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To Look Upon the Sun
In the shadow of pre-WWII Germany, 17-year-old Ilse finds herself alone, pregnant, and penniless—betrayed by her family and thrust into the arms of Lebensborn, the Nazis' secretive program designed to propagate Aryan purity. Yet, Ilse harbors a perilous secret within the walls of her unborn child's father is Jewish. Surrounded by the very architects of the regime's sinister vision, she must rely on her cunning, her knowledge of herbs, and her indomitable spirit to hide the truth and keep her child safe. As the Reich's scrutiny intensifies, Ilse's place within Lebensborn becomes a gilded cage, with each day edging her closer to exposure. Forced to navigate a labyrinth of lies and make unthinkable choices, her journey turns into more than a fight for survival—it becomes a quest for identity, redemption, and defiance that could alter the course of her life forever.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 10, 2024
186 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Shannon St Hilaire
2 books30 followersShannon St. Hilaire is fascinated by forgotten microcosms and the complex women who lived through them. She spends just about all her time reading and writing stories about them—also, traveling, being roommates with her cat, and dreaming about cottages in forests.
She is the author of a novella, The Ones Who Stayed, and a novel, To Look Upon the Sun.
Newsletter with sneak peaks, book recommendations, and exclusive insights: https://shannonsthilaire.substack.com
She is the author of a novella, The Ones Who Stayed, and a novel, To Look Upon the Sun.
Newsletter with sneak peaks, book recommendations, and exclusive insights: https://shannonsthilaire.substack.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
May 3, 2024
I was quite impressed when I discovered that To Look Upon the Sun was Shannon St Hilaire’s debut novel. She chose to tell the story about the program called Lebensborn that was developed by the Nazis. Its purpose was to propagate “pure Aryan” babies between the elite SS officers and pure stock young and able German women. Some considered Lebensborn to be no more than a brothel and many local German citizens treated the women that chose to reside at a home that was run by the Lebensborn Society unkindly and without respect. Shannon St Hilaire more than proved her ability as a talented storyteller in this book. She was able to present a side of the Lebensborn program that I had not previously considered.
To Look Upon the Sun portrayed all the feelings that Ilse, the young seventeen year old girl who discovered that she was pregnant, felt as she was left no alternative but to live in one of the homes run by the Lebensborn Society until her baby was born. Over the months of Ilse’s pregnancy and then beyond the years that followed the birth of her child, Ilse felt as if she was trapped within a system that signaled danger, evil, heartbreak and wrongdoings. She began to question everything that she had learned at the BDM meetings. Ilse harbored a secret as well. That secret made Ilse always make sure to have her guard up. If anyone ever discovered her secret it would put Ilse and her baby in grave danger. All of the characters were well developed and believable. It was well plotted and paced just right. Shannon St Hilaire delved into what life was like in Germany before World War II and the Holocaust began and beyond.
Shannon St Hilaire’s research for To Look Upon the Sun was impeccable. It was interesting and informative how Ilse’s notions about the Reich evolved and changed the longer she lived in the homes run by the Lebensborn Society. Like most young girls that had grown up in pre-war Germany Ilse had been expected to join and attend the meetings of the Bund Deutscher Madel (BDM). Ilse willingly accepted the ideals and values the BDM taught her about her obligations as a German woman to the Nazis and the Reich but the longer she lived at the homes that were part of the Lebensborn Society the more she questioned the facts that were drilled into her. Shannon St Hilaire also included pertinent details about many horrific acts the Nazis instituted in the Lebensborn homes which included sterilization, euthanasia and the Aktio T4 program. Ilse experienced a constant feeling of dread, danger, realization of how the Nazis were treating the Jews and homosexuals who worked in the gardens of the Lebensborn home when Ilse worked in the kitchen as the cook, a constant fear for survival, a nagging and unrelenting feeling of heartbreak and an awakening of anger to the atrocities the Nazis were responsible for while she lived in the various homes that were part of the Lebensborn Society. To Look Upon the Sun was hard to read in parts but I found Ilse’s resilience throughout commendable. I admired how she learned to think for herself and how her perspective about the Nazis and the dreaded SS officers changed over the course of the book. Be sure to read the author’s note at the conclusion. Shannon St Hilaire explained why and how she chose to wrote about Lebensborn and other things she learned while she conducted her research. I highly recommend To Look Upon the Sun by Shannon St Hilaire and I look forward to seeing what she writes next.
Thank you to Book Whisperer for allowing me to read To Look Upon the Sun by Shannon St. Hilaire through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
To Look Upon the Sun portrayed all the feelings that Ilse, the young seventeen year old girl who discovered that she was pregnant, felt as she was left no alternative but to live in one of the homes run by the Lebensborn Society until her baby was born. Over the months of Ilse’s pregnancy and then beyond the years that followed the birth of her child, Ilse felt as if she was trapped within a system that signaled danger, evil, heartbreak and wrongdoings. She began to question everything that she had learned at the BDM meetings. Ilse harbored a secret as well. That secret made Ilse always make sure to have her guard up. If anyone ever discovered her secret it would put Ilse and her baby in grave danger. All of the characters were well developed and believable. It was well plotted and paced just right. Shannon St Hilaire delved into what life was like in Germany before World War II and the Holocaust began and beyond.
Shannon St Hilaire’s research for To Look Upon the Sun was impeccable. It was interesting and informative how Ilse’s notions about the Reich evolved and changed the longer she lived in the homes run by the Lebensborn Society. Like most young girls that had grown up in pre-war Germany Ilse had been expected to join and attend the meetings of the Bund Deutscher Madel (BDM). Ilse willingly accepted the ideals and values the BDM taught her about her obligations as a German woman to the Nazis and the Reich but the longer she lived at the homes that were part of the Lebensborn Society the more she questioned the facts that were drilled into her. Shannon St Hilaire also included pertinent details about many horrific acts the Nazis instituted in the Lebensborn homes which included sterilization, euthanasia and the Aktio T4 program. Ilse experienced a constant feeling of dread, danger, realization of how the Nazis were treating the Jews and homosexuals who worked in the gardens of the Lebensborn home when Ilse worked in the kitchen as the cook, a constant fear for survival, a nagging and unrelenting feeling of heartbreak and an awakening of anger to the atrocities the Nazis were responsible for while she lived in the various homes that were part of the Lebensborn Society. To Look Upon the Sun was hard to read in parts but I found Ilse’s resilience throughout commendable. I admired how she learned to think for herself and how her perspective about the Nazis and the dreaded SS officers changed over the course of the book. Be sure to read the author’s note at the conclusion. Shannon St Hilaire explained why and how she chose to wrote about Lebensborn and other things she learned while she conducted her research. I highly recommend To Look Upon the Sun by Shannon St Hilaire and I look forward to seeing what she writes next.
Thank you to Book Whisperer for allowing me to read To Look Upon the Sun by Shannon St. Hilaire through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2024
Lebensborn was a secret SS initiated place to house pregnant women with a goal of increasing the number of children born who met the Nazi standards of ‘racially pure’ and healthy Arians. 17 year old Ilse finds herself there with no other option. She was raised in a house that followed and adhered to Hitlers rules. Page after page of trying to understand what Ilse and others like her had to go through just to get through each day to please the Reich.
I cannot get over how absolutely amazing and heartbreaking Shannon St Claire’s debut novel is. I have read dozens of books associated with WWII stories. Tons of different perspectives and this was the first that I have read about Lebensborn. And while this is considered historical fiction, you can be sure that there is enough truth and fact in what you are reading to bring it that much closer to reality and to your heart. This is a book that I will keep on my shelf forever.
I cannot get over how absolutely amazing and heartbreaking Shannon St Claire’s debut novel is. I have read dozens of books associated with WWII stories. Tons of different perspectives and this was the first that I have read about Lebensborn. And while this is considered historical fiction, you can be sure that there is enough truth and fact in what you are reading to bring it that much closer to reality and to your heart. This is a book that I will keep on my shelf forever.
March 25, 2024
I love when authors write about topics that are not commonly written about, such as the Lebensborn programs the Nazi's used all over Germany and other countries they occupied during WWII. To Look Upon The Sun tells the story of Ilse, a young German girl who finds herself pregnant out of wedlock. If the Nazi's find out who the baby's father is, she could find herself and the life of her unborn baby, in grave danger. Eventually, Ilse ends up at a Lebensborn home, working hard everyday to hope she and her baby will be save and that her secret is never discovered. What awaits Ilse is sad, heart wrenching, and sometimes hard to stomach, however; it's important her story, although fiction, is told. This story is filled with heartbreak, tragedy, desperation, and the will to survive: and so many women had to do just that.
The author, Shannon St. Hilaire obviously did her research and crafted a gripping WWII story that is both accurate and nearly impossible to put down. Ilse's story accurately depicts what happens when young and impressionable youth grew up hearing a Nazi ideology and fall victim to the horrors of the Third Reich, unbeknownst to them.
For WWII fiction lovers, this is a must read!
The author, Shannon St. Hilaire obviously did her research and crafted a gripping WWII story that is both accurate and nearly impossible to put down. Ilse's story accurately depicts what happens when young and impressionable youth grew up hearing a Nazi ideology and fall victim to the horrors of the Third Reich, unbeknownst to them.
For WWII fiction lovers, this is a must read!
April 6, 2024
This incredible debut is so much more than an extensively researched, well-written World War II novel. It is a cautionary tale for all women. We experience the awakening of Ilse who is 17 in 1938 when the story begins. Although very bright, her life's path has already been set by her low economic status and Nazi Germany's narrow vision for women. She is apolitical because she is just trying to avoid her father's beatings while working as a maid. Her awakening begins when her father throws her out of the house due to her pregnancy giving her little choice but to go to a Lebensborn home. At this point, the book becomes the Nazi edition of The Handmaid's Tale.
If you think you've read plenty of books about Lebensborn, concentration camps, or the euthanasia program for the disabled, I assure you that there are new facts in this one that you've never read before. I was horrified by the depravity of the SS although I had believed that nothing could shock me anymore. I was wrong. This is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. Although set in Nazi Germany, through Ilse's eyes we see how men have controlled women and recorded history for thousands of years, even through the arts. At one point, Ilse wanted nothing more than to be a man. "To have control over her own body. For it not to be a constant vulnerability, a liability, an asset to be used as those in power saw fit." What woman cannot understand that, especially at this moment in America? I loved this book and will be gifting it to my daughters and friends. It's a multi-layered historical novel that will surprise you with its depth. You don't want to miss this one and you won't be able to stop thinking about it.
My thanks to NetGalley and Book Whisperer for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are entirely my own.
If you think you've read plenty of books about Lebensborn, concentration camps, or the euthanasia program for the disabled, I assure you that there are new facts in this one that you've never read before. I was horrified by the depravity of the SS although I had believed that nothing could shock me anymore. I was wrong. This is one of the most powerful books I've ever read. Although set in Nazi Germany, through Ilse's eyes we see how men have controlled women and recorded history for thousands of years, even through the arts. At one point, Ilse wanted nothing more than to be a man. "To have control over her own body. For it not to be a constant vulnerability, a liability, an asset to be used as those in power saw fit." What woman cannot understand that, especially at this moment in America? I loved this book and will be gifting it to my daughters and friends. It's a multi-layered historical novel that will surprise you with its depth. You don't want to miss this one and you won't be able to stop thinking about it.
My thanks to NetGalley and Book Whisperer for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are entirely my own.
September 26, 2025
I absolutely loved this book about a young woman caught up in the Nazi breeding program before and during WWII. St. Hilaire, in her debut full-length novel, does a masterful job of combining carefully researched details and an immersive historical setting with a thrilling and unpredictable plot, as well as characters who feel like real, complex individuals. The protagonist Ilse in particular was very fleshed out, and though I have almost literally nothing in common with her, I felt incredible empathy with her plight and her emotional and mental anguish over the decisions she was forced to make. Not only that, but St. Hilaire deftly accomplishes a difficult task in giving the primary antagonist some human depth as well, not just making him an evil Nazi robot. I read a lot of historical fiction and I find that sometimes the genre can lend itself to formulaic plotlines and one-dimensional characters. This is a beautiful exception to that rule, and is a must read for anyone who enjoys German or world history, stories of human resilience, and damn good fiction.
March 21, 2024
This is one of the most awesome books I have read in a very long time. The author Shannon st hilaire is a gifted storyteller and an in-depth researcher. She wrote this pre WW2 Germany story that sets the stage for the horrible post war stories and what the German people lived through and how a people allowed their culture to change, turning a blind eye to the propaganda inspired by a dictator. I would recommend reading this story for ages 16 and up.
April 6, 2024
To Look Upon the Sun contains all the elements I most value in historical fiction -- a fully developed main character, an authentic voice (the author's!), a compelling plot, and tension that's established early and sustained throughout. Psychological and physical cruelties hover on the edges of a complex story that includes the use of herbal medicines, occult beliefs, a hidden volume of "Jane Eyre" Nazi propaganda, art and artifacts, and factual events. The author has woven these together in a well-researched novel that is both alarming and fascinating.
April 4, 2024
A well-researched historical fiction about survival and resilience in the face of horrible odds.
Summary
To Look Upon the Sun is a historical fiction about Ilse, a German teenager who becomes pregnant in 1938. When she goes to tell the baby’s father, she finds he has fled the country. And that he is Jewish.
Kicked out of the house by her abusive father, Ilse hides in the closet of the wealthy manor at which she works as a maid. There, an idea forms: she could attend a secret maternity program for the Aryan race, Lebensborn. All she must do is claim the father of her child is the late son of her employers.
What follows is a harrowing tale of a young woman with little control over herself. Ilse suffers so much, and you suffer with her. But she’s a survivor, and she finds ways to maintain what little autonomy she has left, even as she’s forced to play a role she abhors: a woman devoted to producing perfect children for the Reich.
Review
More than once, I had to put this book down and force myself to breathe. Ilse situation is so hopeless at times, so heartbreaking and terrifying, that I truly didn’t know how she could go on.
The story is chock-full of difficult subjects, but St. Hilaire has a talent for handling the tough stuff. She does so through complex characters, nuanced exploration of themes (e.g., motherhood, grief, bodily autonomy), and an immersive world, made possible by extensive research. Some of my favorite moments were descriptions of mundane, daily life (e.g., cooking, foraging for herbs, cleaning) that added flavor and color to this slice of history I’d never thought about before.
My only criticism would be about the pacing: it felt a bit slow at points in the middle, and the ending was short (but that could have been because I was reading too fast).
Read To Look Upon the Sun if you:
* Want to be immersed in WWII-period history from a unique perspective
* Enjoy reading about strength, determination, and survival in the face of impossible odds
* Love Jane Eyre
* Find the use of herbs as a form of resistance (and at times, a weapon) intriguing
* Like having your heart ripped out of your chest
I received an ARC from the author and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.
Summary
To Look Upon the Sun is a historical fiction about Ilse, a German teenager who becomes pregnant in 1938. When she goes to tell the baby’s father, she finds he has fled the country. And that he is Jewish.
Kicked out of the house by her abusive father, Ilse hides in the closet of the wealthy manor at which she works as a maid. There, an idea forms: she could attend a secret maternity program for the Aryan race, Lebensborn. All she must do is claim the father of her child is the late son of her employers.
What follows is a harrowing tale of a young woman with little control over herself. Ilse suffers so much, and you suffer with her. But she’s a survivor, and she finds ways to maintain what little autonomy she has left, even as she’s forced to play a role she abhors: a woman devoted to producing perfect children for the Reich.
Review
More than once, I had to put this book down and force myself to breathe. Ilse situation is so hopeless at times, so heartbreaking and terrifying, that I truly didn’t know how she could go on.
The story is chock-full of difficult subjects, but St. Hilaire has a talent for handling the tough stuff. She does so through complex characters, nuanced exploration of themes (e.g., motherhood, grief, bodily autonomy), and an immersive world, made possible by extensive research. Some of my favorite moments were descriptions of mundane, daily life (e.g., cooking, foraging for herbs, cleaning) that added flavor and color to this slice of history I’d never thought about before.
My only criticism would be about the pacing: it felt a bit slow at points in the middle, and the ending was short (but that could have been because I was reading too fast).
Read To Look Upon the Sun if you:
* Want to be immersed in WWII-period history from a unique perspective
* Enjoy reading about strength, determination, and survival in the face of impossible odds
* Love Jane Eyre
* Find the use of herbs as a form of resistance (and at times, a weapon) intriguing
* Like having your heart ripped out of your chest
I received an ARC from the author and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.
March 25, 2025
I am very surprised to read that this is a debut novel for this author! Kudos to you, Shannon St. Hilaire!!
This is Historical Fiction, which is usually based on some shreds of reality. That being said, it was at times, very difficult to read.. never mind to understand and even try to rationalize... at all....
Ilse is a young woman, only 17 when this begins, who is in 'love' with a young man.
She lost her Mother during the birth of her baby sister, so she only lives with her Father, who is strict, and a devoted Hitler follower.
She comes to find that she is pregnant, and is advised to speak with the father of the baby. She is sure he will marry her. He is a good young man...
But when she goes to speak to him, his home is emptied...and his entire family has fled. It is at this time that she realizes that her love, Felix, was indeed a Jew. =0
With NO other options, she presents herself to a home for unwed mothers who are carrying PURE Aryan children... then considered to be the elite breed. The way she gets admitted is a story within itself! But she is ALWAYS afraid of being found out, and of what will happen once the baby arrives... That being said, she is now a part of Lebensborn... which most of the townspeople consider nothing but a brothel...for the German soldiers and their whores and mistresses....
While there she meets a good friend (I believe her name was Hannah Lauren) and is lucky to form a strong bond with her...but as time progresses, more and more horrible things are happening... both to her, and, all around her!
This one will definitely PULL at your heartstrings, cause your eyes to get blurry with tears, and most likely will leave a gaping hole in your heart...
It does deal with some awful doings by the German 'elite' soldiers...so if this is something you cannot deal with, I'd suggest you steer clear of this book.
It also deals with nature, and the effects nature can have on your body when herbs, etc are used correctly... which is always fascinating to me!!
If not, this is definitely worth the read! Although, I am very saddened that it ended the way it did with many loose strings... (and I will leave it at that, as to not spoil it for others...)
4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 for me, happily rounded up to 5!
Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #TantorAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date is tomorrow, 3/25/25, so look 👀 for it on shelves then !! ***
You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine
Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️
This is Historical Fiction, which is usually based on some shreds of reality. That being said, it was at times, very difficult to read.. never mind to understand and even try to rationalize... at all....
Ilse is a young woman, only 17 when this begins, who is in 'love' with a young man.
She lost her Mother during the birth of her baby sister, so she only lives with her Father, who is strict, and a devoted Hitler follower.
She comes to find that she is pregnant, and is advised to speak with the father of the baby. She is sure he will marry her. He is a good young man...
But when she goes to speak to him, his home is emptied...and his entire family has fled. It is at this time that she realizes that her love, Felix, was indeed a Jew. =0
With NO other options, she presents herself to a home for unwed mothers who are carrying PURE Aryan children... then considered to be the elite breed. The way she gets admitted is a story within itself! But she is ALWAYS afraid of being found out, and of what will happen once the baby arrives... That being said, she is now a part of Lebensborn... which most of the townspeople consider nothing but a brothel...for the German soldiers and their whores and mistresses....
While there she meets a good friend (I believe her name was Hannah Lauren) and is lucky to form a strong bond with her...but as time progresses, more and more horrible things are happening... both to her, and, all around her!
This one will definitely PULL at your heartstrings, cause your eyes to get blurry with tears, and most likely will leave a gaping hole in your heart...
It does deal with some awful doings by the German 'elite' soldiers...so if this is something you cannot deal with, I'd suggest you steer clear of this book.
It also deals with nature, and the effects nature can have on your body when herbs, etc are used correctly... which is always fascinating to me!!
If not, this is definitely worth the read! Although, I am very saddened that it ended the way it did with many loose strings... (and I will leave it at that, as to not spoil it for others...)
4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 for me, happily rounded up to 5!
Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #TantorAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date is tomorrow, 3/25/25, so look 👀 for it on shelves then !! ***
You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine
Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️
March 16, 2024
5/5 stars. An absolutely unmissable read.
One chilling quote that has always stood out to me and cuts right to the heart of this book – "She lived with the SS, slept with the SS, was the SS. It was in her blood. There was no way out."
Shannon St. Hilaire's "To Look Upon the Sun" is masterfully crafted through meticulous research and vivid storytelling; St. Hilaire brings to life the little-known Lebensborn program, a Nazi maternity home designed to propagate the Aryan race.
What sets this novel apart is the depth of its historical detail. St. Hilaire's extensive research shines through on every page, immersing the reader in the daily realities of life under the Third Reich. Yet, the historical elements never overwhelm the story; instead, they seamlessly interweave with the characters' journeys, creating a compelling and emotionally resonant read.
How does one make choices in the face of so many things that seem, and must have dealt, impossible?
"To Look Upon the Sun" is a testament to the power of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity. It is a story of survival, of the lengths we will go to protect those we love, and of the hope that can be found even in the darkest of times.
This is a book that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. It sure has for me.
One chilling quote that has always stood out to me and cuts right to the heart of this book – "She lived with the SS, slept with the SS, was the SS. It was in her blood. There was no way out."
Shannon St. Hilaire's "To Look Upon the Sun" is masterfully crafted through meticulous research and vivid storytelling; St. Hilaire brings to life the little-known Lebensborn program, a Nazi maternity home designed to propagate the Aryan race.
What sets this novel apart is the depth of its historical detail. St. Hilaire's extensive research shines through on every page, immersing the reader in the daily realities of life under the Third Reich. Yet, the historical elements never overwhelm the story; instead, they seamlessly interweave with the characters' journeys, creating a compelling and emotionally resonant read.
How does one make choices in the face of so many things that seem, and must have dealt, impossible?
"To Look Upon the Sun" is a testament to the power of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity. It is a story of survival, of the lengths we will go to protect those we love, and of the hope that can be found even in the darkest of times.
This is a book that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. It sure has for me.
April 9, 2024
Ilse felt no choice but to unknowingly join the "Nazi breeding program." What starts off as an unexpected pregnancy with one whom the Nazi's deemed an unwelcomed citizen ends with a strong woman who turned against her what her country preached was the perfect German way.
Every time I read a WW2 historical fiction novel, I learn something new and interesting. This "breeding program" was something completely new to me. I really enjoyed reading about Ilse and her discovery ways to work around the Nazi way of life. I also love reading novels with strong female main characters.
In the beginning, I felt the German words throughout the text were tough. It would've been nice for the translation of the word to be included. I found myself using Google to translate it for me.
Thank you to Netgalley, Shannon St. Hilaire, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.
Every time I read a WW2 historical fiction novel, I learn something new and interesting. This "breeding program" was something completely new to me. I really enjoyed reading about Ilse and her discovery ways to work around the Nazi way of life. I also love reading novels with strong female main characters.
In the beginning, I felt the German words throughout the text were tough. It would've been nice for the translation of the word to be included. I found myself using Google to translate it for me.
Thank you to Netgalley, Shannon St. Hilaire, and the publishers for this free ebook. This review is 100% my own and honest opinion.
March 25, 2024
A very interesting novel which I have greatly enjoyed! What particularly attracted me in this story is its time setting. Indeed, it starts well before WWII. This fact gives a captivating insight into how people and young people in particular got indoctrinated in Hitler's ideas and aims. This leads to the main theme of the storyline: Lebensborn. It shows how women were treated as breeding machines. Machines indeed, as a loving bonding to their children was forbidden. Such loneliness! Anyway, many of these babies were then adopted. Beware, if the children were not healthy.... Through Ilse's young life experiences, we learn all about it as well as her awakening as to what Nazism actually meant... A great story which should not be forgotten.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.
April 5, 2024
I could not put this book down! Shannon St Hilaire thoughtfully captures the terrifying Nazi regime's breeding system, Lebensborn, through the main character, Ilse. Ilse's journey is painful but hopeful, and I was moved by her internal struggles/realizations throughout her desperate situation. While many history books exist that explain the horrors of the Nazi regime, Shannon clearly did her research for this book on a lesser known and fascinating micro world of the Lebensborn "Nazi breeding" system. I thoroughly enjoyed this difficult story and found each character well developed as she accurately reflected the physical and emotional struggles that many Germans (particularly young women) experienced during the war.
March 16, 2024
Such an interesting story. A young 17 year old German girl finds herself pregnant with a Jewish boys baby. After ilse is thrown out of her family she ends up in the hands of the Germans. With her baby determined to be unfit, he is killed and ilse ends up in a nazi program where they are made to be baby machines for the German men. Disgusted with the idea she develops herb recipes that keep her and the women she cooks for unable to become pregnant, but she becomes the victim of suspicion and does what she has to do to escape
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2024
I couldn’t put it down! This formidable story, set in pre-WWII Germany, reveals the horrors of the Nazi’s race purification and Lebensborn program. “Just as we breed Hanoverian horses using a few pure stallions and mares, so we will once again breed pure Nordic Germans by selective cross-breeding…From the human reservoir of the SS we shall breed a new nobility. We shall do it in a planned fashion and according to biological laws. –Richard Walther Darre, chief of the SS Race and Settlement Main office.” (Pg 137)
On one fateful day, seventeen-year-old Ilse not only discovers she is pregnant but also that unbeknownst to her, the father, her boyfriend, is Jewish. Plus, he and his family have fled the country. She realizes her child will be a “Mischling of the first degree” i.e. an undesirable in the Nazi’s eyes.
Ilse’s father is abusive and a staunch Nazi. She must leave home. “Her head felt too heavy to lift; she hadn’t dared to fall asleep last night. The bruises from her father’s blows had become hideous purple splotches on her arms. Her body ached so much from the beating, and from shivering through the cold night…” (Pg.25)
With no other options, Ilse forges papers regarding the baby’s father and enters the ill-fated Lebensborn program. What lies ahead is unimaginable.
The author immerses the reader into the setting with excellent sensory imagery. “Outside, it was a damp, cold night. The moon was nowhere to be seen. No stars peeked through the clouds. Ilse was yet another woman in the house on the hill, screaming with no anesthetic, only a photo of the dear leader to gaze upon as a pain reliever. She, however, squeezed her eyes shut.” (Pg 72)
Ilse’s voice is vivid throughout the story. We feel her fears and hear her innermost thoughts. Her situation is unimaginable. “She traced his apple-round cheek and something fierce and wild rose up in her, a force bigger than herself. She would tear the world apart for him. She would work hard, get promoted, save money. Stay out of trouble.” (Pg.85)
Out of her expert historical research, St Hilaire has created an extremely personal account of the true horrors of Nazism. To Look Upon the Sun is an outstanding piece of historical fiction. Rating 5
On one fateful day, seventeen-year-old Ilse not only discovers she is pregnant but also that unbeknownst to her, the father, her boyfriend, is Jewish. Plus, he and his family have fled the country. She realizes her child will be a “Mischling of the first degree” i.e. an undesirable in the Nazi’s eyes.
Ilse’s father is abusive and a staunch Nazi. She must leave home. “Her head felt too heavy to lift; she hadn’t dared to fall asleep last night. The bruises from her father’s blows had become hideous purple splotches on her arms. Her body ached so much from the beating, and from shivering through the cold night…” (Pg.25)
With no other options, Ilse forges papers regarding the baby’s father and enters the ill-fated Lebensborn program. What lies ahead is unimaginable.
The author immerses the reader into the setting with excellent sensory imagery. “Outside, it was a damp, cold night. The moon was nowhere to be seen. No stars peeked through the clouds. Ilse was yet another woman in the house on the hill, screaming with no anesthetic, only a photo of the dear leader to gaze upon as a pain reliever. She, however, squeezed her eyes shut.” (Pg 72)
Ilse’s voice is vivid throughout the story. We feel her fears and hear her innermost thoughts. Her situation is unimaginable. “She traced his apple-round cheek and something fierce and wild rose up in her, a force bigger than herself. She would tear the world apart for him. She would work hard, get promoted, save money. Stay out of trouble.” (Pg.85)
Out of her expert historical research, St Hilaire has created an extremely personal account of the true horrors of Nazism. To Look Upon the Sun is an outstanding piece of historical fiction. Rating 5
April 9, 2024
A Very Powerful Story.
To look upon the sun by Shannon St. Hilaire is a beautifully written book set in Germany just before the war. It is a historical fiction book about Ilse who finds herself pregnant then discovers the truth about the father’s background when she finds out he is Jewish and has just escaped out of Germany with his family. That left Ilse in a terrible position, and Ilse is forced to enter a home for unwed Aryan mothers. When Ilse gives birth to Otto her heart melts when she holds him, and she does not want to give him up for adoption to a German couple.
IIse manages to keep her baby in exchange for working in the home. When Otto is six months old, he is developing slowly and one day Ilse finds that the doctor came to see Otto and have taken him away to do more tests. Sadly, Ilse finds out that Otto has been liquidated under Hitler rule only children who are of Arian decent and have no disabilities can survive as the true Arian race.
This devastates Ilse and she is now forced to enter the Lebensborn program to save herself Ilse is heartbroken and is now sent to another place after finding out they want to sterilize her but on the last minute she is told it was the birth that caused Otto problems. Ilse now must work in a kitchen feed the SS and Arian girls who are there just to procreate, and she is expected to join the SS soldiers do the same. IIse fight for survival begins as she secretly picks herbs to stop the women getting pregnant and makes unthinkable choices just to survive as she knows if anyone finds out what she is up to then she will be shot or hung.
Shannon St. Hilaire has extensively written, and professionally researched this book. It is a well told story giving us much information about this program and the terrible things that happened to the women and children. There is much suspense, and you find yourself remembering Ilse story long after you finish. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this period of history and I look forward to reading more books from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
To look upon the sun by Shannon St. Hilaire is a beautifully written book set in Germany just before the war. It is a historical fiction book about Ilse who finds herself pregnant then discovers the truth about the father’s background when she finds out he is Jewish and has just escaped out of Germany with his family. That left Ilse in a terrible position, and Ilse is forced to enter a home for unwed Aryan mothers. When Ilse gives birth to Otto her heart melts when she holds him, and she does not want to give him up for adoption to a German couple.
IIse manages to keep her baby in exchange for working in the home. When Otto is six months old, he is developing slowly and one day Ilse finds that the doctor came to see Otto and have taken him away to do more tests. Sadly, Ilse finds out that Otto has been liquidated under Hitler rule only children who are of Arian decent and have no disabilities can survive as the true Arian race.
This devastates Ilse and she is now forced to enter the Lebensborn program to save herself Ilse is heartbroken and is now sent to another place after finding out they want to sterilize her but on the last minute she is told it was the birth that caused Otto problems. Ilse now must work in a kitchen feed the SS and Arian girls who are there just to procreate, and she is expected to join the SS soldiers do the same. IIse fight for survival begins as she secretly picks herbs to stop the women getting pregnant and makes unthinkable choices just to survive as she knows if anyone finds out what she is up to then she will be shot or hung.
Shannon St. Hilaire has extensively written, and professionally researched this book. It is a well told story giving us much information about this program and the terrible things that happened to the women and children. There is much suspense, and you find yourself remembering Ilse story long after you finish. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this period of history and I look forward to reading more books from this author. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 10, 2024
The struggles of a young, pregnant woman hit with heart as she attempts to steer through the dangers of the Nazi regime.
Ilse knew that her pregnancy couldn't be hidden much longer but hoped marriage would work things out...until the father suddenly leaves the country. He's hidden the fact that he's a Jew, and while he might have escaped the growing threat of the Nazis, Ilse now will be caught in the crossfire. When her father kicks her out of the house, she turns to the last possible solution and prays her secret won't be revealed. Now, living in Lebensborn as one of the treasured birthing mothers of the new Aryan race, she must find a way to keep the truth hidden and play the role the Reich expects of her.
Ilse is a character to root for from the very beginning. As an average person in Germany during the rise of the Nazis, it's easy to understand her predicament. especially since it's a difficult one in even calmer times. Her situation goes from hard to a sheer struggle to survive faster than life allows her to process. Her decisions are risky but understandable, and even when she's forced into questionable predicaments, she can't be judged as she does the best with the circumstances she has. It creates an intriguing character arc with a new insight into an overlooked point of history.
The writing grabs and holds as the plot moves steadily along, keeping boredom away. Historic and cultural aspects are woven right in with the scenes with only a few hiccups here and there. The descriptions aren't overly heavy, allowing the plot to move right along, and this is also true of the character depth. This isn't as rich a read as it could have been, but instead, creates an grabbing atmosphere with more tension and apprehension. It does a lovely job at making Ilse's problems and those of others like her clear, and opens up a new awareness of what these women went through.
It's an intriguing read, not only for historical fans. I received a DRC and couldn't easily put it down.
Ilse knew that her pregnancy couldn't be hidden much longer but hoped marriage would work things out...until the father suddenly leaves the country. He's hidden the fact that he's a Jew, and while he might have escaped the growing threat of the Nazis, Ilse now will be caught in the crossfire. When her father kicks her out of the house, she turns to the last possible solution and prays her secret won't be revealed. Now, living in Lebensborn as one of the treasured birthing mothers of the new Aryan race, she must find a way to keep the truth hidden and play the role the Reich expects of her.
Ilse is a character to root for from the very beginning. As an average person in Germany during the rise of the Nazis, it's easy to understand her predicament. especially since it's a difficult one in even calmer times. Her situation goes from hard to a sheer struggle to survive faster than life allows her to process. Her decisions are risky but understandable, and even when she's forced into questionable predicaments, she can't be judged as she does the best with the circumstances she has. It creates an intriguing character arc with a new insight into an overlooked point of history.
The writing grabs and holds as the plot moves steadily along, keeping boredom away. Historic and cultural aspects are woven right in with the scenes with only a few hiccups here and there. The descriptions aren't overly heavy, allowing the plot to move right along, and this is also true of the character depth. This isn't as rich a read as it could have been, but instead, creates an grabbing atmosphere with more tension and apprehension. It does a lovely job at making Ilse's problems and those of others like her clear, and opens up a new awareness of what these women went through.
It's an intriguing read, not only for historical fans. I received a DRC and couldn't easily put it down.
April 14, 2025
With the plethora of historical novels about events in World War II, it was refreshing to read something that hasn't been covered before. Ilse is a 17 year old girl living in Bremen, Germany in 1939. When she finds herself pregnant, unmarried, and that her Jewish lover has fled the Nazis, she flees her home and her abusive father. She lies about the "originator" (father) giving the name of an Aryan soldier killed in the war so she can qualify to enter a Lebensborn house. Here she will be cared for until her baby is born and adopted by a "pure" German family. Things don't go as planned.
This is a subject that I had only peripheral knowledge of, not something usually covered in History class. Lebensborn houses were established to breed the best of the Aryan race -- young girls impregnated by SS officers. Clearly well-researched, the author has brought the story to life with her characters -- Ilse and the other girls and the SS officers they are eventually assigned to. This is a very readable and compelling novel, but definitely one that is difficult to take emotionally. There are MANY difficult scenes of abuse and violence. The sexual situations are "on the page", but not particularly graphic. Sex and procreation and childbirth are definitely a dominant topic. In addition, one of the characters is fixated on German myths, mysticism, and pagan rituals -- an oddly interesting side note to the story.
If you are an historical fiction fan, particularly of WWII fiction, this would be a good choice. I would say that it's not for everyone. There are many disturbing and depressing scenes although (SPOILER) Ilse does finally escape and survive. In addition, some readers may take offense at some detailed information about plants that can be mixed into tinctures and teas that can prevent conception or cause miscarriage.
This is a subject that I had only peripheral knowledge of, not something usually covered in History class. Lebensborn houses were established to breed the best of the Aryan race -- young girls impregnated by SS officers. Clearly well-researched, the author has brought the story to life with her characters -- Ilse and the other girls and the SS officers they are eventually assigned to. This is a very readable and compelling novel, but definitely one that is difficult to take emotionally. There are MANY difficult scenes of abuse and violence. The sexual situations are "on the page", but not particularly graphic. Sex and procreation and childbirth are definitely a dominant topic. In addition, one of the characters is fixated on German myths, mysticism, and pagan rituals -- an oddly interesting side note to the story.
If you are an historical fiction fan, particularly of WWII fiction, this would be a good choice. I would say that it's not for everyone. There are many disturbing and depressing scenes although (SPOILER) Ilse does finally escape and survive. In addition, some readers may take offense at some detailed information about plants that can be mixed into tinctures and teas that can prevent conception or cause miscarriage.
May 14, 2025
To Look Upon the Sun by Shannon St. Hilaire sheds light upon a fascinating aspect of Hitler’s Third Reich, a little known aspect of Germany’s brutal history and certainly a fresh topic of World War II fiction. In Ms. St. Hilaire’s hands it has been capably and admirably portrayed. Thank you to Ms. St. Hilaire, NetGalley, and Wild Sage for providing me a free advanced copy to read prior to publication. My opinions are VOLUNTARY.
The story revolves around one young German woman, Ilse, but through her we learn about the fates of many other young German women. Being raised by a physically abusive father following the death of her mother, Ilse was indoctrinated to believe whatever her father said was true and to obey without any thoughts of her own, which made her particularly ripe to believe the Nazi propaganda fed to her from an early age. She willingly joined the Hitler youth groups and later the Bund Deutscher Mädel (“BDM”) where young women were taught to become good German wives and mothers.
After naively finding herself pregnant and without a husband to rely upon, her BDM leader suggests she join the Lebensborn Society, a Nazi organization dedicated to facilitate German women into birthing pure, healthy Aryan babies. Later she is sent to another Lebensborn facility used as a breeding ground for Nazis to impregnate pure blood German girls. As Ilse learns more about these facilities, about the Nazi’s atrocities, and about herself, she becomes disillusioned with her previous teachings and beliefs and learns to trust her instincts. I found this slow awakening in Ilse to be real and believable, and I felt strongly for her as a person, rooting for her to survive the indignities and horrors to which she constantly was subjected. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more novels by this talented writer.
The story revolves around one young German woman, Ilse, but through her we learn about the fates of many other young German women. Being raised by a physically abusive father following the death of her mother, Ilse was indoctrinated to believe whatever her father said was true and to obey without any thoughts of her own, which made her particularly ripe to believe the Nazi propaganda fed to her from an early age. She willingly joined the Hitler youth groups and later the Bund Deutscher Mädel (“BDM”) where young women were taught to become good German wives and mothers.
After naively finding herself pregnant and without a husband to rely upon, her BDM leader suggests she join the Lebensborn Society, a Nazi organization dedicated to facilitate German women into birthing pure, healthy Aryan babies. Later she is sent to another Lebensborn facility used as a breeding ground for Nazis to impregnate pure blood German girls. As Ilse learns more about these facilities, about the Nazi’s atrocities, and about herself, she becomes disillusioned with her previous teachings and beliefs and learns to trust her instincts. I found this slow awakening in Ilse to be real and believable, and I felt strongly for her as a person, rooting for her to survive the indignities and horrors to which she constantly was subjected. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more novels by this talented writer.
April 6, 2024
To Look Upon the Sun by Shannon St Hilaire is a Holocaust book different than any I’ve read. It focuses in Lebensborn, which was either a home home for the birthing of babies, both from unwed mothers or highly placed Nazi wives, or a brothel for SS, assuring pure Aryan children be born of the women there. It is is story of Ilse, a young German woman who found herself pregnant and then discovered the father was Jewish and had fled. For the next several years she lived in terror that this secret would be discovered. Would the baby look Jewish? What would be punishment be? In due time she fave birth, Otto, and made a deal to work at Lebensborn to stay near him. After about six months, when he was not developing as he should, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and taken to hospital. She was set to be sterilized as she had given birth to a disabled child and could not be allowed to repeat that mistake. Then her life changed on a dime.
This was two years as scary as any concentration camp story I’ve read. Ilse had had a good life until her mother died and her father became abusive. He was furious about the pregnancy and she had to leave, which is how she got sent to Lebensborn. There life was not much better. S he certainly had no freedom. The experiences she had were piercing in their cruelty. She hung in for a long time, but than had to get out. She planned it carefully. She was a clever woman who had manipulated the system as long as she could. It was an amazing story. One worth reading. Thanks Shannon for sharing it.
I was invited to read To Look Upon the Sun by Book Whisperer. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BookWhisperer #ShannonStHilaire #ToLookUponTheSun
This was two years as scary as any concentration camp story I’ve read. Ilse had had a good life until her mother died and her father became abusive. He was furious about the pregnancy and she had to leave, which is how she got sent to Lebensborn. There life was not much better. S he certainly had no freedom. The experiences she had were piercing in their cruelty. She hung in for a long time, but than had to get out. She planned it carefully. She was a clever woman who had manipulated the system as long as she could. It was an amazing story. One worth reading. Thanks Shannon for sharing it.
I was invited to read To Look Upon the Sun by Book Whisperer. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BookWhisperer #ShannonStHilaire #ToLookUponTheSun
June 10, 2024
Imagine you are a young woman in Germany in the late 1930s. You have bought into the propaganda about racial superiority and about the obligation of German women to have multiple children. You find yourself pregnant, which is both exciting and scary. However, when you go to tell your boyfriend about the pregnancy, you discover that he and his family have fled the country. Unbeknownst to you, your boyfriend is Jewish. You have committed a grave crime. Your father finds out that you are pregnant (but not that the father is Jewish) and beats you and kicks you out of the house for disgracing the family by becoming pregnant out of wedlock. You know your job as a housekeeper will not last long once the pregnancy is revealed. To save yourself and your unborn child, you apply to join the Lebensborn, the secretive program to breed SS officers with “pure” German women, claiming that the father is your employer's son, who died in service to the Reich. That is the situation facing Ilse in "To Look Upon the Sun."
Ilse's situation has already caused her to start questioning what she believes, and life in the Lebensborn home makes her doubts increase. However, to secure a future for her son and herself, she has to enmesh herself deeper in the SS, and she has to maintain the facade that she is a believer, which she struggles to do. She will eventually find herself in the role of a cook and will use her knowledge of plants/herbs to keep herself from conceiving, and secretly keep other residents from conceiving. She will also get a firsthand look at how the Reich treats "undesirables." Yet, her small acts of rebellion will rarely be enough to protect those she comes to care about and will cause her lots of problems. She will save herself, but at great cost.
Ilse's situation has already caused her to start questioning what she believes, and life in the Lebensborn home makes her doubts increase. However, to secure a future for her son and herself, she has to enmesh herself deeper in the SS, and she has to maintain the facade that she is a believer, which she struggles to do. She will eventually find herself in the role of a cook and will use her knowledge of plants/herbs to keep herself from conceiving, and secretly keep other residents from conceiving. She will also get a firsthand look at how the Reich treats "undesirables." Yet, her small acts of rebellion will rarely be enough to protect those she comes to care about and will cause her lots of problems. She will save herself, but at great cost.
March 15, 2024
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.
“To Look Upon the Sun” is a pre-WWII (and also during WWII) German historical fiction book by Shannon St. Hilaire. This book starts with 17 year old Ilse being pregnant and discovering that her baby’s father is Jewish - something she wasn’t aware of until she discovers the family has left Germany. Through her membership in a Nazi program, Ilse goes to another Nazi program, the Lebensborn, to have her child. Upon her arrival there, she discovers that all isn’t what she’s been told. She decides to keep her baby (instead of giving it up like she said she would) and is allowed to work at the Lebensborn helping new mothers-to-be and doing housework. Something happens and Ilse is moved to a different Lebensborn, becoming their cook. There’s more to the plot, but I cannot say more without giving away key bits of info. I have to say that at first I thought “oh, wow, another Lebensborn story - read it, know how this goes.” This one didn’t always match up with how I thought it was going to go, so that was a nice plot twist. However, something about Ilse just didn’t work for me - and I cannot put my finger on exactly why that is. I did like a number of the side characters - from her child’s godfather to the female pilot. They had more depth and I could feel sympathy with them (or maybe I just found them more interesting in general). I could tell that a bit of research went into the creation of this book - and the author’s notes confirms that. This was a fine book, thus the four stars, but this book wasn’t a consistent fantastic read for me.
“To Look Upon the Sun” is a pre-WWII (and also during WWII) German historical fiction book by Shannon St. Hilaire. This book starts with 17 year old Ilse being pregnant and discovering that her baby’s father is Jewish - something she wasn’t aware of until she discovers the family has left Germany. Through her membership in a Nazi program, Ilse goes to another Nazi program, the Lebensborn, to have her child. Upon her arrival there, she discovers that all isn’t what she’s been told. She decides to keep her baby (instead of giving it up like she said she would) and is allowed to work at the Lebensborn helping new mothers-to-be and doing housework. Something happens and Ilse is moved to a different Lebensborn, becoming their cook. There’s more to the plot, but I cannot say more without giving away key bits of info. I have to say that at first I thought “oh, wow, another Lebensborn story - read it, know how this goes.” This one didn’t always match up with how I thought it was going to go, so that was a nice plot twist. However, something about Ilse just didn’t work for me - and I cannot put my finger on exactly why that is. I did like a number of the side characters - from her child’s godfather to the female pilot. They had more depth and I could feel sympathy with them (or maybe I just found them more interesting in general). I could tell that a bit of research went into the creation of this book - and the author’s notes confirms that. This was a fine book, thus the four stars, but this book wasn’t a consistent fantastic read for me.
June 15, 2024
A Perilous Secret
Ilse befriends a Jewish boy at school. They fall in love and sneak around to meet each other. This is forbidden because in pre-WWII Germany she was forbidden to talk to Jewish students by her parents. Too late she finds that she is pregnant and unwed. Her boyfriend and his family have gone to America to escape the anti-sigmatism in Germany.
Now she is afraid and doesn’t know what to do. Her girl guide leader tells her about Lebensborn where she can have the baby. She doesn’t realize what she is getting into.
She has led everyone to believe her boyfriend was the son of a neighbor that has been missing overseas in the German Army. She is now afraid because she is about to have a Jewish child and anyone finds out they may both be killed for her deception. She must find a way to survive in the home and keep her secret.
This was the story of a scared young girl that got into a terrible situation because she though she was going to a good place and doing the right thing. What she sees in this place horrifies her and she must find a way to redeem her self-dignity with losing her life in her defiance.
This was a good book about a subject in WWII that I have not read much about. It was interesting to find out one more atrocity committed by the Nazi’s and very sad indeed.
The author redeemed Ilse in the end and she resisted the Germans.
Thanks to Shannon St. Hilaire for writing a story on this sad subject and making it a readable book about a sad subject, to the Book Whisperer for publishing it, and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.
Ilse befriends a Jewish boy at school. They fall in love and sneak around to meet each other. This is forbidden because in pre-WWII Germany she was forbidden to talk to Jewish students by her parents. Too late she finds that she is pregnant and unwed. Her boyfriend and his family have gone to America to escape the anti-sigmatism in Germany.
Now she is afraid and doesn’t know what to do. Her girl guide leader tells her about Lebensborn where she can have the baby. She doesn’t realize what she is getting into.
She has led everyone to believe her boyfriend was the son of a neighbor that has been missing overseas in the German Army. She is now afraid because she is about to have a Jewish child and anyone finds out they may both be killed for her deception. She must find a way to survive in the home and keep her secret.
This was the story of a scared young girl that got into a terrible situation because she though she was going to a good place and doing the right thing. What she sees in this place horrifies her and she must find a way to redeem her self-dignity with losing her life in her defiance.
This was a good book about a subject in WWII that I have not read much about. It was interesting to find out one more atrocity committed by the Nazi’s and very sad indeed.
The author redeemed Ilse in the end and she resisted the Germans.
Thanks to Shannon St. Hilaire for writing a story on this sad subject and making it a readable book about a sad subject, to the Book Whisperer for publishing it, and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.
May 7, 2025
An Exquisite Journey Through the Shadows and Light of WWII — A Must-Read for Historical Fiction Lovers
As an author who also writes historical fiction set during WWII, I approached To Look Upon the Sun with eager curiosity — and was utterly captivated from the first page. Shannon St. Hilaire has crafted a masterwork that transcends the genre, blending rich historical detail with poetic prose and deeply human characters whose stories stay with you long after the final chapter.
This is exactly my kind of book — layered, emotional, and immersive, with a storyline that feels both intensely personal and historically expansive. St. Hilaire writes with the kind of imagination and authenticity that makes the world of WWII come alive in all its complexity: the heartbreak, the courage, the impossible choices, and those rare flickers of hope that burn like candles in the dark.
What struck me most is her ability to create such vividly drawn characters — their inner lives are so real, their motivations so believable, that I often had to remind myself this was fiction. The tension and emotional gravity are palpable, yet never heavy-handed. Every scene is lovingly crafted and purposeful, painting a nuanced portrait of resilience and the quiet, fierce strength of the human spirit.
If you’re drawn to historical fiction that not only informs but inspires — that honors the past while illuminating the present — To Look Upon the Sun is an unforgettable reading experience. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It’s the kind of novel that reminds us why stories matter.
Bravo to Shannon St. Hilaire. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long, long time.
As an author who also writes historical fiction set during WWII, I approached To Look Upon the Sun with eager curiosity — and was utterly captivated from the first page. Shannon St. Hilaire has crafted a masterwork that transcends the genre, blending rich historical detail with poetic prose and deeply human characters whose stories stay with you long after the final chapter.
This is exactly my kind of book — layered, emotional, and immersive, with a storyline that feels both intensely personal and historically expansive. St. Hilaire writes with the kind of imagination and authenticity that makes the world of WWII come alive in all its complexity: the heartbreak, the courage, the impossible choices, and those rare flickers of hope that burn like candles in the dark.
What struck me most is her ability to create such vividly drawn characters — their inner lives are so real, their motivations so believable, that I often had to remind myself this was fiction. The tension and emotional gravity are palpable, yet never heavy-handed. Every scene is lovingly crafted and purposeful, painting a nuanced portrait of resilience and the quiet, fierce strength of the human spirit.
If you’re drawn to historical fiction that not only informs but inspires — that honors the past while illuminating the present — To Look Upon the Sun is an unforgettable reading experience. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It’s the kind of novel that reminds us why stories matter.
Bravo to Shannon St. Hilaire. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long, long time.
November 12, 2024
This is a very interesting book about the Lebensborn program in Germany prior to World War II. The idea of the program was to perpetrate the Ayran race as German girls serviced SS officers with the intent of getting pregnant and bearing a child. Both the girls and the officers had to be able to prove their clean background. Some children were actually legitimate as wives of some officers came to the homes to have their children in safety. They were waited on and cared for while their husbands were out on their jobs and didn't have to worry about them. Most, however, were young girls who had been brought up with the belief that having children was their destiny. Still others were pregnant and had no where else to go. Their children were usually put up for adoption upon birth.
Ilse was seventeen, pregnant, and alone. The father of her child had suddenly fled the country with his family, leaving her behind. Her parents were unaccepting of her pregnancy and kicked her out of the family. She was homeless with nowhere to go. She ended up in the Lebensborn house where she gave the name of the son of the people she had worked for as the father. He had been in the army; but was killed recently. Being a pure German would help her get in. She had to be very careful about her story and hide the fact that her child's father was Jewish. She needs to keep that secret and find a way to have her child and keep him instead of adopting him out. Then she has to find a way out of the gilded cage.
Ilse was seventeen, pregnant, and alone. The father of her child had suddenly fled the country with his family, leaving her behind. Her parents were unaccepting of her pregnancy and kicked her out of the family. She was homeless with nowhere to go. She ended up in the Lebensborn house where she gave the name of the son of the people she had worked for as the father. He had been in the army; but was killed recently. Being a pure German would help her get in. She had to be very careful about her story and hide the fact that her child's father was Jewish. She needs to keep that secret and find a way to have her child and keep him instead of adopting him out. Then she has to find a way out of the gilded cage.
April 5, 2024
Shannon St. Hilaire’s, To Look Upon the Sun captivated me from the first page to the last. Young, pregnant, and alone, Isle must navigate the world of Lebensborn, the German program to propagate a superior race during WWII. Powerful, heartbreaking, and at times challenging to read, I highly recommend this book for its chilling portrayal of what it means to live, sleep with, and become a member of the SS in Germany in the early years of the war. St. Hilaire’s tale is a masterfully written and well-researched piece of storytelling that will keep you riveted to the pages long after midnight. I read. I cried. I empathized. The horrors and fears Isle meandered as she grappled with her pregnancy, the birth of her child, and the horrific aftermath will stay with me for a very long time. Isle had one secret that she somehow managed to keep throughout the story: the baby’s father was Jewish. What sets this novel apart from other WWII stories I have read is the attention to detail and the impact St. Hilaire’s storytelling had in further educating me on Lebensborn. I was transported to the realities of the Third Reich, the philosophies of some in power to propagate a master race while imprisoning others. At the same time, many of the young BDM girls accepted their duty to the Reich to become wives, mistresses, and mothers both inside and outside of marriage. As Isle navigates a maternity house for pregnant women, she learns the truth behind many of the Reich’s pogroms. Driven to ensure she would never fall victim to the pressure to bear a child with an SS officer, Isle goes to great lengths to shield herself from another pregnancy. St Hilaire’s research is so intricately woven inside her tale, and her characters are so rich and believable that I felt as if I was walking the streets of Germany and sharing a room with Isle at the maternity home. The characters sprang off the page as the plot thickened. The story takes us on another adventure as Isle plots to escape the Lebensborn system. This book is a testament to the power of resilience, the survival of many under horrific odds, and the determination of some to avoid the Reich's coerced indoctrination. I couldn’t put it down. Five Stars all around. Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. This review is my opinion and mine alone.
April 10, 2024
This is the story of Ilse, a young, common and socially unimportant German girl whose unfortunate circumstances as unmarried and pregnant lead her to end up in the Lebensborn program of Nazi Germany. It was an extremely bold and dangerous move on her part to save her life and that of her child who has been fathered by a Jew.
I had a slight knowledge of this program which sought to populate Germany with perfect Aryan offspring, but really no idea of its breadth and depth. As German loses started to negatively impact the population as a whole and the availability of males to impregnate females decreased, the program took on more importance in the building of the master race.
The author has provided an expansive look at this and its place in the SS hierarchy both from inside and outside of the subculture.
The novel exceeded my expectations. I expected a tragic story typical of this genre and instead got a well researched and eye opening look at a subject that I had read little about and a history that very much needed telling. The nivel was engrossing, thought provoking and emotionally challenging in many ways beyond the obvious. The writing style was polished and for the most part well paced.
Thank you to the author, the publisher Wild Sage Books, and the Book Whisperer for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.
I had a slight knowledge of this program which sought to populate Germany with perfect Aryan offspring, but really no idea of its breadth and depth. As German loses started to negatively impact the population as a whole and the availability of males to impregnate females decreased, the program took on more importance in the building of the master race.
The author has provided an expansive look at this and its place in the SS hierarchy both from inside and outside of the subculture.
The novel exceeded my expectations. I expected a tragic story typical of this genre and instead got a well researched and eye opening look at a subject that I had read little about and a history that very much needed telling. The nivel was engrossing, thought provoking and emotionally challenging in many ways beyond the obvious. The writing style was polished and for the most part well paced.
Thank you to the author, the publisher Wild Sage Books, and the Book Whisperer for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.
March 18, 2024
St. Hilaire’s debut novel is a stellar read. I was a fan of her novella ‘The Ones Who Stayed’ and ‘To Look Upon The Sun’ does not disappoint… The novel still lives in my head, long after having finished it. This story of the WWII Lebensborn program in Nazi Germany is told with great care and quiet understatement, creating a narrative tone that is spot on. Having German heritage in my own family I shy from historical fiction of this period which can overly dramatize and almost spectacularize the horrors of the time. Far from being ‘unemotional’, St. Hilaire’s stark prose instead underscores the tension and emotions of her characters. Ilse is incredibly well-drawn and I was drawn to her from the start. She does what she must to survive, and the manner in which she suppresses her own emotions to do this comes through the prose incredibly well. St. Hilaire is an excellent writer. I recommend this book to anyone not only interested in the history of Lebensborn, but the history of an era that forced everyday individuals to make impossible choices. It is a world ordinary citizens are living right now across the globe. Read this book. Share it with others. Ponder your place in the world and your own life choices.
April 6, 2024
To Look upon the Sun by Shannon St. Hilaire takes us back to Germany and Hitler. It brings to life the trials faced by the German people during WWII. Hitler was set on building his Aryan race and anyone that did not fit into that category was not worth living. His Lebensborn program was developed for the breeding of an Aryan population and it is this program we learn much about.
Isle is pregnant and unwed. She discovers the truth about the father’s background when she finds out he has escaped out of Germany. That left her in a terrible position. She is forced to enter a home for unwed Aryan mothers. These children will be important to the Reich. Isle keeps the babies father a secret in hopes that none of his genes show through. Eventually they do, but it is attributed to birth problems and she looses him. She is forced to enter the Lebensborn program to save herself.
It is a well told story giving us much information about this program. Many of the situations that arise put us on edge. There is much suspense and you find yourself hoping for a good outcome. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this period of history.
I would like to thank Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced copy.
Isle is pregnant and unwed. She discovers the truth about the father’s background when she finds out he has escaped out of Germany. That left her in a terrible position. She is forced to enter a home for unwed Aryan mothers. These children will be important to the Reich. Isle keeps the babies father a secret in hopes that none of his genes show through. Eventually they do, but it is attributed to birth problems and she looses him. She is forced to enter the Lebensborn program to save herself.
It is a well told story giving us much information about this program. Many of the situations that arise put us on edge. There is much suspense and you find yourself hoping for a good outcome. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this period of history.
I would like to thank Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced copy.
September 19, 2025
The more I read about Lebensborn, the more horrified and fascinated I am and the more I want to read! I have only read two books mentioning it previously and this one was vastly different to those so it was interesting to see a different aspect of the programme - this time from the point of view of a girl (Ilse) who was to be a Lebensborn mother. I was very surprised at how easy it was for her to decide to keep her baby once she had given birth, after she had initially signed papers saying she would give him up for adoption, because in the previous books there was absolutely no chance of that happening! I wonder if that was a difference in the homes themselves, the time frame, the circumstances surrounding the mother… definitely makes me want to read more about this programme to put more pieces together.
It was also very interesting how this story began long before the outbreak of WWII, and seeing how the sinister seeds were being planted in the 30s, and how Ilse was at first appalled when she discovered that her boyfriend Felix had been a jew, as she had been conditioned to think of them a certain way, and how over time she grew to use her own mind about things and realise that not everything she had been taught was so black and white.
It was also very interesting how this story began long before the outbreak of WWII, and seeing how the sinister seeds were being planted in the 30s, and how Ilse was at first appalled when she discovered that her boyfriend Felix had been a jew, as she had been conditioned to think of them a certain way, and how over time she grew to use her own mind about things and realise that not everything she had been taught was so black and white.
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