rehabilitate those imperfect children to prevent their demise at the "labs" for further testing.
The history of eugenics is a well known yet disturbing piece of Nazi history. The fact that Nazis' didn't even respect their own is even more appalling.
This story does have some historical facts blended into it. The number of children sacrificed due to imperfections shouldn’t come as a shock but it did to me. All those 'successful' children bred for the arayan population were also quickly abandoned after the war leaving many to carry their shame.
4.5⭐️
Want to read
October 11, 2024"Family secrets come to light as a young woman fights to save herself, and others, in a Nazi-run baby factory—a real-life Handmaid's Tale—during World War II."
It's been awhile since I read historical fiction, I'm ready for the trauma 😭😭
✨Thanks to NetGalley, The Author, & St. Martin's Press Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review✨
November 25, 2024
Unpopular opinion here.
The Sunflower House is a historical novel about the notorious Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. Women considered to be racially valuable stayed in Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of perpetuating the Aryan population, giving birth to thousands of babies who were then adopted out to “good” Nazi families. Social events took place in the homes where these girls could meet "elite" men of the SS and hopefully produce even more children. In other times and places, this would be considered a brothel.
This story is mostly about Allina, a young German girl who is forced to work as a nurse in a Lebensborn home after losing her family during a raid of her small village by German soldiers. She eventually comes under the protection of Karl, a high-ranking SS officer, and after some time they undertake a program to rehabilitate those children in the home who are developmentally or physically delayed and whose future we are left to guess at.
Although I found the story interesting, I didn't enjoy the romance angle and, to be honest, I was expecting much more from the book in the way of historical information. I felt that much of the history was skimmed over and I actually didn't realize what Karl's duties with the SS entailed until I searched out information on the internet. Even though it seems that he was one of the "good" ones, he still had to follow orders, the results of which were heartbreaking. The ending had me choking back tears, as did the Author's Note. Other reviewers have rated this book much higher than me so my review should be taken with a grain of salt.
TW: Rape, eugenics, anti-semitism
Thank you to Sara Eslami of St. Martin's Publishing Group, for inviting me to read an advance copy of this novel via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: November 12, 2024
The Sunflower House is a historical novel about the notorious Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. Women considered to be racially valuable stayed in Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of perpetuating the Aryan population, giving birth to thousands of babies who were then adopted out to “good” Nazi families. Social events took place in the homes where these girls could meet "elite" men of the SS and hopefully produce even more children. In other times and places, this would be considered a brothel.
This story is mostly about Allina, a young German girl who is forced to work as a nurse in a Lebensborn home after losing her family during a raid of her small village by German soldiers. She eventually comes under the protection of Karl, a high-ranking SS officer, and after some time they undertake a program to rehabilitate those children in the home who are developmentally or physically delayed and whose future we are left to guess at.
Although I found the story interesting, I didn't enjoy the romance angle and, to be honest, I was expecting much more from the book in the way of historical information. I felt that much of the history was skimmed over and I actually didn't realize what Karl's duties with the SS entailed until I searched out information on the internet. Even though it seems that he was one of the "good" ones, he still had to follow orders, the results of which were heartbreaking. The ending had me choking back tears, as did the Author's Note. Other reviewers have rated this book much higher than me so my review should be taken with a grain of salt.
TW: Rape, eugenics, anti-semitism
Thank you to Sara Eslami of St. Martin's Publishing Group, for inviting me to read an advance copy of this novel via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: November 12, 2024
November 13, 2024
This was a very well-written and engaging story. It centers around a young woman named Allina and Heinrich Himmler’s appalling Lebensborn Program. After a traumatizing experience in her small home town Allina is forced into service as a nurse at Hochland Home where young Aryan women are encouraged to procreate with the SS soldiers in order to populate Germany with children of "pure blood."
What Allina goes through and what she sees there is just horrifying. The story is heartbreaking and gripping. There are parts that are definitely difficult to read, but it was clearly well-researched.
There are two timelines in this story, but the main focus is Allina and the 1939 timeline.
This is Adriana Allegri's historical fiction debut and I can't wait to read what she writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
What Allina goes through and what she sees there is just horrifying. The story is heartbreaking and gripping. There are parts that are definitely difficult to read, but it was clearly well-researched.
There are two timelines in this story, but the main focus is Allina and the 1939 timeline.
This is Adriana Allegri's historical fiction debut and I can't wait to read what she writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
November 11, 2024
This is an extremely well-researched and well-written debut novel. It tells a story that is both moving and heartbreaking, yet hopeful. What is unique about this story is that it gives a fresh perspective on some of the situations facing the German people who did not support Hitler and his programs, even someone who was a member of the SS.
In New Jersey in 2006, long hidden secrets are revealed when Katrine finds a hidden box of old photos and memorabilia in her 86-year-old mother's closet. Allina divulges to her daughter the abuse and subjugation that she endured by the Nazis in Germany during WWII and how she became employed in Heinrich Himmler's Lebensborn program. The Lebensborn program had homes that were set up for women in order to perpetuate the continuation of a pure Germanic race of people, or Aryan ideal. The mere thought of the actual existence of this program is frightening and its administration terrifying.
An important SS officer takes a keen interest in Allina. Their story demonstrates that even in a hellish time and place, attraction and romance can bloom. Together they bravely work to carve out a better life for themselves and others. However, things eventually go awry, and they need to seek an escape. The way that scenarios are written in this story make them seem so very real. I felt danger, fear, panic, anger, and grief.
I highly recommend this novel to fans of historical fiction or WWII fiction, that also contains some romance. I can't wait to read what Ms. Allegri writes next.
My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
In New Jersey in 2006, long hidden secrets are revealed when Katrine finds a hidden box of old photos and memorabilia in her 86-year-old mother's closet. Allina divulges to her daughter the abuse and subjugation that she endured by the Nazis in Germany during WWII and how she became employed in Heinrich Himmler's Lebensborn program. The Lebensborn program had homes that were set up for women in order to perpetuate the continuation of a pure Germanic race of people, or Aryan ideal. The mere thought of the actual existence of this program is frightening and its administration terrifying.
An important SS officer takes a keen interest in Allina. Their story demonstrates that even in a hellish time and place, attraction and romance can bloom. Together they bravely work to carve out a better life for themselves and others. However, things eventually go awry, and they need to seek an escape. The way that scenarios are written in this story make them seem so very real. I felt danger, fear, panic, anger, and grief.
I highly recommend this novel to fans of historical fiction or WWII fiction, that also contains some romance. I can't wait to read what Ms. Allegri writes next.
My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
September 16, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own. A special thank you to Sara Eslami for an invite to download this title
As our story begins, a woman uncovers a box containing long-held secrets that reveal her true identity. We are then transported to a German village in the 1930s where our main protagonist, Allina Strauss's story begins. It is a story that tells of a woman who must hide her Jewish ancestry and become a witness to Heinrich Himmler's eugenics program. It is a tale of hardship, determination, and, above all else, a mother's love (arguably the greatest love story in the book).
A perfect historical fiction for fans of Alyson Richman and Pam Jenoff.
Expected Publication Date 12/11/24
Goodreads Review Published 15/09/24
As our story begins, a woman uncovers a box containing long-held secrets that reveal her true identity. We are then transported to a German village in the 1930s where our main protagonist, Allina Strauss's story begins. It is a story that tells of a woman who must hide her Jewish ancestry and become a witness to Heinrich Himmler's eugenics program. It is a tale of hardship, determination, and, above all else, a mother's love (arguably the greatest love story in the book).
A perfect historical fiction for fans of Alyson Richman and Pam Jenoff.
Expected Publication Date 12/11/24
Goodreads Review Published 15/09/24
December 7, 2024
4.5 stars. I found this to be an excellent debut by Adriana Allegri.
Allina Strauss's life as she knows it comes to a shocking halt as Hitler is chancellor and the SS comes to her small village to remove/kill Jewish families. Before this happens she finds out she is a Mischling, as her mother was Jewish born. Allina has been raised by her aunt and uncle and has false papers to prove an Aryan bloodline.
Fast forward: Allina's life is spared and she finds herself working at Hochland Home, a facility that is part of the Lebensborn Program. Women resided in Lebensborn homes to bare "pure" children for the Reich. In her desperation to help children in the home deemed "inferior," Allina meets a kind SS officer named Karl who shares her passion and purpose regarding the children. Together, they work to save as many children as they can.
I don't want to spoil anything so I won't go further. I want to learn more about the Lebensborn Program, an aspect of German/WWII history that I did not previously know about.
I'm not a fan of romance in my books but I thought this one was well-done. I like realism. I like when two people who suffer from the hurts and brokenness of the world can come together and find love in one another; to define their own definition of love and intimacy.
One teensy, weensy little gripe: Karl 's thoughts were shared in the book and he used two crude words that I wasn't sure quite fit with the historical context of the time. I am probably wrong but I was taken aback.
Allina Strauss's life as she knows it comes to a shocking halt as Hitler is chancellor and the SS comes to her small village to remove/kill Jewish families. Before this happens she finds out she is a Mischling, as her mother was Jewish born. Allina has been raised by her aunt and uncle and has false papers to prove an Aryan bloodline.
Fast forward: Allina's life is spared and she finds herself working at Hochland Home, a facility that is part of the Lebensborn Program. Women resided in Lebensborn homes to bare "pure" children for the Reich. In her desperation to help children in the home deemed "inferior," Allina meets a kind SS officer named Karl who shares her passion and purpose regarding the children. Together, they work to save as many children as they can.
I don't want to spoil anything so I won't go further. I want to learn more about the Lebensborn Program, an aspect of German/WWII history that I did not previously know about.
I'm not a fan of romance in my books but I thought this one was well-done. I like realism. I like when two people who suffer from the hurts and brokenness of the world can come together and find love in one another; to define their own definition of love and intimacy.
One teensy, weensy little gripe: Karl 's thoughts were shared in the book and he used two crude words that I wasn't sure quite fit with the historical context of the time. I am probably wrong but I was taken aback.
June 12, 2025
Sunflowers 🌻 How can you not love them?
This is the story of the Lebensborn program that the Nazis had implemented to create the perfect Aryan children.
Think Eugenics.
Think The Handmaid’s Tale.
Think of a baby factory.
We follow a daughter who discovers a hidden compartment in her mother Allina’s bedroom, which sets our story into play. Her ailing mother proceeds to tell her about her Jewish ancestry and how her father, Karl, was a high ranking member in the Nazi party. Karl was a traitor to the Nazis, and he was secretly helping Jewish children find freedom.
Allina worked in the Lebensborn house caring for the children born into the care of Nazi sympathizers. Often, if the children were not born perfect, they were discarded and forgotten about. This was extremely heart-wrenching to read about, but I greatly appreciated this side of the story. As always, this period of time is difficult to understand but there was always heroes among the villains.
This is a wonderful historical work. A debut novel to boot. At times, it was a bit too saccharine for my liking. And one little thing that annoyed me is how the author spoke of springtime sunflowers. I went back to look on it again but I couldn’t locate the passage. So that could just be a Tracy thing. 👀 Sunflowers are late summer and fall to me……
I look forward to what else this author has in store in the future. Recommended to any lovers of WW2 and HF.
This is the story of the Lebensborn program that the Nazis had implemented to create the perfect Aryan children.
Think Eugenics.
Think The Handmaid’s Tale.
Think of a baby factory.
We follow a daughter who discovers a hidden compartment in her mother Allina’s bedroom, which sets our story into play. Her ailing mother proceeds to tell her about her Jewish ancestry and how her father, Karl, was a high ranking member in the Nazi party. Karl was a traitor to the Nazis, and he was secretly helping Jewish children find freedom.
Allina worked in the Lebensborn house caring for the children born into the care of Nazi sympathizers. Often, if the children were not born perfect, they were discarded and forgotten about. This was extremely heart-wrenching to read about, but I greatly appreciated this side of the story. As always, this period of time is difficult to understand but there was always heroes among the villains.
This is a wonderful historical work. A debut novel to boot. At times, it was a bit too saccharine for my liking. And one little thing that annoyed me is how the author spoke of springtime sunflowers. I went back to look on it again but I couldn’t locate the passage. So that could just be a Tracy thing. 👀 Sunflowers are late summer and fall to me……
I look forward to what else this author has in store in the future. Recommended to any lovers of WW2 and HF.
January 17, 2025
The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri
Synopsis /
In a sleepy German village, Allina Strauss’s life seems idyllic: she works at her uncle’s bookshop, makes strudel with her aunt, and spends weekends with her friends and fiancé. But it's 1939, Adolf Hitler is Chancellor, and Allina’s family hides a terrifying secret—her birth mother was Jewish, making her a Mischling.
One fateful night after losing everyone she loves, Allina is forced into service as a nurse at a state-run baby factory called Hochland Home. There, she becomes both witness and participant to the horrors of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program.
My Thoughts /
I'm not a novice when it comes to reading Holocaust literature, but just when you think you've got the subject covered, along comes a book that teaches you (yet again) that your knowledge is lacking.
I was initially drawn to this book by its stunning cover, and, as I started reading, it wasn't until I was part-way through that I began to wonder 'What in the world does this have to do with sunflowers?'. Then, BAM, Allegri makes the connection. I should never have doubted.
Anyone who has read any sort of Holocaust literature or indeed, is up-to-date on their history has heard of eugenics. The theories of eugenics, or, racial hygiene, as it may also be known, shaped many of Nazi Germany's persecutory policies (compulsory sterilisation and euthanasia programs). The word "eugenics" is derived from the Greek word "eugenes", meaning "good in birth" or "good in stock"; and research and development in this area of science rose to prominence under Hitler's leadership.
In his quest for "purity", Hitler's vision for a new Germany was one that elevated "Aryan" Germans to the top of the hierarchy; and he wasted no time conceiving and adopting measures that would safeguard his vision for the future. Creating a generation of people who were racially pure, genetically healthy, socially productive and, above all else, an unwavering loyalty to the State.
Part of this vision was the Lebensborn Program. Men and women who could prove their Aryan ancestry and were deemed to be "racially valuable" were encouraged to marry early and have large families. Unmarried women deemed suitable were also encouraged into the program, and were enticed with free access to private maternity homes, quality medical care and nutrition. There were also financial enticements and adoption services arranged for the children born through the program.
In this superbly well-researched and well-written DEBUT novel, author Adriana Allegri writes with compassion and empathy about a part of history that is under-documented in novels.
The year is 2006, and, after 86-year-old Allina Strauss falls off a step stool while in the closet in her bedroom, her daughter, Katrine finds a hidden box with a swastika on its lid. Knowing she can't put off telling her daughter the truth about the box any longer, Allina shares her story.
Badensburg 1938 - Growing up in a sleepy little German village, Allina's life was like most other children, until one fateful night when the peaceful silence is shattered by gunfire and boots stomping in the street. She flees on forged papers but is taken and forced to work as a nurse at a state-run facility called Hochland Home. While there, Allina becomes both a witness and an (un)willing participant to the horrors of Hitler's eugenics program.
Allegri's writing raises many questions about: Circumstance? Duty? Morality? Sacrifice? There are no definitive answers, only the hope that history will never repeat itself.
One last thing.
The author's notes at the end of this book are well worth reading.
Synopsis /
In a sleepy German village, Allina Strauss’s life seems idyllic: she works at her uncle’s bookshop, makes strudel with her aunt, and spends weekends with her friends and fiancé. But it's 1939, Adolf Hitler is Chancellor, and Allina’s family hides a terrifying secret—her birth mother was Jewish, making her a Mischling.
One fateful night after losing everyone she loves, Allina is forced into service as a nurse at a state-run baby factory called Hochland Home. There, she becomes both witness and participant to the horrors of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program.
My Thoughts /
I'm not a novice when it comes to reading Holocaust literature, but just when you think you've got the subject covered, along comes a book that teaches you (yet again) that your knowledge is lacking.
I was initially drawn to this book by its stunning cover, and, as I started reading, it wasn't until I was part-way through that I began to wonder 'What in the world does this have to do with sunflowers?'. Then, BAM, Allegri makes the connection. I should never have doubted.
Anyone who has read any sort of Holocaust literature or indeed, is up-to-date on their history has heard of eugenics. The theories of eugenics, or, racial hygiene, as it may also be known, shaped many of Nazi Germany's persecutory policies (compulsory sterilisation and euthanasia programs). The word "eugenics" is derived from the Greek word "eugenes", meaning "good in birth" or "good in stock"; and research and development in this area of science rose to prominence under Hitler's leadership.
In his quest for "purity", Hitler's vision for a new Germany was one that elevated "Aryan" Germans to the top of the hierarchy; and he wasted no time conceiving and adopting measures that would safeguard his vision for the future. Creating a generation of people who were racially pure, genetically healthy, socially productive and, above all else, an unwavering loyalty to the State.
Part of this vision was the Lebensborn Program. Men and women who could prove their Aryan ancestry and were deemed to be "racially valuable" were encouraged to marry early and have large families. Unmarried women deemed suitable were also encouraged into the program, and were enticed with free access to private maternity homes, quality medical care and nutrition. There were also financial enticements and adoption services arranged for the children born through the program.
In this superbly well-researched and well-written DEBUT novel, author Adriana Allegri writes with compassion and empathy about a part of history that is under-documented in novels.
The year is 2006, and, after 86-year-old Allina Strauss falls off a step stool while in the closet in her bedroom, her daughter, Katrine finds a hidden box with a swastika on its lid. Knowing she can't put off telling her daughter the truth about the box any longer, Allina shares her story.
Badensburg 1938 - Growing up in a sleepy little German village, Allina's life was like most other children, until one fateful night when the peaceful silence is shattered by gunfire and boots stomping in the street. She flees on forged papers but is taken and forced to work as a nurse at a state-run facility called Hochland Home. While there, Allina becomes both a witness and an (un)willing participant to the horrors of Hitler's eugenics program.
Allegri's writing raises many questions about: Circumstance? Duty? Morality? Sacrifice? There are no definitive answers, only the hope that history will never repeat itself.
One last thing.
The author's notes at the end of this book are well worth reading.
December 19, 2024
There are so many books about World War II that I have tended to shy away from them in recent years. But the cover and title got me intrigued. And WOW was ever glad I picked this one up. I quickly reminded that there is still so much to learn.
This book dealt with the SS Lebensborn program part of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program. It is a gut wrenching emotional read but this debut novel excels at bringing the characters to life, expressing raw emotion and is well researched.
I was moved to tears as the protagonist Allina loses her family and pieces of herself. The author masterfully excellent portrays the emotional journey that follows her trauma and her inner psyche. Allina finds herself at Hochland Home where Himmler’s ideas of a pure race are put to practice.
The scenes at Hochland Home are particularly sad. The author skillfully captures the quiet agony of a baby yearning to be held and the devastating impact on children stripped of love and treated as mere tools for war.
Yet this powerful novel is a tale of resilience and hope as Allina battles to reclaim herself, finds love and meaning in small acts of kindness that are purposeful and defy the Nazi regime.
4.5 stars
This book dealt with the SS Lebensborn program part of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program. It is a gut wrenching emotional read but this debut novel excels at bringing the characters to life, expressing raw emotion and is well researched.
I was moved to tears as the protagonist Allina loses her family and pieces of herself. The author masterfully excellent portrays the emotional journey that follows her trauma and her inner psyche. Allina finds herself at Hochland Home where Himmler’s ideas of a pure race are put to practice.
The scenes at Hochland Home are particularly sad. The author skillfully captures the quiet agony of a baby yearning to be held and the devastating impact on children stripped of love and treated as mere tools for war.
Yet this powerful novel is a tale of resilience and hope as Allina battles to reclaim herself, finds love and meaning in small acts of kindness that are purposeful and defy the Nazi regime.
4.5 stars
November 23, 2024
**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Adriana Allegri for an ARC of this book!**
"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." - Helen Keller
Allina Strauss doesn't have a cruel bone in her body...but unfortunately for her, a kind spirit and an inquisitive mind is no match for the horrors she is set to witness. It's 1939, and in her tiny German town, her friends are Jews and Catholics alike. She's quick to defend and protect the liberty of those around her, and spends most of her time with her friends and family, living a fairly quiet and simple life. But one night everything changes, and a flurry of soldiers take everyone she loves from her in one fell swoop. Amidst the chaos, Allina also discovers a closely guarded family secret: her mother was Jewish, and that makes Allina a "mischling", or a person of mixed Aryan and Jewish heritage...and Allina must now guard this secret with every ounce of her being, lest she end up losing everything she has left.
After the horrific invasion of her home, Allina wakes up to find herself part of a very different House of Horrors that she never imagined: she is stationed at Hochland House, one of many Lebensborn homes. The Lebensborn (which translates to "Font of Life") homes quite literally function as secret baby factories, where Aryan women are forced to mate with SS soldiers...and produce the next generation of Hitler youth. Although Allina is a nurse rather than a mother, she is aghast at what she sees. Rather than loving and nurturing care, babies are given the bare minimum to survive, and their pained cries are ignored for hours at a time, even if all they long for is a quick cuddle or a clean diaper. When she sees what happens on the upper levels, however, the infant room looks rosier: the toddlers who should be walking and talking are incredibly delayed in both physical and mental development, due in large part to the levels of neglect. Worse still, since so many of the children aren't 'up to snuff' they are removed and essentially marked for eventual execution.
Determined to try to help the children at all costs, Allina is at a loss, and despite her best efforts to remain solitary, she makes a couple of friends along the way. Her most unlikely ally, however, comes in the form of handsome SS solider, Karl. Although Allina bristles at the mere thought of being close to someone who could work as part of the Third Reich, she comes to learn that Karl isn't like the other soldiers...and they might have far more in common than she thought...including a shared interest in protecting the children from the horrific future that awaits. But once emotional bonds are formed and a romance begins to blossom, Allina and Karl's bevvy of secrets prove to be more than a mere liability...and could mean the difference between life and death. Will Karl and Allina's plan for escape and liberation for themselves and the children they care so deeply about come to fruition? Will they be able to also protect their OWN daughter, Katrine? Or will the terrors of the Third Reich dim their light...permanently?
It's been quite a while since I've delved into WWII historical fiction, and there are several good reasons behind that choice. For one, this type of historical fiction is practically GUARANTEED to be painfully heavy. From Lowry's Number the Stars to Hannah's Nightingale, each WWII HF book feels like a gut punch in many ways; after all, these books are essentially exploring genocide and the systematic destruction of an entire race and religion of people, with little motivation for such destruction other than a desire for power and a heavy dose of xenophobia. Being a pretty huge pacifist myself, I often struggle even reading about these atrocities at all. There's also the fact that this type of HF has practically become a genre in an of itself, due mostly to the LARGE proliferation of these types of stories. Although some are driven by tragic romance of one kind or another, others focus on the destruction of torn families, etc...but unfortunately, the fact that SO MANY of these stories have been told can make this type of book feel a bit 'been there, read that.'
But when it comes to this powerful and emotionally charged debut from newcomer Adriana Allegri, the focus of this particular tale on a completely new angle of WWII that so many have never heard of before was enough to make this painful and tragic tale stand out like the North Star in a crowded midnight sky.
For a debut, this is a book quickly grounds itself and once it sets focus, never loses sight of its endgame. Meticulously researched, Allegri takes a concept that seems particularly abhorrent but also completely unfamiliar and gets the reading audience up to speed entirely by about 20% in. Although Hochland House itself isn't real, it rings with such truth that you feel you are there...and as a mom especially, my stomach was in knots hearing about the neglect these children faced, not to mention their IMMEDIATE 'brainwashing from birth'. Although this story could have easily dipped into the sort of tired trope of "SS officer falls in love with someone diametrically opposed to his ideology", the extra layer and the common goal of extricating the innocent children sort of removed this one from predictability. There are several layers at play here, and the author also gives Allina AND Karl a voice throughout, keeping this book from falling into tired, too-often trodden tropes with surprises, twists, and turns throughout.
This is also technically a dual timeline story, but in many respects, you'll sort of forget this by the time Allina arrives at Hochland House. The second timeline (present day) only truly matters at the beginning and end of the book. (Think Rose Dewitt-Bukater from Titanic, but with a far less important tie to present day...and no big fancy necklaces.) It basically functions as a sort of metaphorical bookend, giving us just enough of a setup to have daughter Katrine questioning why and how her mother would have a box with a Nazi medal in it in her closet. Perhaps my only criticism of this is that the book's blurb seems to hint at more of a balanced timeline, and there truly isn't one: it's 90% Allina's recollections of her past. Which is not necessarily problematic, but if you go in expecting a Picoult-like tie in to present-day, it will feel a bit lacking. However, the author's note is everything you WOULD expect from a writer like Picoult, in that she has ALL of the research in hand, provides a very detailed description of what is drawn from reality vs. fictionalized aspects, and provides bountiful examples for further reading, should you feel so inclined...or have the fortitude to read more!
This moving story stands as a solemn reminder that although powerful, seemingly limitless forces may try to silence those who value intelligence, integrity, curiosity, and acceptance, it is only the house that stands united that has the capability to weather any storm.
And who knows...after enough rain, maybe a sunflower will still find a way to bloom.
🌻
4 stars
#TheSunflowerHouse #AdrianaAllegri #StMartinsPress #partner #smpearlyreader
"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." - Helen Keller
Allina Strauss doesn't have a cruel bone in her body...but unfortunately for her, a kind spirit and an inquisitive mind is no match for the horrors she is set to witness. It's 1939, and in her tiny German town, her friends are Jews and Catholics alike. She's quick to defend and protect the liberty of those around her, and spends most of her time with her friends and family, living a fairly quiet and simple life. But one night everything changes, and a flurry of soldiers take everyone she loves from her in one fell swoop. Amidst the chaos, Allina also discovers a closely guarded family secret: her mother was Jewish, and that makes Allina a "mischling", or a person of mixed Aryan and Jewish heritage...and Allina must now guard this secret with every ounce of her being, lest she end up losing everything she has left.
After the horrific invasion of her home, Allina wakes up to find herself part of a very different House of Horrors that she never imagined: she is stationed at Hochland House, one of many Lebensborn homes. The Lebensborn (which translates to "Font of Life") homes quite literally function as secret baby factories, where Aryan women are forced to mate with SS soldiers...and produce the next generation of Hitler youth. Although Allina is a nurse rather than a mother, she is aghast at what she sees. Rather than loving and nurturing care, babies are given the bare minimum to survive, and their pained cries are ignored for hours at a time, even if all they long for is a quick cuddle or a clean diaper. When she sees what happens on the upper levels, however, the infant room looks rosier: the toddlers who should be walking and talking are incredibly delayed in both physical and mental development, due in large part to the levels of neglect. Worse still, since so many of the children aren't 'up to snuff' they are removed and essentially marked for eventual execution.
Determined to try to help the children at all costs, Allina is at a loss, and despite her best efforts to remain solitary, she makes a couple of friends along the way. Her most unlikely ally, however, comes in the form of handsome SS solider, Karl. Although Allina bristles at the mere thought of being close to someone who could work as part of the Third Reich, she comes to learn that Karl isn't like the other soldiers...and they might have far more in common than she thought...including a shared interest in protecting the children from the horrific future that awaits. But once emotional bonds are formed and a romance begins to blossom, Allina and Karl's bevvy of secrets prove to be more than a mere liability...and could mean the difference between life and death. Will Karl and Allina's plan for escape and liberation for themselves and the children they care so deeply about come to fruition? Will they be able to also protect their OWN daughter, Katrine? Or will the terrors of the Third Reich dim their light...permanently?
It's been quite a while since I've delved into WWII historical fiction, and there are several good reasons behind that choice. For one, this type of historical fiction is practically GUARANTEED to be painfully heavy. From Lowry's Number the Stars to Hannah's Nightingale, each WWII HF book feels like a gut punch in many ways; after all, these books are essentially exploring genocide and the systematic destruction of an entire race and religion of people, with little motivation for such destruction other than a desire for power and a heavy dose of xenophobia. Being a pretty huge pacifist myself, I often struggle even reading about these atrocities at all. There's also the fact that this type of HF has practically become a genre in an of itself, due mostly to the LARGE proliferation of these types of stories. Although some are driven by tragic romance of one kind or another, others focus on the destruction of torn families, etc...but unfortunately, the fact that SO MANY of these stories have been told can make this type of book feel a bit 'been there, read that.'
But when it comes to this powerful and emotionally charged debut from newcomer Adriana Allegri, the focus of this particular tale on a completely new angle of WWII that so many have never heard of before was enough to make this painful and tragic tale stand out like the North Star in a crowded midnight sky.
For a debut, this is a book quickly grounds itself and once it sets focus, never loses sight of its endgame. Meticulously researched, Allegri takes a concept that seems particularly abhorrent but also completely unfamiliar and gets the reading audience up to speed entirely by about 20% in. Although Hochland House itself isn't real, it rings with such truth that you feel you are there...and as a mom especially, my stomach was in knots hearing about the neglect these children faced, not to mention their IMMEDIATE 'brainwashing from birth'. Although this story could have easily dipped into the sort of tired trope of "SS officer falls in love with someone diametrically opposed to his ideology", the extra layer and the common goal of extricating the innocent children sort of removed this one from predictability. There are several layers at play here, and the author also gives Allina AND Karl a voice throughout, keeping this book from falling into tired, too-often trodden tropes with surprises, twists, and turns throughout.
This is also technically a dual timeline story, but in many respects, you'll sort of forget this by the time Allina arrives at Hochland House. The second timeline (present day) only truly matters at the beginning and end of the book. (Think Rose Dewitt-Bukater from Titanic, but with a far less important tie to present day...and no big fancy necklaces.) It basically functions as a sort of metaphorical bookend, giving us just enough of a setup to have daughter Katrine questioning why and how her mother would have a box with a Nazi medal in it in her closet. Perhaps my only criticism of this is that the book's blurb seems to hint at more of a balanced timeline, and there truly isn't one: it's 90% Allina's recollections of her past. Which is not necessarily problematic, but if you go in expecting a Picoult-like tie in to present-day, it will feel a bit lacking. However, the author's note is everything you WOULD expect from a writer like Picoult, in that she has ALL of the research in hand, provides a very detailed description of what is drawn from reality vs. fictionalized aspects, and provides bountiful examples for further reading, should you feel so inclined...or have the fortitude to read more!
This moving story stands as a solemn reminder that although powerful, seemingly limitless forces may try to silence those who value intelligence, integrity, curiosity, and acceptance, it is only the house that stands united that has the capability to weather any storm.
And who knows...after enough rain, maybe a sunflower will still find a way to bloom.
🌻
4 stars
#TheSunflowerHouse #AdrianaAllegri #StMartinsPress #partner #smpearlyreader
November 11, 2024
The Sunflower House is an emotional, compelling and gripping story that pulled at my heartstrings and had me holding my breath sooooo many times.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
Adriana Allegri has written an eye-opening must-read book. She has tackled an ugly and horrific part of history dealing with the Nazi Lebensborn Society maternity homes and eugenics programs. I truly applaud her ability to write real and complex characters true to the time and include all their ugliness and warped perceptions. Yet, at the same time balance it with characters who showed true compassion and who worked to help and save anyone they could at their own peril.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
WWII
Suspense
Dual POV
Bit of romance
Friendship
Nazi run Lebensborn Program
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Steady
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼����𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
I still cannot believe this is a debut! Allegri has written an emotional story about good triumphing in the midst of horrid evil, and I can’t recommend this book enough!
Thank you St Martin’s Press for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
Adriana Allegri has written an eye-opening must-read book. She has tackled an ugly and horrific part of history dealing with the Nazi Lebensborn Society maternity homes and eugenics programs. I truly applaud her ability to write real and complex characters true to the time and include all their ugliness and warped perceptions. Yet, at the same time balance it with characters who showed true compassion and who worked to help and save anyone they could at their own peril.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
WWII
Suspense
Dual POV
Bit of romance
Friendship
Nazi run Lebensborn Program
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Steady
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼����𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
I still cannot believe this is a debut! Allegri has written an emotional story about good triumphing in the midst of horrid evil, and I can’t recommend this book enough!
Thank you St Martin’s Press for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
September 30, 2024
This story takes place in Germany, where a woman named Allina is taken to work as an aide at a reproductive facility. There, she learns that the children are not treated equally due to the specific racial preference they seek. She meets a Lieutenant named Karl and learns that he wants to save the unwanted children. They plan an escape together; however, Karl is relocated, leaving Allina to follow through with the escape on her own.
What a tense story! Allina and Karl were heroic. They knew the dangers they were putting themselves in and still fought for what they believed. This story takes a different angle where the story is about Germans who didn’t agree with what the Reich wanted. However, there’s a twist. Both Allina and Karl were not fully Germans and had to forge their documents in order to survive and have access to personal files.
I enjoyed this story. It was well written and researched.
What a tense story! Allina and Karl were heroic. They knew the dangers they were putting themselves in and still fought for what they believed. This story takes a different angle where the story is about Germans who didn’t agree with what the Reich wanted. However, there’s a twist. Both Allina and Karl were not fully Germans and had to forge their documents in order to survive and have access to personal files.
I enjoyed this story. It was well written and researched.
November 16, 2024
A must read WW2 historical fiction novel from a debut author! It was well researched and impactful. I read this book in a day!
October 31, 2024
This is a well-written, thoroughly researched, entertaining, fast paced, WWII historical fiction novel which is based on actual events. It vividly depicts the brutality and horrors of war and the Lebensborn and eugenics programs in Nazi Germany, and has a likable, strong and intelligent female protagonist, a kind and caring, brave male protagonist, romance, heartbreak, resilience, hope, healing and a satisfying conclusion. The author's notes contain interesting and enlightening information, and are truly appreciated. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and Ms. Allegri, from whom I received an advanced reader copy of this fabulous novel. This is my honest opinion.
August 7, 2024
am absolutely heartbroken.
This book is going to be my book of the year - I’m calling it. Reading about the horrors of what actually happened during WWII was absolutely maddening and awful. Following the story of Allina, from living a carefree life to being thrown into a baby factory and everything that happens in between and after, was so heartbreaking.
This is an absolutely beautifully written telling of a woman finding love and trying to survive in a dark dark world and I recommend absolutely everyone giving this a read.
This book is going to be my book of the year - I’m calling it. Reading about the horrors of what actually happened during WWII was absolutely maddening and awful. Following the story of Allina, from living a carefree life to being thrown into a baby factory and everything that happens in between and after, was so heartbreaking.
This is an absolutely beautifully written telling of a woman finding love and trying to survive in a dark dark world and I recommend absolutely everyone giving this a read.
February 4, 2025
EDIT: alright I’ve had time to think and didn’t realize this was this woman’s debut novel (well, first adult novel, instead of YA). I applaud her for tackling an unknown part of WWIi history, and the writing was good. I still didn’t love the book, because I feel it leaned heavily on an unnecessary romance as well as historical gossip instead of rooted in the facts; which were horrific enough they didn’t need the unrealistic drama in this book. However, I would definitely give this author another shot in the future, as I think she has great potential.
*****
I honestly don’t know where to begin with this book. If you’re someone with only a passing knowledge of Nazi Germany, you will likely find this a wonderful read.
However, as someone who has studied the period extensively, I was shocked by the blatant historical inaccuracies throughout The Sunflower House. It’s clear that the author either didn’t take the time to properly research the historical context or simply chose to ignore it for the sake of dramatic plot devices.
Spoilers ahead.
Let’s start with the first, glaring issue: the way Alina ends up at Steinhoring, a Lebensborn facility. The premise that she would somehow be taken in by the Nazis after surviving the brutal slaughter of her village by said Nazis, is far-fetched from the start. Even if she had survived such an event (which, by the way, there are no documented cases of a German town being attacked by Nazis in 1938 - Nazis weren’t turning on their own citizens until MUCH later), there’s no way she would have ended up in Steinhoring. If the SS had even bothered to let her live, they would have scrutinized her documents and interrogated her thoroughly, as the SS suspected her village of aiding Jewish people. She would have been thrown in prison or sent to a concentration camp. Not brought to a medical facility for pregnant unwed mothers (which she was not).
Even if we accept this improbable scenario of her being taken to Steinhoring by the SS officer that just burned her whole village and brutally raped her, there’s no way Steinhoring would have admitted a random, undocumented, battered and bleeding woman to their facility. These facilities were incredibly bureaucratic, demanding detailed paperwork for anyone admitted. The idea that a mid-ranking SS officer would be able to bypass this system by reminding the head nurse of a past, vague "favor" is completely unrealistic. The Lebensborn homes were among the most well-funded and organized institutions in the Nazi regime, and this simply would not have happened.
The author’s portrayal of the Lebensborn program itself is even more problematic. While the program was undeniably horrific, it is sensationalized and misrepresented here. Allegri paints the homes as places of debauchery, with "mixers" and lavish parties, but this is completely false. The actual Lebensborn facilities were far more clinical and regulated. Women who stayed there were typically in their third trimester of pregnancy and were given medical care, Steinhoring was far from being part of any hedonistic social club. The women left soon after giving birth, women didn't just live there indefinitely and take multiple SS officers to bed weekly in an attempt to stay perpetually pregnant. It was not a brothel.
Moreover, the portrayal of the women wearing tight, revealing dresses, excessive makeup, and jewelry at these imaginary mixers is also completely out of place. Nazi Germany had strict dress codes, especially for women in the party ranks, who were required to wear conservative, modest clothing with minimal adornment. To suggest that the women in these homes (and even Himmler's wife) were living it up with makeup, jewelry, and cleavage-baring dresses is an outrageous inaccuracy. This would have been seen as openly defying the Reich, which was punishable by imprisonment or being sent to a concentration camp.
Perhaps the most frustrating misrepresentation is the adoption process and the portrayal of the children in the Lebensborn program. The book suggests that 40% of these children were developmentally delayed due to inappropriate treatment in the nurseries of Steinhoring, and then subjected to cruel experiments and extermination by Himmler in Berlin. This is entirely unfounded. While it’s true that children with disabilities were subjected to Nazi euthanasia programs under T4, these were almost never Lebensborn children. In fact, Lebensborn children were specifically selected for their racial purity and were considered the “best” specimens to propagate the Nazi ideal. They were pampered and cared for, not neglected or subjected to medical experimentation as Allegri suggests.
The claim that these children were subjected to cruel treatment, like being denied basic care or developmental stimulation, has no basis in historical fact. The author suggests that these children were not allowed out of their beds, had their legs bound for most of the day in their cribs to keep them from moving, were never spoken to, were not allowed to be touched or held, that their mothers only saw them during breastfeeding twice a day. It seems to be a fabrication for dramatic effect, one that is completely unnecessary given that the horrors of the program are terrible enough to not need drama to prop it up. The author’s justification for these liberties in the author’s notes—referencing unverified stories from the internet—only adds to the frustration. The facts are out there, and taking creative liberties with something so historically sensitive feels irresponsible.
And then there’s Karl, the high-ranking SS officer with a Jewish ancestry. This plot point is so historically implausible that it feels like an insult to the reader’s intelligence. For an SS officer to be part Jewish—regardless of any forged documents—is literally impossible. SS members had to prove their Aryan purity going back five generations, and even with the forged documents of his grandmother, the regime would have demanded he trace his heritage back at least 5 generations, not just 2. They never would have allowed someone with Jewish heritage to join the SS. This is a fundamental mistake that could have been avoided with even a basic understanding of the Nazi racial laws.
Karl’s other actions are equally far-fetched. The idea that an SS officer could help Jews, much less run a forgery ring in his own home, is completely out of line with history. There were isolated cases of lower-ranking Nazi party members assisting Jews, but the idea of an SS officer who is so close to Hitler himself that he’s chummy with Himnler, and doing so without being caught, is utterly unrealistic. The novel's portrayal of him as a sympathetic figure who secretly opposes the Reich doesn’t hold up in the slightest.
Finally, the novel goes even further off the rails with the idea that Karl can somehow convince Himmler to let him take control of a Lebensborn facility and prove that the children are being mismanaged. The notion that Karl, or anyone for that matter, could challenge Himmler’s authority without severe repercussions is completely impossible. Himmler was not only the architect of the SS but also deeply committed to the ideals of the Lebensborn program. The idea that Karl could have successfully outsmarted Himmler is an egregious distortion of the historical record. Himmler would have likely thrown Karl in prison immediately for daring to even suggest one of Himmler’s prized programs was less than perfect.
All that to say, I simply cannot understand why books like this are not vetted by a historian before being published. The Sunflower House is an engaging fiction, but its historical accuracy is so wildly off that it feels more like a fantasy novel than a serious work of historical fiction. The misrepresentation of Nazi Germany, the Lebensborn program, and the SS completely derails any sense of authenticity, and as a reader with a deep interest in this time period, it felt like a betrayal of the real history.
This could have been a compelling and thought-provoking narrative, but instead, it trades historical accuracy for sensationalism and an unnecessary romance. For anyone interested in WWII history or the Lebensborn program, I would recommend looking elsewhere for a more grounded, fact-based portrayal of the horrors of the Nazi regime.
*****
I honestly don’t know where to begin with this book. If you’re someone with only a passing knowledge of Nazi Germany, you will likely find this a wonderful read.
However, as someone who has studied the period extensively, I was shocked by the blatant historical inaccuracies throughout The Sunflower House. It’s clear that the author either didn’t take the time to properly research the historical context or simply chose to ignore it for the sake of dramatic plot devices.
Spoilers ahead.
Let’s start with the first, glaring issue: the way Alina ends up at Steinhoring, a Lebensborn facility. The premise that she would somehow be taken in by the Nazis after surviving the brutal slaughter of her village by said Nazis, is far-fetched from the start. Even if she had survived such an event (which, by the way, there are no documented cases of a German town being attacked by Nazis in 1938 - Nazis weren’t turning on their own citizens until MUCH later), there’s no way she would have ended up in Steinhoring. If the SS had even bothered to let her live, they would have scrutinized her documents and interrogated her thoroughly, as the SS suspected her village of aiding Jewish people. She would have been thrown in prison or sent to a concentration camp. Not brought to a medical facility for pregnant unwed mothers (which she was not).
Even if we accept this improbable scenario of her being taken to Steinhoring by the SS officer that just burned her whole village and brutally raped her, there’s no way Steinhoring would have admitted a random, undocumented, battered and bleeding woman to their facility. These facilities were incredibly bureaucratic, demanding detailed paperwork for anyone admitted. The idea that a mid-ranking SS officer would be able to bypass this system by reminding the head nurse of a past, vague "favor" is completely unrealistic. The Lebensborn homes were among the most well-funded and organized institutions in the Nazi regime, and this simply would not have happened.
The author’s portrayal of the Lebensborn program itself is even more problematic. While the program was undeniably horrific, it is sensationalized and misrepresented here. Allegri paints the homes as places of debauchery, with "mixers" and lavish parties, but this is completely false. The actual Lebensborn facilities were far more clinical and regulated. Women who stayed there were typically in their third trimester of pregnancy and were given medical care, Steinhoring was far from being part of any hedonistic social club. The women left soon after giving birth, women didn't just live there indefinitely and take multiple SS officers to bed weekly in an attempt to stay perpetually pregnant. It was not a brothel.
Moreover, the portrayal of the women wearing tight, revealing dresses, excessive makeup, and jewelry at these imaginary mixers is also completely out of place. Nazi Germany had strict dress codes, especially for women in the party ranks, who were required to wear conservative, modest clothing with minimal adornment. To suggest that the women in these homes (and even Himmler's wife) were living it up with makeup, jewelry, and cleavage-baring dresses is an outrageous inaccuracy. This would have been seen as openly defying the Reich, which was punishable by imprisonment or being sent to a concentration camp.
Perhaps the most frustrating misrepresentation is the adoption process and the portrayal of the children in the Lebensborn program. The book suggests that 40% of these children were developmentally delayed due to inappropriate treatment in the nurseries of Steinhoring, and then subjected to cruel experiments and extermination by Himmler in Berlin. This is entirely unfounded. While it’s true that children with disabilities were subjected to Nazi euthanasia programs under T4, these were almost never Lebensborn children. In fact, Lebensborn children were specifically selected for their racial purity and were considered the “best” specimens to propagate the Nazi ideal. They were pampered and cared for, not neglected or subjected to medical experimentation as Allegri suggests.
The claim that these children were subjected to cruel treatment, like being denied basic care or developmental stimulation, has no basis in historical fact. The author suggests that these children were not allowed out of their beds, had their legs bound for most of the day in their cribs to keep them from moving, were never spoken to, were not allowed to be touched or held, that their mothers only saw them during breastfeeding twice a day. It seems to be a fabrication for dramatic effect, one that is completely unnecessary given that the horrors of the program are terrible enough to not need drama to prop it up. The author’s justification for these liberties in the author’s notes—referencing unverified stories from the internet—only adds to the frustration. The facts are out there, and taking creative liberties with something so historically sensitive feels irresponsible.
And then there’s Karl, the high-ranking SS officer with a Jewish ancestry. This plot point is so historically implausible that it feels like an insult to the reader’s intelligence. For an SS officer to be part Jewish—regardless of any forged documents—is literally impossible. SS members had to prove their Aryan purity going back five generations, and even with the forged documents of his grandmother, the regime would have demanded he trace his heritage back at least 5 generations, not just 2. They never would have allowed someone with Jewish heritage to join the SS. This is a fundamental mistake that could have been avoided with even a basic understanding of the Nazi racial laws.
Karl’s other actions are equally far-fetched. The idea that an SS officer could help Jews, much less run a forgery ring in his own home, is completely out of line with history. There were isolated cases of lower-ranking Nazi party members assisting Jews, but the idea of an SS officer who is so close to Hitler himself that he’s chummy with Himnler, and doing so without being caught, is utterly unrealistic. The novel's portrayal of him as a sympathetic figure who secretly opposes the Reich doesn’t hold up in the slightest.
Finally, the novel goes even further off the rails with the idea that Karl can somehow convince Himmler to let him take control of a Lebensborn facility and prove that the children are being mismanaged. The notion that Karl, or anyone for that matter, could challenge Himmler’s authority without severe repercussions is completely impossible. Himmler was not only the architect of the SS but also deeply committed to the ideals of the Lebensborn program. The idea that Karl could have successfully outsmarted Himmler is an egregious distortion of the historical record. Himmler would have likely thrown Karl in prison immediately for daring to even suggest one of Himmler’s prized programs was less than perfect.
All that to say, I simply cannot understand why books like this are not vetted by a historian before being published. The Sunflower House is an engaging fiction, but its historical accuracy is so wildly off that it feels more like a fantasy novel than a serious work of historical fiction. The misrepresentation of Nazi Germany, the Lebensborn program, and the SS completely derails any sense of authenticity, and as a reader with a deep interest in this time period, it felt like a betrayal of the real history.
This could have been a compelling and thought-provoking narrative, but instead, it trades historical accuracy for sensationalism and an unnecessary romance. For anyone interested in WWII history or the Lebensborn program, I would recommend looking elsewhere for a more grounded, fact-based portrayal of the horrors of the Nazi regime.
November 20, 2024
We meet Allina in present day and at 86 years old when her daughter brings her home from the hospital.
While her mother was resting, Katrine went upstairs to clean up what her mother had fallen on and came across a box with papers inside and with a swastika on top. Was my mother a Nazi?
When she looks up, her mother is in the doorway
Her mother decides that she needs to tell her daughter how they got to America and what she dealt with while she was in Germany.
We are taken back to 1938 when Allina‘s village is raided and all the residents were slaughtered.
A German officer saved Allina from it all, but she said she would rather have perished with everyone else than to go through what she had to go through.
The officer took her to "Hochland Home" which was the first Lebensborn facility where German women were required to have babies to German officers to make sure the “perfect” race was not wiped out.
The rules and guidelines enforced by Heinrich Himmler for the women and especially the babies and children made Allina sick. They were so strict and uncaring.
SUNFLOWER HOUSE is a heartbreaking but enlightening read where secrets were kept for years and where the reader can’t believe it happened.
A marvelous debut - wonderful research, pull-you-in writing, and some tender moments despite what was going on.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
While her mother was resting, Katrine went upstairs to clean up what her mother had fallen on and came across a box with papers inside and with a swastika on top. Was my mother a Nazi?
When she looks up, her mother is in the doorway
Her mother decides that she needs to tell her daughter how they got to America and what she dealt with while she was in Germany.
We are taken back to 1938 when Allina‘s village is raided and all the residents were slaughtered.
A German officer saved Allina from it all, but she said she would rather have perished with everyone else than to go through what she had to go through.
The officer took her to "Hochland Home" which was the first Lebensborn facility where German women were required to have babies to German officers to make sure the “perfect” race was not wiped out.
The rules and guidelines enforced by Heinrich Himmler for the women and especially the babies and children made Allina sick. They were so strict and uncaring.
SUNFLOWER HOUSE is a heartbreaking but enlightening read where secrets were kept for years and where the reader can’t believe it happened.
A marvelous debut - wonderful research, pull-you-in writing, and some tender moments despite what was going on.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
October 30, 2024
WOW what an incredible debut. Although saddened by many things within this book, I love that Adriana Allegri wrote this extraordinary story straight from her heart during the twenty years it took to write. Her immaculate research into the lesser known “Lebensborn program” was brought about by the infamous Heinrich Himmler - - a known monster through his eugenics programs. These were in every sense of the word “baby factories” specific to producing aryan children to then be adopted into good German families. It was an assembly line of sorts, where the young Aryan girls housed in these homes were made to entertain German soldiers, in turn, reproducing these “pure” babies.. all for Hitlers new world. I can’t imagine the pain Adriana Allegri felt nor the horrors she uncovered during her research for this novel.
The story begins in New Jersey circa 2006 when Katrine is visiting her mother Allina, now 86. Allina immigrated from Germany keeping her previous life secret. She is now ready to tell her story. It all began during WWll in 1939 occupied Germany and follows 16-year-old Allina Strauss, a Mischling (half Jew - half German). With her family having perished by the Nazi regime, she’s forced into service as a nurse in a state-run baby factory. Not all children in these homes are treated fairly. Unfair treatment or death is most certain for all children not having the desired Aryan look. Allina meets Lt. Karl + although he’s a German soldier he is also against cruelty to these unwanted children. Together they fight for what they believe in until Karl is sent elsewhere. There are big twists revealing facts I don’t want to spoil, but let’s just say it’s heartbreaking, there were immense dangers, and the intensity for survival was incredible. Kudos to Adriana Allegri for providing me with excellent insight into the LP. Highly recommend. 5 stars — Pub. 11/12/24
I received an arc copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
*If you like this try Jennifer Coburns’ Cradle of the Last Reich that I’ve also read and recommended.
The story begins in New Jersey circa 2006 when Katrine is visiting her mother Allina, now 86. Allina immigrated from Germany keeping her previous life secret. She is now ready to tell her story. It all began during WWll in 1939 occupied Germany and follows 16-year-old Allina Strauss, a Mischling (half Jew - half German). With her family having perished by the Nazi regime, she’s forced into service as a nurse in a state-run baby factory. Not all children in these homes are treated fairly. Unfair treatment or death is most certain for all children not having the desired Aryan look. Allina meets Lt. Karl + although he’s a German soldier he is also against cruelty to these unwanted children. Together they fight for what they believe in until Karl is sent elsewhere. There are big twists revealing facts I don’t want to spoil, but let’s just say it’s heartbreaking, there were immense dangers, and the intensity for survival was incredible. Kudos to Adriana Allegri for providing me with excellent insight into the LP. Highly recommend. 5 stars — Pub. 11/12/24
I received an arc copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
*If you like this try Jennifer Coburns’ Cradle of the Last Reich that I’ve also read and recommended.
November 30, 2024
The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri was one of my favorite books of 2024. It was a very impressive debut novel. Adriana Allegri’s research for this book was impeccable and it was so well written as well. Although the setting for The Sunflower House was Germany during World War II, the topics that were explored were done in an unexpected and unique way. It was written in a dual timeline, focusing mostly on the past but resorted back to the present for clarity, commentary and occasional questions. I’ve read many books that have focused on the Lebensborn Program that the Nazis created during World War II and the Nazi’s handling of citizens that were categorized as Mischling but none as extensive and impressive as the way Adriana Allegri portrayed those two aspects in The Sunflower House. The two protagonists, Allina and Gruppenfuhrer Karl Van Strassberg, were brave, intelligent and very compassionate about what they believed in and eventually about each other.
Allina Strauss was brought up by her Aunt Claudia and Uncle Dieter in a small German town called Badensburg. Her life with her aunt and uncle had been idyllic for the most part. Allina had no memories of her biological mother or father and her aunt and uncle were gifted at avoiding the subject of her parentage when Allina brought it up. Over the course of 1939, when Allina was at the impressionable age of sixteen, her whole life changed in ways she never saw coming. Allina was in love with her longtime childhood friend, Albert, and expected and welcomed the idea of spending her life with Albert. War was on the horizon, though, and growing antisemitism was on the rise. Around this time, Allina learned that her beloved uncle was gravely ill. Uncle Dieter had been given a diagnosis that offered him little hope of survival. Allina was devastated by this news. Uncle Dieter felt compelled to finally share the identity of her parents with Allina during this time and how she had come to live with her Aunt Claudia and himself. Allina never could have imagined what Uncle Dieter now confessed to her about her parents.
Then just days after Uncle Dieter’s death and funeral, the Nazis led a surprise middle of the night attack on the town of Badensburg that resulted in a complete and utter massacre. Aunt Claudia was brutally shot. Allina had no one left. She had lost both her uncle and her aunt within days of each other. That was the night Allina Strauss became Allina Gottlieb but not before German soldiers tried to attack her sexually. A high ranking German officer, Gruppenfuhrer Gud, came to her rescue. Gruppenfuhrer Gud allowed Allina to return to her home to clean herself up and pack lightly. Allina was determined to keep the letters from her father that Uncle Dieter had given her just days before that she hadn’t even been able to read yet. She quickly sewed them into the lining of her coat before she bathed and cleaned herself up. When Gruppenfuhrer Gud collected her he brought her to Hochland House, one of the first Lebensborn facilities that the Nazis established, but not before he forced himself on her. Gruppenfuhrer Gud was old enough to be Allina’s grandfather. Allina Gottlieb was permitted to stay at Hochland House as staff, first in an administrative role and later with a position in the nurseries. The more Allina saw and learned about the practices at Hochland House, the more she questioned and found fault with them. Allina tried to isolate herself from all that was expected from her at Hochland House the best she was able to. That was not always an easy feat.
Then Gruppenfuhrer Karl van Strassburg came upon Allina one night in the nurseries. That chance meeting proved to be the catalyst that both required to stimulate a trust that grew between them. Allina tried to deny any feelings she was developing for Karl. The children’s welfare and safety proved to be the top priority for both Karl and Allina. It was quite unusual for a SS officer to question Nazi mandates and directives. Karl was not the usual SS officer though. Slowly over time Allina glimpsed the real Karl, not just the role he played as Gruppenfuhrer van Strassburg. They shared their stories with each other. A raw and beautiful love developed between them. Both Allina and Karl worked tirelessly to help the children who fell victim to the Lebensborn program and any Jewish children that they were able to help. They were both in constant danger of being exposed. Would their bravery and initiative allow them to help the innocent children they felt compassionate about? Could they learn to love each other or would war prevent them from being able to do that?
I really enjoyed reading The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri. My curiosity is heightened to see what Adriana Allegri will write next. I am a fan of her writing after reading The Sunflower House and look forward to reading her next book. It was a welcomed fact that Adriana Allegri chose to concentrate more on the children born at Hochland House and their routines and strict care rather than on the mothers or potential mothers that lived in the house. I really admired the bravery and resilience that Allina exhibited despite all the trauma she was subjected to. It must have been so hard for her not to want to or not to be able to share what happened to her with anyone for all those years. The Sunflower House spoke volumes about friendship, hope, love and doing what had to be done in order to protect others. It was both moving and heartfelt. I highly recommend The Sunflower House by Ariana Allegri if you enjoy historical fiction based on actual events that occurred during World War II.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Allina Strauss was brought up by her Aunt Claudia and Uncle Dieter in a small German town called Badensburg. Her life with her aunt and uncle had been idyllic for the most part. Allina had no memories of her biological mother or father and her aunt and uncle were gifted at avoiding the subject of her parentage when Allina brought it up. Over the course of 1939, when Allina was at the impressionable age of sixteen, her whole life changed in ways she never saw coming. Allina was in love with her longtime childhood friend, Albert, and expected and welcomed the idea of spending her life with Albert. War was on the horizon, though, and growing antisemitism was on the rise. Around this time, Allina learned that her beloved uncle was gravely ill. Uncle Dieter had been given a diagnosis that offered him little hope of survival. Allina was devastated by this news. Uncle Dieter felt compelled to finally share the identity of her parents with Allina during this time and how she had come to live with her Aunt Claudia and himself. Allina never could have imagined what Uncle Dieter now confessed to her about her parents.
Then just days after Uncle Dieter’s death and funeral, the Nazis led a surprise middle of the night attack on the town of Badensburg that resulted in a complete and utter massacre. Aunt Claudia was brutally shot. Allina had no one left. She had lost both her uncle and her aunt within days of each other. That was the night Allina Strauss became Allina Gottlieb but not before German soldiers tried to attack her sexually. A high ranking German officer, Gruppenfuhrer Gud, came to her rescue. Gruppenfuhrer Gud allowed Allina to return to her home to clean herself up and pack lightly. Allina was determined to keep the letters from her father that Uncle Dieter had given her just days before that she hadn’t even been able to read yet. She quickly sewed them into the lining of her coat before she bathed and cleaned herself up. When Gruppenfuhrer Gud collected her he brought her to Hochland House, one of the first Lebensborn facilities that the Nazis established, but not before he forced himself on her. Gruppenfuhrer Gud was old enough to be Allina’s grandfather. Allina Gottlieb was permitted to stay at Hochland House as staff, first in an administrative role and later with a position in the nurseries. The more Allina saw and learned about the practices at Hochland House, the more she questioned and found fault with them. Allina tried to isolate herself from all that was expected from her at Hochland House the best she was able to. That was not always an easy feat.
Then Gruppenfuhrer Karl van Strassburg came upon Allina one night in the nurseries. That chance meeting proved to be the catalyst that both required to stimulate a trust that grew between them. Allina tried to deny any feelings she was developing for Karl. The children’s welfare and safety proved to be the top priority for both Karl and Allina. It was quite unusual for a SS officer to question Nazi mandates and directives. Karl was not the usual SS officer though. Slowly over time Allina glimpsed the real Karl, not just the role he played as Gruppenfuhrer van Strassburg. They shared their stories with each other. A raw and beautiful love developed between them. Both Allina and Karl worked tirelessly to help the children who fell victim to the Lebensborn program and any Jewish children that they were able to help. They were both in constant danger of being exposed. Would their bravery and initiative allow them to help the innocent children they felt compassionate about? Could they learn to love each other or would war prevent them from being able to do that?
I really enjoyed reading The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri. My curiosity is heightened to see what Adriana Allegri will write next. I am a fan of her writing after reading The Sunflower House and look forward to reading her next book. It was a welcomed fact that Adriana Allegri chose to concentrate more on the children born at Hochland House and their routines and strict care rather than on the mothers or potential mothers that lived in the house. I really admired the bravery and resilience that Allina exhibited despite all the trauma she was subjected to. It must have been so hard for her not to want to or not to be able to share what happened to her with anyone for all those years. The Sunflower House spoke volumes about friendship, hope, love and doing what had to be done in order to protect others. It was both moving and heartfelt. I highly recommend The Sunflower House by Ariana Allegri if you enjoy historical fiction based on actual events that occurred during World War II.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 24, 2025
It was 1939 in Nazi Germany, and Alliana had recently learned that she was a Mischling, a person with some Jewish ancestry. After losing her family, she was put to work caring for babies at a Lebensborn home. Heinrich Himmler wanted to increase the German population since so many men were lost in the last war. The homes were used for unwed pregnant mothers, and women who volunteered to bring Aryan babies into the world for adoption by Nazi families.
Alliana helped make improvements to the regimented way these babies were cared for. The lack of stimulation, good food, exercise, and playtime for the toddlers led to physical and emotional problems for some. She also met Karl, a SS officer who was doing humanitarian work in secret.
This novel was a combination of historical fiction and romance. Although I've read many other novels set in Nazi Germany, the Lebensborn home was a different and interesting setting. It was a suspenseful story as I wondered if Allina's Jewish heritage or Karl's secret activities would be discovered. "The Sunflower House" was a compelling story that kept my interest to the end.
Alliana helped make improvements to the regimented way these babies were cared for. The lack of stimulation, good food, exercise, and playtime for the toddlers led to physical and emotional problems for some. She also met Karl, a SS officer who was doing humanitarian work in secret.
This novel was a combination of historical fiction and romance. Although I've read many other novels set in Nazi Germany, the Lebensborn home was a different and interesting setting. It was a suspenseful story as I wondered if Allina's Jewish heritage or Karl's secret activities would be discovered. "The Sunflower House" was a compelling story that kept my interest to the end.
October 29, 2024
This novel opens in New Jersey 2006 with Katrine finding a hidden box beneath the floorboards of her mother’s house and then hops back to 1938 Badensburg, Germany to give us background on Allina Strauss.
Allina has been hiding a secret for most of her life. Keeping it hidden when everything is taken from her becomes a necessity. Allina is forced into nursing at Hochland home where she uncovers the horrors of Heinrich Himmler’s eugenics program and the atrocities committed in perpetuating the ‘master race’. Unable to restrain herself any longer, she risks it all to ally with an SS officer, Karl von Strassberg.
This debut novel is more than 20 years in the making and highlights the Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. Although I’ve read a few books centered around this program, I appreciated Adriana Allegri’s dedication to research. Her teacher’s heart came through as she uncovered the atrocities the children lived in daily and the bleak outlook many in the home faced. Allina’s courageous decision adds to the tension and I found myself rooting for her as she walked with her heart behind every step.
Why historical fiction readers will want to read this one:
✔️it shows that something beautiful can grow in the absence of light
✔️it shows the importance of nurturing our sunflower souls so that no matter how dark it gets, we will always chase the light.
I was a little shocked at the language.
I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Allina has been hiding a secret for most of her life. Keeping it hidden when everything is taken from her becomes a necessity. Allina is forced into nursing at Hochland home where she uncovers the horrors of Heinrich Himmler’s eugenics program and the atrocities committed in perpetuating the ‘master race’. Unable to restrain herself any longer, she risks it all to ally with an SS officer, Karl von Strassberg.
This debut novel is more than 20 years in the making and highlights the Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. Although I’ve read a few books centered around this program, I appreciated Adriana Allegri’s dedication to research. Her teacher’s heart came through as she uncovered the atrocities the children lived in daily and the bleak outlook many in the home faced. Allina’s courageous decision adds to the tension and I found myself rooting for her as she walked with her heart behind every step.
Why historical fiction readers will want to read this one:
✔️it shows that something beautiful can grow in the absence of light
✔️it shows the importance of nurturing our sunflower souls so that no matter how dark it gets, we will always chase the light.
I was a little shocked at the language.
I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
November 12, 2024
Adriana Allegri has created a masterpiece! Her powerful and meticulously researched debut, THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE, is a stunning 'winner out of the gate'.
Family secrets are unraveled as a young woman fights to save herself and others while in a Nazi-run baby factory, uncovering the horrors of the Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany during WWII.
Something rare and beautiful can grow in the darkest shadows.
About...
Allina Strauss resides in a German village and works at her uncle's bookshop. However, darkness follows as Adolf Hitler controls. Her family hides a secret (her mother was Jewish, making her a Mischling).
After losing it all, she is forced into working as a nurse at a state-run baby factory, Hochland Home, giving her a front-row seat to the horrors of the Lebensborn Program.
Will Allina and Karl be forced to make a choice? Will they be able to keep their secrets, join forces, and save the children?
1939: Alina's story (mother)
2006: Katrine (daughter)
It all starts when Katrina finds a box with a swastika among her mother's belongings, and Allina begins to tell her story to her daughter and the secrets of her life.
My Thoughts...
Wow! What a debut. THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE is Extraordinary!
Allegri pulls out all the stops in this compelling, meticulously researched, and brilliantly written tale of love, sacrifice, survival, redemption, generational secrets, and identity. Alina was a beloved wife and mother who lived an extraordinary life. A woman of strength, compassion, and grace.
It makes you want to discover more about your parents and grandparents.
Even though we have two timelines, Katrine (daughter in New Jersey) and Alina (mother's past in Germany), the author concentrates on Allina's story.
Despite the secrets that kept them apart for years, the truth eventually brought them back together. This is a story of a mother's love and sacrifice, of resilience in the face of adversity. A love story. Allina, a Hochland Home nurse, served under the ruthless eugenics program, despising it yet managed to save dozens of children from medical experiments and extermination.
The author beautifully balances the harsh realities of the Nazi regime with the warmth of love and hope in this essential work of historical fiction. Sunflower metaphors add a poignant touch to the narrative, making it an emotional journey of healing and love that readers will deeply connect with.
Prepare to be emotionally invested in Allina's journey. Her story is a moving and poignant exploration of love and loss. The memorable characters are so vividly portrayed that they will stay with you long after you finish the book.
THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE is a compelling read and an excellent choice for book clubs. The story's rich themes and complex characters provide ample material for stimulating discussions. The author even includes additional resources to enhance your reading experience.
Exquisitely written, THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE is remarkable and inspiring. My pick for debut of the year and is included on my Top Books of 2024. If this is a debut, I cannot wait to see what comes next. Adriana Allegri is an author to watch!
Recs...
THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE is for fans of Kristin Hannah, Hazel Gaynor, Lynda Cohen Loigman, Patti Callahan Henry, Pam Jeoff, Heather Morris, Ronald H. Balson, and Meagan Church.
Audiobook...
I enjoyed reading the book and listening to the audiobook, which was superb. It was narrated by the talented cast of stars and favorites—Barrie Kreinik, Dallin Bradford, and Saskia Maarleveld—making the characters come alive and drawing you into their worlds. I highly recommend it.
Interview...
Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A with Adriana and behind the scenes of THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE and this new voice in fiction. (pub day Nov 12).
Thank you...
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for a digital advanced review copy via NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC (#MacAudio2024). #CoverLove
Get this gem on your TBR list, and thank me later.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: Nov 12, 2024
Nov Newsletter
Nov 2024 Must-Read Books
Nov Featured #AuthorElevatorSeries QA
Family secrets are unraveled as a young woman fights to save herself and others while in a Nazi-run baby factory, uncovering the horrors of the Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany during WWII.
Something rare and beautiful can grow in the darkest shadows.
About...
Allina Strauss resides in a German village and works at her uncle's bookshop. However, darkness follows as Adolf Hitler controls. Her family hides a secret (her mother was Jewish, making her a Mischling).
After losing it all, she is forced into working as a nurse at a state-run baby factory, Hochland Home, giving her a front-row seat to the horrors of the Lebensborn Program.
Will Allina and Karl be forced to make a choice? Will they be able to keep their secrets, join forces, and save the children?
1939: Alina's story (mother)
2006: Katrine (daughter)
It all starts when Katrina finds a box with a swastika among her mother's belongings, and Allina begins to tell her story to her daughter and the secrets of her life.
My Thoughts...
Wow! What a debut. THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE is Extraordinary!
Allegri pulls out all the stops in this compelling, meticulously researched, and brilliantly written tale of love, sacrifice, survival, redemption, generational secrets, and identity. Alina was a beloved wife and mother who lived an extraordinary life. A woman of strength, compassion, and grace.
It makes you want to discover more about your parents and grandparents.
Even though we have two timelines, Katrine (daughter in New Jersey) and Alina (mother's past in Germany), the author concentrates on Allina's story.
Despite the secrets that kept them apart for years, the truth eventually brought them back together. This is a story of a mother's love and sacrifice, of resilience in the face of adversity. A love story. Allina, a Hochland Home nurse, served under the ruthless eugenics program, despising it yet managed to save dozens of children from medical experiments and extermination.
The author beautifully balances the harsh realities of the Nazi regime with the warmth of love and hope in this essential work of historical fiction. Sunflower metaphors add a poignant touch to the narrative, making it an emotional journey of healing and love that readers will deeply connect with.
Prepare to be emotionally invested in Allina's journey. Her story is a moving and poignant exploration of love and loss. The memorable characters are so vividly portrayed that they will stay with you long after you finish the book.
THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE is a compelling read and an excellent choice for book clubs. The story's rich themes and complex characters provide ample material for stimulating discussions. The author even includes additional resources to enhance your reading experience.
Exquisitely written, THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE is remarkable and inspiring. My pick for debut of the year and is included on my Top Books of 2024. If this is a debut, I cannot wait to see what comes next. Adriana Allegri is an author to watch!
Recs...
THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE is for fans of Kristin Hannah, Hazel Gaynor, Lynda Cohen Loigman, Patti Callahan Henry, Pam Jeoff, Heather Morris, Ronald H. Balson, and Meagan Church.
Audiobook...
I enjoyed reading the book and listening to the audiobook, which was superb. It was narrated by the talented cast of stars and favorites—Barrie Kreinik, Dallin Bradford, and Saskia Maarleveld—making the characters come alive and drawing you into their worlds. I highly recommend it.
Interview...
Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A with Adriana and behind the scenes of THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE and this new voice in fiction. (pub day Nov 12).
Thank you...
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for a digital advanced review copy via NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC (#MacAudio2024). #CoverLove
Get this gem on your TBR list, and thank me later.
blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: Nov 12, 2024
Nov Newsletter
Nov 2024 Must-Read Books
Nov Featured #AuthorElevatorSeries QA
February 15, 2024
I’ve just finished reading this advanced review copy and it is one of those books I’ll be thinking about for a long time to come. In this dual timeline story a grown woman finds a wooden box decorated with a swastika hidden under the floorboards in her elderly mother’s closet. What follows is the story of her mother’s life in heartbreaking detail. Set in Nazi Germany, the horror intertwines with moments of love. In the end all the mother’s secrets are revealed, and mother and daughter come to understand each other. A remarkable story from start to finish.
January 11, 2025
4.5 stars. A must read for readers of WWII historical fiction. This focuses on a young woman torn from her family, ending up in the Lebensborn Program. Not as one of the women living in that baby factory to birth Arian babies for the appeasement of Hitler and Himmler, but as a nurse taking care of the newborns. She and a love interest / SS officer attempt to help the older children who were never adopted because of some imperfection or another. It's obvious that the older those children got, the more anti-social and mentally damaged they became, and the couple make plans to smuggle out a small percentage of them -- anything to keep Himmler from getting his evil hands on them.
An engaging, heartfelt story with characters I cared about. St. Martins Publishing Group comped me an advanced copy on NetGalley. I supplemented the read with the audiobook. The three narrators did an excellent job.
An engaging, heartfelt story with characters I cared about. St. Martins Publishing Group comped me an advanced copy on NetGalley. I supplemented the read with the audiobook. The three narrators did an excellent job.
January 18, 2025
Wow! An excellent debut novel and a heartbreaking story. The author says she spent 20 years writing and researching her book, and it shows. I had not heard about the Lebensborn Program in Nazi Germany until recently. I felt the author did really well in gently bringing to light what happened in these places. Extremely well done!
November 10, 2024
Set in Germany during WWII, this debut historical fiction novel centres around the Nazi's Lebensborn program, quite literally a Nazi-run institution whose main goal was to get young German women to birth as many Aryan babies as possible.
The story follows Allina Strauss, a young woman who is secretly of Jewish descent, who is forced to work at Hochland Home, assisting mothers and their babies while keeping her heritage a secret from those around her. Through Allina's perspective, readers witness atrocities in this 'baby-making factory' and how she helps these neglected babies and toddlers who were the mercy of the Nazi regime.
I already knew of the Lebensborn program before going into this book, but the idea of this program and the effects on the children were still horrific to me. That said, I was surprised at this story's lack of tension and my struggle to be engaged in the plot and connect with Allina. There are some shocking scenes but overall, this is a lighter historical fiction read, particularly when the second half leans heavily on a romance. I wanted more tension in the story and more depth and strength in Allina. Instead, Allina, who has much at stake, finds a powerful man, tells him all her secrets and trusts him completely.
This was an emotional part of history and I applaud the author's detailed research (readers who are interested to learn more should read the author's notes at the end of the book). This debut story about resistance and perseverance had good bones and will give readers much to discuss, but its detour into romance, its simple plot and uneven pacing were not well received by this reader.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Press for giving me a complimentary digital advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 31, 2025
The Sunflower House
is the first place Allina finally feels safe in a world that has next to no safe places for a person from her family tree. Oddly enough it is the home of an officer of her sworn yet secret enemy.
This is a WWII story that reveals the inner workings of the Lebensborn baby farms Himmler established and maintained throughout the Nazi effort to build up the thousand-year reich for which Hitler had in his best outcome bucket list. Difficult to read and realize (I hadn't fully known of this diabolical program). Thinking of all the living victims of this horror.
Kudos to Adriana Allegri for this well-researched, well-written story. My thoughts keep returning to trapped heroes like Karl and Allina, and those thousands abused children - although they are fictional, they surely represent the non-fiction victims of that terrible time.
Recommended - but beware there are many horrors that may trigger in this read. Know your limits and take care.
*A sincere thank you to Adriana Allegri, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 25|52:31b
This is a WWII story that reveals the inner workings of the Lebensborn baby farms Himmler established and maintained throughout the Nazi effort to build up the thousand-year reich for which Hitler had in his best outcome bucket list. Difficult to read and realize (I hadn't fully known of this diabolical program). Thinking of all the living victims of this horror.
Kudos to Adriana Allegri for this well-researched, well-written story. My thoughts keep returning to trapped heroes like Karl and Allina, and those thousands abused children - although they are fictional, they surely represent the non-fiction victims of that terrible time.
Recommended - but beware there are many horrors that may trigger in this read. Know your limits and take care.
*A sincere thank you to Adriana Allegri, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 25|52:31b
October 11, 2024
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Nov. 12, 2024
Adriana Allegri’s debut novel, “The Sunflower House”, is a World War two historical fiction novel that has the distinction of being one of the very, very few I have read in this category that have managed to introduce me to a topic I know very little about.
Allina Strauss is living with her aunt and uncle in a sleepy German village, helping her uncle run his book shop. But it’s 1939 and, all of a sudden, Allina’s life is turned upside down. Hitler has declared war on Jews, and after the death of Allina’s uncle, she finds out the truth about her past- her mother was Jewish, making Allina half-Jewish, which makes her a target. Desperate to escape persecution, Allina uses forged papers and begins work as a nurse in a place called Hochland House. Hochland House is one of the sites for the Nazi’s eugenics program and Allina sees it firsthand, how women are used as breeding stock to continue the Aryan race, and how babies are adopted by “purebred” Germans, in order to further the German population. She is trapped with no way out until she meets SS solider Karl, who promises to give her a better life. But can she really live a life with a German solider, putting her life at risk to try and keep who she really is a secret?
“The Sunflower House” tells the story of the Lebensborn homes (essentially, baby factories) that were scattered throughout Germany during World War Two, whose sole purpose was to create more “pure” Germans to fight in wars against other nations. Although I knew the eugenics programs existed, to hear it told through the eyes of a frontline nurse was extremely powerful. The struggle of Allina, as she wore a German façade, while children with disabilities were “sent away” to be killed as they were non-adoptable, was something that had me feeling so many emotions, all at once.
The story is narrated, of course, by Allina, in 1939, but the beginning of the story starts in the 21st century, when Allina’s daughter, Katrine, finds a box with a swastika on it in her mother’s belongings. Allina tells the story to her daughter slowly, and she pulls the reader along on a tension-fueled, heartbreaking and emotionally fraught storyline that did not stop until the final pages.
Allegri’s novel is well-researched, and it stands out for many reasons, not the least of which being that it is her debut! Wherever she has been hiding, I am glad that she had taken her chances and released this book into the world and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
Expected publication date: Nov. 12, 2024
Adriana Allegri’s debut novel, “The Sunflower House”, is a World War two historical fiction novel that has the distinction of being one of the very, very few I have read in this category that have managed to introduce me to a topic I know very little about.
Allina Strauss is living with her aunt and uncle in a sleepy German village, helping her uncle run his book shop. But it’s 1939 and, all of a sudden, Allina’s life is turned upside down. Hitler has declared war on Jews, and after the death of Allina’s uncle, she finds out the truth about her past- her mother was Jewish, making Allina half-Jewish, which makes her a target. Desperate to escape persecution, Allina uses forged papers and begins work as a nurse in a place called Hochland House. Hochland House is one of the sites for the Nazi’s eugenics program and Allina sees it firsthand, how women are used as breeding stock to continue the Aryan race, and how babies are adopted by “purebred” Germans, in order to further the German population. She is trapped with no way out until she meets SS solider Karl, who promises to give her a better life. But can she really live a life with a German solider, putting her life at risk to try and keep who she really is a secret?
“The Sunflower House” tells the story of the Lebensborn homes (essentially, baby factories) that were scattered throughout Germany during World War Two, whose sole purpose was to create more “pure” Germans to fight in wars against other nations. Although I knew the eugenics programs existed, to hear it told through the eyes of a frontline nurse was extremely powerful. The struggle of Allina, as she wore a German façade, while children with disabilities were “sent away” to be killed as they were non-adoptable, was something that had me feeling so many emotions, all at once.
The story is narrated, of course, by Allina, in 1939, but the beginning of the story starts in the 21st century, when Allina’s daughter, Katrine, finds a box with a swastika on it in her mother’s belongings. Allina tells the story to her daughter slowly, and she pulls the reader along on a tension-fueled, heartbreaking and emotionally fraught storyline that did not stop until the final pages.
Allegri’s novel is well-researched, and it stands out for many reasons, not the least of which being that it is her debut! Wherever she has been hiding, I am glad that she had taken her chances and released this book into the world and I can’t wait to see what she does next.
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