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The World War Two Orphanage #1
The Orphan List
Munich, 1943. My heart breaks as I watch the smug couple carry the tiny bundle into their sinister black limousine. Carefully I write the baby’s name into my secret notebook. No matter the danger, I will do everything I can to reunite him with his mother…
As the darkest shadows of the war spread, nurse Margarete Weiss is sent away to work in a mother and baby home in a beautiful corner of the German countryside. As she approaches the fairy-tale castle with manicured grounds and fair-haired young women laughing in the sunshine, she imagines she will be helping to create a haven for young German mothers to have their children. But when she discovers what is really going on inside the castle walls, she knows she needs to do whatever she can to put a stop to the horror she witnesses, even if it means risking her own life…
Italy, 2005. 90-year-old Margarete sits in her chair in her care home, her hands trembling as she looks into the face of the young reporter, Kristel, sitting in front of her. Kristel’s bright blue eyes and intelligent smile are so familiar, and as Kristel explains she is here to talk to her about the children taken from their mothers during the war, Margarete knows her faded blue notebook with its list of names might hold the answers that Kristel needs.
But as Margarete shares the names with Kristel, her heart beats fast inside her chest. She knows that sharing the truth about those terrible days is the right thing to do, but it also shines a spotlight on her own painful secrets. The notebook will provide Kristel and Margarete with answers… But at what price? And can the two women help each other find the peace they so badly need?
An absolutely heartbreaking and page-turning WW2 novel of one woman’s courage in a time of unimaginable darkness. Fans of The Alice Network, Before We Were Yours and The Nightingale will get lost in the pages of this incredible story.
As the darkest shadows of the war spread, nurse Margarete Weiss is sent away to work in a mother and baby home in a beautiful corner of the German countryside. As she approaches the fairy-tale castle with manicured grounds and fair-haired young women laughing in the sunshine, she imagines she will be helping to create a haven for young German mothers to have their children. But when she discovers what is really going on inside the castle walls, she knows she needs to do whatever she can to put a stop to the horror she witnesses, even if it means risking her own life…
Italy, 2005. 90-year-old Margarete sits in her chair in her care home, her hands trembling as she looks into the face of the young reporter, Kristel, sitting in front of her. Kristel’s bright blue eyes and intelligent smile are so familiar, and as Kristel explains she is here to talk to her about the children taken from their mothers during the war, Margarete knows her faded blue notebook with its list of names might hold the answers that Kristel needs.
But as Margarete shares the names with Kristel, her heart beats fast inside her chest. She knows that sharing the truth about those terrible days is the right thing to do, but it also shines a spotlight on her own painful secrets. The notebook will provide Kristel and Margarete with answers… But at what price? And can the two women help each other find the peace they so badly need?
An absolutely heartbreaking and page-turning WW2 novel of one woman’s courage in a time of unimaginable darkness. Fans of The Alice Network, Before We Were Yours and The Nightingale will get lost in the pages of this incredible story.
342 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 15, 2024
1302 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
August 16, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of The Orphan List by Ann Bennett. Wow, what a book! I had never heard of the Ledensborn program before reading this book. It broke my heart. What a difficult subject for the author to research and write about. It was very well written. I have never read this author before, but I will look for more of her books. I realize it was historical fiction, but I learned a lot. An excellent read! A 5 star rating from me.
July 19, 2024
This was a gripping historical fiction novel that brought together the experiences of Margarete Weiss, a courageous nurse during World War II, with the modern-day finding out of Kristel, a young reporter.
The novel starts in wartime Munich, when Margarete was sent to what she thought was an idyllic mother and baby home.
Jump to 2005, Margarete is now a frail, 90-year-old woman residing in a care home in Italy.
Her peaceful life is halted by Kristel, a reporter investigating a part of history.
The two timelines were interconnected and well written.
Margarete was so brave and compassion came through her despite the darkness around her. Kristel, was intellectual and determined, representing a new generation seeking truth and justice. Their relationship was one of interviewer and interviewee to a deeper personal connection.
It made me think about the importance of remembering and confronting the past, no matter how painful.
The novel starts in wartime Munich, when Margarete was sent to what she thought was an idyllic mother and baby home.
Jump to 2005, Margarete is now a frail, 90-year-old woman residing in a care home in Italy.
Her peaceful life is halted by Kristel, a reporter investigating a part of history.
The two timelines were interconnected and well written.
Margarete was so brave and compassion came through her despite the darkness around her. Kristel, was intellectual and determined, representing a new generation seeking truth and justice. Their relationship was one of interviewer and interviewee to a deeper personal connection.
It made me think about the importance of remembering and confronting the past, no matter how painful.
February 4, 2025
A beautifully written story about love and loss. Held my attention throughout.
August 7, 2024
I thought I had an understanding of the Lebensborn Program created by Heinrich Himmler. I was so wrong. I had marginalized it. I had no idea the program was in so many places. Ann Bennett has opened my eyes. I am ready to discover more about this atrocious program. I have to thank Ann Bennett for writing such a wonderful story. It was a very emotional read, but worth every tear I shed.
Margarete, a nurse, has been informed she was going to be taking a new job. She didn't really have any choice. The Nazis didn't really ask, but they did influence her decision. She became part of a program where aryan girls would go to deliver their babies. Later Girls from the BDM would go to have sex with SS officers. All of their babies would become property of the Führer. Their babies would go to SS officer's family to be raised properly.
Margarete did not agree with the program but her hands were tied. Protesting, questioning would lead to being send to a concentration camp. The war ended and she was lucky to escape. Years have passed. She has kept a secret for years. She watched a news reporter in Germany discussing the program, questioning what happened to the mothers, to the babies.
Secrets will be revealed. Emotions will be tested. I had to remind myself not to put today's values on the values of the past. I have to admit it was hard. The author had me believing I was there. I opened my heart to some of the characters.
Margarete did what she could, but knew it was not enough. I realized after closing the book that any act, no matter how simple, no matter how small can make a difference.
Margarete, a nurse, has been informed she was going to be taking a new job. She didn't really have any choice. The Nazis didn't really ask, but they did influence her decision. She became part of a program where aryan girls would go to deliver their babies. Later Girls from the BDM would go to have sex with SS officers. All of their babies would become property of the Führer. Their babies would go to SS officer's family to be raised properly.
Margarete did not agree with the program but her hands were tied. Protesting, questioning would lead to being send to a concentration camp. The war ended and she was lucky to escape. Years have passed. She has kept a secret for years. She watched a news reporter in Germany discussing the program, questioning what happened to the mothers, to the babies.
Secrets will be revealed. Emotions will be tested. I had to remind myself not to put today's values on the values of the past. I have to admit it was hard. The author had me believing I was there. I opened my heart to some of the characters.
Margarete did what she could, but knew it was not enough. I realized after closing the book that any act, no matter how simple, no matter how small can make a difference.
August 15, 2024
The Orphan List is an historical fiction story that shares one of the Nazi party's secrets, The Lebensborn Program. After the death of her father, Kristel, a young German TV reporter begins to suspect that her mother may have been a Lebensborn baby. She does a news story on the Lebensborn Homes and some of the people she met who were born in one, then adopted by Nazi Party Members and how they felt. At the end of the program, she asked people to call if they were involved in the program in any way, whether a mother who gave up her child, or one of the adopted children. When she gets a call from 90 year old Margarete, she decides to make the trip to Trento Italy to meet the woman who claims to have worked in a Lebensborn Home, but also that she has a journal containing valuable information. As well as Margarete, we meet Heddy, who was a mother whose child was forcefully taken from her and she never forgot about her. The story is told in two timelines, the past through recollections of both Heddy and Margarete, and the present with Kristel and the search for the truth.
According to Wikipedia, Lebensborn was a secret, SS-initiated, state-registered association in Nazi Germany with the stated goal of increasing the number of children born who met the Nazi standards of "racially pure" and "healthy" Aryans, based on Nazi eugenics. I knew a bit about this program, but not all. The propaganda machine was strong in Germany, and they were able to get young girls to have babies with SS members, then give them up for adoption, but they also convinced pregnant unmarried women to also give up their children for adoption. Although these girls sometimes changed their minds, once they arrived at the Lebensborn Homes, it was a done deal. This was an emotional story, hearing about the various young women and what they went through. It was disturbing to hear about the children that weren't perfect, so were sent to a hospital instead, not even giving the mother's an opportunity to keep them. Margarete's story is one of hope, a woman who tried to do her best for the young women and a doctor who tried to make delivery the best for the mothers and their babies. There is some romance, a lot of evil characters, and in the end, hope and uplifting reunions. This book once again points out that not all Germans that appeared to be working with the Nazis supported what was happening and tried to do their part to help others. It also highlights how powerful the propaganda was that brainwashed so many young people. This is a well written book, that shared the story of another aspect of WW2, that I didn't know a lot about. An excellent read.
According to Wikipedia, Lebensborn was a secret, SS-initiated, state-registered association in Nazi Germany with the stated goal of increasing the number of children born who met the Nazi standards of "racially pure" and "healthy" Aryans, based on Nazi eugenics. I knew a bit about this program, but not all. The propaganda machine was strong in Germany, and they were able to get young girls to have babies with SS members, then give them up for adoption, but they also convinced pregnant unmarried women to also give up their children for adoption. Although these girls sometimes changed their minds, once they arrived at the Lebensborn Homes, it was a done deal. This was an emotional story, hearing about the various young women and what they went through. It was disturbing to hear about the children that weren't perfect, so were sent to a hospital instead, not even giving the mother's an opportunity to keep them. Margarete's story is one of hope, a woman who tried to do her best for the young women and a doctor who tried to make delivery the best for the mothers and their babies. There is some romance, a lot of evil characters, and in the end, hope and uplifting reunions. This book once again points out that not all Germans that appeared to be working with the Nazis supported what was happening and tried to do their part to help others. It also highlights how powerful the propaganda was that brainwashed so many young people. This is a well written book, that shared the story of another aspect of WW2, that I didn't know a lot about. An excellent read.
August 19, 2024
The Orphan List is an interesting and sometimes heartbreaking account of a horrible eugenics program in Nazi Germany during World War II. The story is told in two timelines - going between present day and the war. You hear from three points of view and it definitely had me interested in seeing how the three stories would eventually intersect.
The story though interesting initially started slow for me. However, it did eventually get to a point where I didn't put the book down until it was finished. This is the first book in a series and though this book is a standalone there is still lots left for the author to explore in a sequel.
One of the reasons I love historical fiction is that I love learning about new things. I had never heard of the Lebensborn program and was saddened by what I learned first from reading this story and then by doing some additional research. The author did a good job portraying the horrors of this issue.
Overall, The Orphan List is a well-done historical fiction novel about an awful Nazi program in Germany during WWII. If you are a fan of historical fiction you should definitely add this one to your list.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The story though interesting initially started slow for me. However, it did eventually get to a point where I didn't put the book down until it was finished. This is the first book in a series and though this book is a standalone there is still lots left for the author to explore in a sequel.
One of the reasons I love historical fiction is that I love learning about new things. I had never heard of the Lebensborn program and was saddened by what I learned first from reading this story and then by doing some additional research. The author did a good job portraying the horrors of this issue.
Overall, The Orphan List is a well-done historical fiction novel about an awful Nazi program in Germany during WWII. If you are a fan of historical fiction you should definitely add this one to your list.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 17, 2024
This book came highly recommended by a group of historical fiction readers. I have seen the stuff they read and wow, what a collection of brilliant books. So when they talked about this one, I just had to pick it up.
The protagonist is Margarete Weiss, a German nurse who is now in her 90’s and living in a care facility in Italy. One day she watches a television program by Kristel about the Lebensborn program that was part of the whole Nazi goal of increasing the number of true Aryan babies in Germany.
Kristel is quite sure that her mother was one of the babies of this program and is pursuing the story in the hopes of finding some answers for herself and countless others.
Margarate was forced to participate in this program by being a nurse at one of the centres and there she took many risks to try and make up for the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis.
Now she finally has a chance to share her story, through Kristel. What follows is an unveiling of the heartache that so many young mothers had to go through and the guilt that eats away at good people for the roles they were forced to play.
It’s a well written and well paced book and will be an eye opener for those who didn’t know about these kind of things happening. I knew about this program from other books, but still found this very engaging.
The protagonist is Margarete Weiss, a German nurse who is now in her 90’s and living in a care facility in Italy. One day she watches a television program by Kristel about the Lebensborn program that was part of the whole Nazi goal of increasing the number of true Aryan babies in Germany.
Kristel is quite sure that her mother was one of the babies of this program and is pursuing the story in the hopes of finding some answers for herself and countless others.
Margarate was forced to participate in this program by being a nurse at one of the centres and there she took many risks to try and make up for the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis.
Now she finally has a chance to share her story, through Kristel. What follows is an unveiling of the heartache that so many young mothers had to go through and the guilt that eats away at good people for the roles they were forced to play.
It’s a well written and well paced book and will be an eye opener for those who didn’t know about these kind of things happening. I knew about this program from other books, but still found this very engaging.
August 25, 2024
Omg this book was so well written . It broke my heart, i know it is fiction, but we also know that the lebensborn program was real. So it coupd have happened. The young girls, brainwashed and used as Machines for the third reich. It broke my heart. I really loved the Main characters, for their resilience, hope , love and strength. A must read book. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion
November 29, 2024
This is a dual timeline story set during WWII in Germany and 2005 in Italy. Marguerite Weiss is in a care home in Italy when she sees a German program about the Lebensborn program, during WWII Germany. She reaches out to Kristel who has been investigating the program to educate others about it. She has a book she’s been keeping with information about the program since WWII.
The author did a great job of telling a compelling story, as well as teaching us about a painful part of Germany’s past. I learned more about the Lebensborn program after reading this book. It also reiterates the brainwashing that occurred with the youth that was raised with this ideology. It was also a good reminder that not all Germans supported what was happening, but it was dangerous to speak out for them. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author/
Thanks to @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author of this ARC
The author did a great job of telling a compelling story, as well as teaching us about a painful part of Germany’s past. I learned more about the Lebensborn program after reading this book. It also reiterates the brainwashing that occurred with the youth that was raised with this ideology. It was also a good reminder that not all Germans supported what was happening, but it was dangerous to speak out for them. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author/
Thanks to @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author of this ARC
August 18, 2024
Oh my, what an astonishing story. I've read a few books about the Lebensborn programme, so the idea of it wasn't new to me. But that doesn't make it any less heartbreaking to read about.
I don't know how much of this story is true or if any of the characters were real people. Obviously Lebensborn was a real programme, young girls really were picked to have babies for the Fatherland. But I'm not sure if there really were nurses and doctors working against the Nazi machine to prevent it.
I suspect the characters are totally fictional, but I like to think that someone with Margarete's bravery really did exist. The book also shows how ordinary people were made to do awful things by the Nazi regime, how far would we go to protect our families? I hope we never have to find out.
I'm a massive fan of this genre of fiction, and have read more books than I care to think set around this time. There's always an element of romance that can, at times, detract from the heartbreaking story at the heart of it. But this is one of the best I have read. Ann had managed to weave a fantastic story that I just could not stop reading. I'm desperate for part 2.
I don't know how much of this story is true or if any of the characters were real people. Obviously Lebensborn was a real programme, young girls really were picked to have babies for the Fatherland. But I'm not sure if there really were nurses and doctors working against the Nazi machine to prevent it.
I suspect the characters are totally fictional, but I like to think that someone with Margarete's bravery really did exist. The book also shows how ordinary people were made to do awful things by the Nazi regime, how far would we go to protect our families? I hope we never have to find out.
I'm a massive fan of this genre of fiction, and have read more books than I care to think set around this time. There's always an element of romance that can, at times, detract from the heartbreaking story at the heart of it. But this is one of the best I have read. Ann had managed to weave a fantastic story that I just could not stop reading. I'm desperate for part 2.
August 18, 2024
This book gripped me from the very first page right up to the very last page. I had only recently heard of the lebensborne programme and that is such a scary thing to think about. How sad it is for those people who gave birth and the children they never got to know. I think the even scarier part is young women were all for this and were willing to get pregnant by some stranger that was an officer of the Reich willingly.
This book was so interesting to think about Margarete and her bravery while being forced to work at this particular facility/castle and the father of her baby being a doctor forced also to work at this place. The work they did was admirable to say the least.
I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this advanced reader copy. I highly recommend this book! And these are my honest opinions of the book.
This book was so interesting to think about Margarete and her bravery while being forced to work at this particular facility/castle and the father of her baby being a doctor forced also to work at this place. The work they did was admirable to say the least.
I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this advanced reader copy. I highly recommend this book! And these are my honest opinions of the book.
August 7, 2024
What a totally captivating, emotional and brilliant read!
The authors ability to write about this horrific and emotional time in our history was eye opening and heartbreaking.
The story is told in two timelines….present and past.
To put in words what this book put me through…..so many emotions!
I have to say, The Orphan List is one of the best books I have ever read about the atrocities of the Lebensborn program.
I can’t recommend this book enough for any readers of historical fiction. As heartbreaking and painful it is to read about this time, it is important we never forget.
I am hoping there will be a book 2 to continue on with the story?
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
The authors ability to write about this horrific and emotional time in our history was eye opening and heartbreaking.
The story is told in two timelines….present and past.
To put in words what this book put me through…..so many emotions!
I have to say, The Orphan List is one of the best books I have ever read about the atrocities of the Lebensborn program.
I can’t recommend this book enough for any readers of historical fiction. As heartbreaking and painful it is to read about this time, it is important we never forget.
I am hoping there will be a book 2 to continue on with the story?
Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
August 17, 2024
This was on emotional book. I’ve read a few books about the Lebensborn program in the last couple of years. Most have been from the perspective of the women who were forced to have their babies there, or from the present tense of people looking for information. This book has a bit of all of it, but the part I enjoyed the most was Maragarete’s perspective. Reading from a nurse’s perspective, especially one who didn’t support the Nazi ideations, was a great POV. I can only imagine how many women were in Margarete’s shoes in Germany. The things the Nazis expected them to do, and the trauma that so many young women were forced to endure ‘in the name of the Reich’ is always hard to read.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC of this book.
August 17, 2024
Be prepared to shed some tears when reading this one. This is the story of a group of women and how the horrific Lebensborn Program run by the SS in Germany during WW2 impacted them. Decades later a reporter investigates the program in a bid to bring the horror to life and help the survivors as best she can. Within the book, there were two timelines, but they connected well and flowed smoothly. The subject matter is difficult to write about and be able to incorporate historical facts without it becoming textbook. However, the author does a superb job and has created a compelling, gritty and emotional story.
August 18, 2024
I ate the pages up as I eagerly read about Margarethe’s story.
I knew Kristel’s past would be intertwined somehow in the story as well.
I’ve long known about the repugnant Lebensborn program since the 1990s and more historical fiction seems to be catching on about it.
Bennett treats the entire subject with much compassion but it made my skin crawl to read about the breeding coupling and the brainwashed participants.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.
I knew Kristel’s past would be intertwined somehow in the story as well.
I’ve long known about the repugnant Lebensborn program since the 1990s and more historical fiction seems to be catching on about it.
Bennett treats the entire subject with much compassion but it made my skin crawl to read about the breeding coupling and the brainwashed participants.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.
January 1, 2025
Heartbreaking, disturbing, and shocking on the events that the book talked about. However, despite all the horrific events that happened, this book also gave a powerful glimpse of the impact that acts of bravery and courage of people can have.
10/10 would recommend if you like history.
10/10 would recommend if you like history.
November 1, 2025
I’m my parents lived through WWII as children and teen agers so these stories always fascinate me. This had a theme I’d never learned about regarding promoting a d ‘growing’ the Aryan race. Wow.. this story exposes sad and horrific acts that occurred during WWII to cleanse the German population. Sadly I’m not sure there isn’t still some form of this happening today… a solid story line with revealing historical brain washing. I rated it a 5 because the creative way this terrible past was woven with relatable and loveable characters was impressive to say the least!
August 6, 2024
I've read many books about the Holocaust but none about this awful scheme in so much detail. So much cruelty which was captured so well in the story, and to think that it's based on fact. Just shocking. I guessed there was some sort of connection with Kristel but was still quite surprised at what it was.
August 19, 2024
I loved this book and can’t wait to read book number two
August 7, 2024
Very well done. I loved the stories of the mothers, the nurses, and the story of the reporter doing the research to reunite them. A little mystery, some character development, a little romance, and plenty of Nazi atrocities. A little bit of everything in this read!
August 16, 2024
I love reading historical fiction that teaches me something new, and this book accomplished just that. Going into the book, I'd never heard of the Lebensborn program in Nazi Germany during WWII. It was interesting to read the book and then do my own research and read more about it. This book definitely brought out all of the emotions, and it was a powerful read.
November 18, 2024
In Munich, 1943, Margarete Weiss is sent to a castle to look after pregnant women, waiting to give birth, and then hand their babies over for the Lebensborn program.
These women were thoroughly vetted to make sure that they were Aryan, and all members of their families were too.
Margarete does all she can to ensure that she has a trail of all the babies and the mother’s with the hope of reuniting them one day.
Fast forward to 2005, and Kristel works for a TV company, and she’s interviewing people about the Lebensborn babies. When Margarete sees the programme, she decides to talk to Kristel about what she knows.
This is a haunting story, and at times I found it quite emotional.
I knew a little about the Lebensborn babies, but not a lot. This is a book of fiction but based on fact, and I learned a lot from it.
A story of fear and bravery.
These women were thoroughly vetted to make sure that they were Aryan, and all members of their families were too.
Margarete does all she can to ensure that she has a trail of all the babies and the mother’s with the hope of reuniting them one day.
Fast forward to 2005, and Kristel works for a TV company, and she’s interviewing people about the Lebensborn babies. When Margarete sees the programme, she decides to talk to Kristel about what she knows.
This is a haunting story, and at times I found it quite emotional.
I knew a little about the Lebensborn babies, but not a lot. This is a book of fiction but based on fact, and I learned a lot from it.
A story of fear and bravery.
August 3, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and bookouture for this Arc! Disturbing story of the people affected by the Lebensborn program during WWII. Heart-wrenching tales of mothers and infants. Follows a nurse and a reporter’s winding stories and how they are entwined.
Moving story that keeps your interest through the entire book. The characters so real I wanted to reach out and hug them. And the ending….
I strongly suggest this book. As painful as it was to read I am so glad I did.
Moving story that keeps your interest through the entire book. The characters so real I wanted to reach out and hug them. And the ending….
I strongly suggest this book. As painful as it was to read I am so glad I did.
August 18, 2024
The Orphan List is the first in a new series from Ann Bennett which shines a light on the Lebensborn programme run by the Germans during World War Two. I had vaguely heard of this subject matter prior to reading this book but I didn’t know specific details so this proved to be an enlightening read. But Anne has provided the reader with a fascinating account into a terrible, shameful and inhumane policy inflicted upon so many women. I’m always blown away that so many years later there are still so many facets to World War Two that can be written about and as a reader I am continuously learning about new aspects of the war. The story is told from three points of view and moved back and forth between the past and the present. This method of telling the story worked very well and the movement between the timelines was smooth and effortless. The book opens with a very brief prologue where Hedda is travelling to Fussen in Bavaria to meet Sebastien. She has found herself in a situation and hopes that he will care for her. But little does she know what is around the corner and her trust might very well be misplaced.
The story then moves to Trento in Italy. It’s 2005 and Margarete is 90 and has spent several years in a care home. She promised herself that she would never go back to Germany where she was born and to all intents and purposes her carers believe that she is Italian. Margarete harbours many memories and secrets and now that she is old and feeble and her health is failing she wants to tell her story but she fears that she will die alone and unfulfilled. When she sees a news report from Germany by journalist Kristel her interest is piqued and the past comes rushing back to meet her. Now is the time she knows that she must share the burden which has weighed on her for so long. Contact is made with Kristel and soon she arrives at the care home where Margarete is ready and willing to share her haunting, traumatic and heart-breaking story.
Kristel has a vested interest in researching more about the Lebensborn programme. It is personal to her and the reasons for this become clearer the further we delve into the story. I had my suspicions right from the start regarding this aspect of the story and I was quite smug that I had worked things out so early on. I thought this is too predictable. I know where things are going to go regarding Kristel but I was delighted to be proven wrong and to be honest I should have known I was getting my timelines wrong. Kristel is an interesting enough character but not one who I was always eager to get back to in order to learn more about her. I felt she served her purpose well as the conduit to connect the past and the present but beyond that it as Margarete that I was deeply invested in as I keen to know more about what she did during the war. The romance aspect to Kristel’s storyline I could have done without. It just seemed too implausible and occurred far too quickly but feeling this way didn’t attract from my overall enjoyment and understanding of the story for it played only a very minor role.
Hedda is the third woman which the book focuses on. We get brief chapters every now and again from her viewpoint in the present day. She slowly reveals her story and how it connects to the overall picture. She is still suffering from her experiences during the war. Living alone in an apartment block in Munich she is miserable and depressed and the scars of the past are very much evident. She is but one example of the Lebensborn programme and how this systematic programme of eugenics destroyed so many people’s lives and tore women from their children. Hedda too sees Kristel’s report but has she the inner strength to share her story and if she does so will it allow for healing, forgiveness and acceptance or has too much water passed under the bridge?
Margarete is the stand out character from the book. She is the glue that holds all the pieces together. She holds true to her morals and convictions in the face of such a deplorable programme and she did this all to keep her family safe as they did not align with the Nazi’s way of thinking. Margarete works at a children’s hospital in Berlin as a nursery nurse. She is talented and dedicated to her job. So much so that she catches the eye of Nazi officials and before she knows it and with no other choice given her family’s stance on the Nazi’s rise to power and their actions she finds herself sent to Bavaria to work in a programme created by Himmler. She will work under a Doctor Finkel and time and time again her integrity will be tested but I loved how she always remained true to herself and what she believed in and what she knew to be right and just. At all times Margarete retained her humanity and did everything in a fair manner. She knew if a day of reckoning came then she could clearly face her conscience. I felt sorry for her that she was forced to leave the security of her job and the comfort of her family and be put in a situation where she didn’t agree with what was going on. Knowing that time and time again she was engaging in something that was wrongful, underhand and unforgivable I questioned how could she engage with it and live with herself but she had her family at the heart and centre of everything that she did and that deserved nothing but admiration.
So what exactly was the Lebensborn programme? It was a system where unmarried mothers were encouraged to keep their babies in order to increase the stock of Ayran children in the Fatherland. Women were sent to the castle in Bavaria (there were other homes dotted around Germany at the time also) where their ancestry and that of the father of their child were checked. If the requirements were met women would remain at the home until they had their babies upon which they would relinquish all parental rights and the babies were then in turn adopted by members of the SS or well to do Germans who were unable to have their own children. It was evident that the author had done lots of research into this topic and it was a real eye opener for me. I don’t know how the women could do what they did but then you have to take a step back and be subjective and look at the overall situation that they were in.
Another aspect of the programme involving women and men being accommodated at the home for a short time was actually stomach churning. The women seemed to be brainwashed into certain actions and it showed how under the Nazi’s thumb they were. Margarete knows she can’t stand by and do nothing and it was interesting to delve deeper into story to learn and understand the remarkable actions that she under took. She knew she one woman alone couldn’t stop the onslaught of such a forceful and powerful programme but through the actions that are described and the courage she possess she does her small bit that will one day go on to hopefully have positive consequences.
There is a romance aspect to the story for Margarete and I felt it worked much better than that of Kristel’s. It felt genuine and that Margarete deserved happiness and through working with this person she was doing her utmost best and could stand over every action no matter what danger it placed her in. There is one major question that went unanswered at the end of the book and yes I was frustrated because of this but it only means I am desperate for book two in the hopes that it will continue on even though some aspects have been already been resolved. There is also one other character where I felt oh we don’t know specifics about them so maybe there could be more to come about them in the future. The Orphan List was an informative, heart-breaking, well plotted and well developed book which shows that resistance no matter how big or small will always make a difference.
The story then moves to Trento in Italy. It’s 2005 and Margarete is 90 and has spent several years in a care home. She promised herself that she would never go back to Germany where she was born and to all intents and purposes her carers believe that she is Italian. Margarete harbours many memories and secrets and now that she is old and feeble and her health is failing she wants to tell her story but she fears that she will die alone and unfulfilled. When she sees a news report from Germany by journalist Kristel her interest is piqued and the past comes rushing back to meet her. Now is the time she knows that she must share the burden which has weighed on her for so long. Contact is made with Kristel and soon she arrives at the care home where Margarete is ready and willing to share her haunting, traumatic and heart-breaking story.
Kristel has a vested interest in researching more about the Lebensborn programme. It is personal to her and the reasons for this become clearer the further we delve into the story. I had my suspicions right from the start regarding this aspect of the story and I was quite smug that I had worked things out so early on. I thought this is too predictable. I know where things are going to go regarding Kristel but I was delighted to be proven wrong and to be honest I should have known I was getting my timelines wrong. Kristel is an interesting enough character but not one who I was always eager to get back to in order to learn more about her. I felt she served her purpose well as the conduit to connect the past and the present but beyond that it as Margarete that I was deeply invested in as I keen to know more about what she did during the war. The romance aspect to Kristel’s storyline I could have done without. It just seemed too implausible and occurred far too quickly but feeling this way didn’t attract from my overall enjoyment and understanding of the story for it played only a very minor role.
Hedda is the third woman which the book focuses on. We get brief chapters every now and again from her viewpoint in the present day. She slowly reveals her story and how it connects to the overall picture. She is still suffering from her experiences during the war. Living alone in an apartment block in Munich she is miserable and depressed and the scars of the past are very much evident. She is but one example of the Lebensborn programme and how this systematic programme of eugenics destroyed so many people’s lives and tore women from their children. Hedda too sees Kristel’s report but has she the inner strength to share her story and if she does so will it allow for healing, forgiveness and acceptance or has too much water passed under the bridge?
Margarete is the stand out character from the book. She is the glue that holds all the pieces together. She holds true to her morals and convictions in the face of such a deplorable programme and she did this all to keep her family safe as they did not align with the Nazi’s way of thinking. Margarete works at a children’s hospital in Berlin as a nursery nurse. She is talented and dedicated to her job. So much so that she catches the eye of Nazi officials and before she knows it and with no other choice given her family’s stance on the Nazi’s rise to power and their actions she finds herself sent to Bavaria to work in a programme created by Himmler. She will work under a Doctor Finkel and time and time again her integrity will be tested but I loved how she always remained true to herself and what she believed in and what she knew to be right and just. At all times Margarete retained her humanity and did everything in a fair manner. She knew if a day of reckoning came then she could clearly face her conscience. I felt sorry for her that she was forced to leave the security of her job and the comfort of her family and be put in a situation where she didn’t agree with what was going on. Knowing that time and time again she was engaging in something that was wrongful, underhand and unforgivable I questioned how could she engage with it and live with herself but she had her family at the heart and centre of everything that she did and that deserved nothing but admiration.
So what exactly was the Lebensborn programme? It was a system where unmarried mothers were encouraged to keep their babies in order to increase the stock of Ayran children in the Fatherland. Women were sent to the castle in Bavaria (there were other homes dotted around Germany at the time also) where their ancestry and that of the father of their child were checked. If the requirements were met women would remain at the home until they had their babies upon which they would relinquish all parental rights and the babies were then in turn adopted by members of the SS or well to do Germans who were unable to have their own children. It was evident that the author had done lots of research into this topic and it was a real eye opener for me. I don’t know how the women could do what they did but then you have to take a step back and be subjective and look at the overall situation that they were in.
Another aspect of the programme involving women and men being accommodated at the home for a short time was actually stomach churning. The women seemed to be brainwashed into certain actions and it showed how under the Nazi’s thumb they were. Margarete knows she can’t stand by and do nothing and it was interesting to delve deeper into story to learn and understand the remarkable actions that she under took. She knew she one woman alone couldn’t stop the onslaught of such a forceful and powerful programme but through the actions that are described and the courage she possess she does her small bit that will one day go on to hopefully have positive consequences.
There is a romance aspect to the story for Margarete and I felt it worked much better than that of Kristel’s. It felt genuine and that Margarete deserved happiness and through working with this person she was doing her utmost best and could stand over every action no matter what danger it placed her in. There is one major question that went unanswered at the end of the book and yes I was frustrated because of this but it only means I am desperate for book two in the hopes that it will continue on even though some aspects have been already been resolved. There is also one other character where I felt oh we don’t know specifics about them so maybe there could be more to come about them in the future. The Orphan List was an informative, heart-breaking, well plotted and well developed book which shows that resistance no matter how big or small will always make a difference.
September 10, 2024
Having been adopted during the “baby scoop era” here in the United States, The Orphan List was a revelation for me. It seems that much of the policy that forced the separation of young, unwed mothers from their babies during the post-war years had its roots in Nazi eugenics and the desire to save the babies of “the master race.” The book focuses on the Lebensborn program, which sought to stop women from terminating their pregnancies if their racial background was Aryan, and give their babies to “proper” German families to raise. Even though this is a work of historical fiction, the parallels to the “baby scoop era” were shocking to me.
In 2005, Margarete Weiss was sitting in an Italian care home when she saw a broadcast from Germany about a young reporter who was researching the Lebensborn program. This brings back memories for Margarete, who was a nurse at one of those homes in Germany. She has one of her carers contact the station so she can finally tell her story. Kristel is the young reporter who has been working on the story. After visiting the town her estranged mother grew up in, she thinks it’s possible that her mother came through the Lebensborn program. It’s personal for her, but it’s also a human-interest story from World War II that she would like to bring to light.
Many horrors are revealed as Margarete tells the story of how she came to be involved in the Lebensborn program. Not only was the Lebensborn Home a place for unwed mothers to have their babies, but it also sought to deliver Aryan babies for the Fuhrer to help populate Germany with the “right” kind of children. Young girls would be indoctrinated before being recruited as volunteers to get pregnant by SS members and then sign the babies over to the State. Those babies would then be given to “proper” German families to raise as well.
Hedda is a young woman at the start of the war. She lives with her parents and sister and attends university. A young man named Sebastian catches her eye. He is kind, walking her home every night from the trolley, and her family likes him. When her family is killed in an air raid, Hedda goes to live with her aunt and uncle, who are anything but loving. Sebastian manages to get to see her. Once he is off fighting with the Wehrmacht, Hedda learns she is pregnant. Sebastian’s answer to the problem is to send her to the Lebensborn program. Hedda does not want to give up her child, but she has no choice once she has entered the program.
To read my full review, please go to The Orphan List by Ann Bennett – Reflections on Nazi Eugenics and Trauma in Adoption
In 2005, Margarete Weiss was sitting in an Italian care home when she saw a broadcast from Germany about a young reporter who was researching the Lebensborn program. This brings back memories for Margarete, who was a nurse at one of those homes in Germany. She has one of her carers contact the station so she can finally tell her story. Kristel is the young reporter who has been working on the story. After visiting the town her estranged mother grew up in, she thinks it’s possible that her mother came through the Lebensborn program. It’s personal for her, but it’s also a human-interest story from World War II that she would like to bring to light.
Many horrors are revealed as Margarete tells the story of how she came to be involved in the Lebensborn program. Not only was the Lebensborn Home a place for unwed mothers to have their babies, but it also sought to deliver Aryan babies for the Fuhrer to help populate Germany with the “right” kind of children. Young girls would be indoctrinated before being recruited as volunteers to get pregnant by SS members and then sign the babies over to the State. Those babies would then be given to “proper” German families to raise as well.
Hedda is a young woman at the start of the war. She lives with her parents and sister and attends university. A young man named Sebastian catches her eye. He is kind, walking her home every night from the trolley, and her family likes him. When her family is killed in an air raid, Hedda goes to live with her aunt and uncle, who are anything but loving. Sebastian manages to get to see her. Once he is off fighting with the Wehrmacht, Hedda learns she is pregnant. Sebastian’s answer to the problem is to send her to the Lebensborn program. Hedda does not want to give up her child, but she has no choice once she has entered the program.
To read my full review, please go to The Orphan List by Ann Bennett – Reflections on Nazi Eugenics and Trauma in Adoption
October 1, 2024
The Orphan List by Ann Bennett is a powerful and heart-wrenching dual timeline novel that totally consumed me. It is the first book in The World War II Orphanage series which promises to be fabulous.
The novel is set in Italy in 2005 and in Germany during World War II. An old lady of ninety in 2005 bridges the gap between the two time periods as she was a young nurse during the second world war. We witness the Nazis rise to power. We see the indoctrination of the German people. To speak out was to sign your own death certificate – but there were those brave souls who did what they could to help, and who felt guilty if they failed. This guilt would last a lifetime. “Praying for some way to heal the past.”
Lebensborn was the brainchild of Heinrich Himmler. It was designed to re-populate Germany via SS officers and young German women, but the baby, if perfect, would be whisked away from the mother and adopted by ‘good’ SS families. Those babies who were less than perfect met a dreadful fate. The girls were told, “It’s an honor to be chosen. To do your duty for the Fatherland and for the Fuhrer.” Many totally believed this lie. It was an evil practice with many doctors believing, “the ovaries of fertile Aryan women are so precious, they should be the property of the state.” How ridiculous!
Large dwellings to accommodate the Lebensborn program were all over Germany and beyond. The staff were Nazis. Those who tried to beat the system were closely watched.
For some of the babies, who grew up knowing they were adopted into an SS family, their whole lives were blighted as they truly believed that they carried evil genes. They denied themselves every chance of happiness. “A child brought up in ignorance of the truth, searching desperately for some understanding of the past by uncovering their own personal history.”
The hands of the Lebensborn program stretched way into the future and beyond 1945.
The two time periods alternate, as do the voices telling this powerful tale. The reader marvels at the bravery of the few and is horrified at the cruelty of the masses.
All the characters were well drawn eliciting a variety of emotional responses.
The Orphan List is a tale that needs telling. We need to know about the Lebensborn program and all the innocents who were affected. This is a powerful tale.
The novel is set in Italy in 2005 and in Germany during World War II. An old lady of ninety in 2005 bridges the gap between the two time periods as she was a young nurse during the second world war. We witness the Nazis rise to power. We see the indoctrination of the German people. To speak out was to sign your own death certificate – but there were those brave souls who did what they could to help, and who felt guilty if they failed. This guilt would last a lifetime. “Praying for some way to heal the past.”
Lebensborn was the brainchild of Heinrich Himmler. It was designed to re-populate Germany via SS officers and young German women, but the baby, if perfect, would be whisked away from the mother and adopted by ‘good’ SS families. Those babies who were less than perfect met a dreadful fate. The girls were told, “It’s an honor to be chosen. To do your duty for the Fatherland and for the Fuhrer.” Many totally believed this lie. It was an evil practice with many doctors believing, “the ovaries of fertile Aryan women are so precious, they should be the property of the state.” How ridiculous!
Large dwellings to accommodate the Lebensborn program were all over Germany and beyond. The staff were Nazis. Those who tried to beat the system were closely watched.
For some of the babies, who grew up knowing they were adopted into an SS family, their whole lives were blighted as they truly believed that they carried evil genes. They denied themselves every chance of happiness. “A child brought up in ignorance of the truth, searching desperately for some understanding of the past by uncovering their own personal history.”
The hands of the Lebensborn program stretched way into the future and beyond 1945.
The two time periods alternate, as do the voices telling this powerful tale. The reader marvels at the bravery of the few and is horrified at the cruelty of the masses.
All the characters were well drawn eliciting a variety of emotional responses.
The Orphan List is a tale that needs telling. We need to know about the Lebensborn program and all the innocents who were affected. This is a powerful tale.
July 21, 2024
This WWII novel will leave you sobbing like a baby. The Orphan List follows Hedda, Kristen, and Margarete, three women united across time by the German Lebensborn program. Created by Himmler, the Lebensborn program started as a way for unwed Aryan mothers to have their babies instead of terminating the pregnancy. SS officers and their wives then adopted the babies. Over the course of the war, though, the Lebesnbron program took on a more sinister role.
In 2005, Kristel is a news reporter in Munich, informing the world about the horrors of the Lebensborn program—a program that she believes her mother was born into. When she gets a call from a senior care center in Italy claiming that a resident there has information on the program, she travels to meet Margarete.
Margarete was a German nurse forced to work at one of the Lebebsborne delivery homes. While she is against the Nazi party, she is forced to co-collaborate with them to keep her own family safe. Secretly, though, she keeps a list of every baby taken from their mother and the names of the German families who adopted them. Her own act of rebellion could now help reunite mothers and children years later, but her story is now without its own heartache and horror.
Hedda lost her family in an air raid and fell in love with Sebastian when he was there to care for her afterward. Now, alone and pregnant, Sebastian arranges for her to go to the same Lebesnborne program Margarete works at. Margarete promises to help Hedda keep her baby, but can they outmaneuver the Nazi doctors and nurses and save baby Evalina?
This book brings light to the atrocities of the Lebesnborn program and the Aktion T4 program created by the Nazis. This novel made me angry, sad, and full of hope as I read the story of these three brave women. While it is a work of fiction, I learned a lot about the Lebesnborn program. This novel is perfect for individuals who want to know more about history and love historical fiction. I promise it will pull at your heartstrings and leave you wanting more! One central question was left unanswered at the end of the book, and I hope it will be revealed in book 2!!!!
Disclaimer: While I received an advanced reader copy of this novel, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
In 2005, Kristel is a news reporter in Munich, informing the world about the horrors of the Lebensborn program—a program that she believes her mother was born into. When she gets a call from a senior care center in Italy claiming that a resident there has information on the program, she travels to meet Margarete.
Margarete was a German nurse forced to work at one of the Lebebsborne delivery homes. While she is against the Nazi party, she is forced to co-collaborate with them to keep her own family safe. Secretly, though, she keeps a list of every baby taken from their mother and the names of the German families who adopted them. Her own act of rebellion could now help reunite mothers and children years later, but her story is now without its own heartache and horror.
Hedda lost her family in an air raid and fell in love with Sebastian when he was there to care for her afterward. Now, alone and pregnant, Sebastian arranges for her to go to the same Lebesnborne program Margarete works at. Margarete promises to help Hedda keep her baby, but can they outmaneuver the Nazi doctors and nurses and save baby Evalina?
This book brings light to the atrocities of the Lebesnborn program and the Aktion T4 program created by the Nazis. This novel made me angry, sad, and full of hope as I read the story of these three brave women. While it is a work of fiction, I learned a lot about the Lebesnborn program. This novel is perfect for individuals who want to know more about history and love historical fiction. I promise it will pull at your heartstrings and leave you wanting more! One central question was left unanswered at the end of the book, and I hope it will be revealed in book 2!!!!
Disclaimer: While I received an advanced reader copy of this novel, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 15, 2024
Margarete’s Story
A story of courage, heartbreak and tragedy during WWII. This is the story of a young German girl whom was working in the newborn section of the hospital. As the Nazi’s came to power her family disagrees with their policies and new rules, especially those pertaining to their Jewish population.
When the Nazis take over the hospital the nurses are all told they must sign alliance with them, when she asks what happens if they refuse her family is threatened, so she signs.
A short time later she is told she is being sent on a new job. Margarete is being told it is a place where they help unwed mothers until their child is born. After arriving at the facility, she soon learns it is a horrible place and terrible things happen there. She knows that she must do something to help those helpless mothers. It is a cruel and hopeless place. She manages with the help of a new young doctor Muller to help a little bit and they do what they can. She develops a notebook of the names of the mothers and where their babies are sent in secret.
Years later a young reporter visits her when she is 90 years old in a care facility. Slowly and hesitantly, she relives those years and her story comes out. She shares her notebook with Kristel and this leads to a very special relationship between her and the young reporter.
In her story is the stories of some of the young women she tried to help after they found themselves at the mercy of the Nazi’s in an unescapable facility where horrors took place.
It was an excellent book and I think that Margarete, the main character and her friend Dr. Muller were very courageous and compassionate characters.
I would recommend this book it brings to light yet more Nazi programs which never should have happened and never should happen again. This is the story of the Lebensborn Program the Nazi’s launched to restore their master Aryan race.
I received a copy of this book to read for free. My review is written voluntarily and in my own words.
A story of courage, heartbreak and tragedy during WWII. This is the story of a young German girl whom was working in the newborn section of the hospital. As the Nazi’s came to power her family disagrees with their policies and new rules, especially those pertaining to their Jewish population.
When the Nazis take over the hospital the nurses are all told they must sign alliance with them, when she asks what happens if they refuse her family is threatened, so she signs.
A short time later she is told she is being sent on a new job. Margarete is being told it is a place where they help unwed mothers until their child is born. After arriving at the facility, she soon learns it is a horrible place and terrible things happen there. She knows that she must do something to help those helpless mothers. It is a cruel and hopeless place. She manages with the help of a new young doctor Muller to help a little bit and they do what they can. She develops a notebook of the names of the mothers and where their babies are sent in secret.
Years later a young reporter visits her when she is 90 years old in a care facility. Slowly and hesitantly, she relives those years and her story comes out. She shares her notebook with Kristel and this leads to a very special relationship between her and the young reporter.
In her story is the stories of some of the young women she tried to help after they found themselves at the mercy of the Nazi’s in an unescapable facility where horrors took place.
It was an excellent book and I think that Margarete, the main character and her friend Dr. Muller were very courageous and compassionate characters.
I would recommend this book it brings to light yet more Nazi programs which never should have happened and never should happen again. This is the story of the Lebensborn Program the Nazi’s launched to restore their master Aryan race.
I received a copy of this book to read for free. My review is written voluntarily and in my own words.
August 16, 2024
Munich, 1943, the war rages on across Europe and children continue to be taken from their mother’s. Margarete Weiss works in a home for mother’s. She thinks her purpose is to create a safe place for young German mothers to have their babies. But soon she realizes why she is actually there. The Nazi secret party is taking newborn babies from their young German mother’s as soon as they are born. She must put a stop to it and is willing to risk her own life to keep the babies with their mothers. Italy 2005, Magarete is 90 years old and is being interviewed by a reporter named Kristel. Margarete shares the information with Kristel she has kept hidden for so many years. But information always comes at a cost.
The Orphan List, written by author Ann Bennett is an emotional and heartbreaking story of the things that happened during the war that no one wants to talk about. This well written and phenomenal story of events of some of the darkest times in our history. Bennett is outstanding in researching the facts of history and putting them into words that people can understand. This emotional story had me reaching for the tissues as the tears ran down my face. I couldn’t bring myself to read this book in one sitting because of the emotional impact. I had to take a break to catch my breath. This phenomenal story was well written and I was inspired by the characters. I highly recommend this book.
The Orphan List, written by author Ann Bennett is an emotional and heartbreaking story of the things that happened during the war that no one wants to talk about. This well written and phenomenal story of events of some of the darkest times in our history. Bennett is outstanding in researching the facts of history and putting them into words that people can understand. This emotional story had me reaching for the tissues as the tears ran down my face. I couldn’t bring myself to read this book in one sitting because of the emotional impact. I had to take a break to catch my breath. This phenomenal story was well written and I was inspired by the characters. I highly recommend this book.
September 6, 2024
In this complicated historical fiction novel, Ann Bennett brings the Nazi Lebensborn program to life. Following nurse Margarete Weiss as she is forced to take an oath of loyalty and assigned to a Lebensborn home in a castle in the German countryside, readers discover the dark side of the Lebensborn program and the heartbreak it causes many young women. Alternating between multiple perspectives and years through POV switches and flashbacks/flashforwards, Bennett brings Margarete’s story to life. Highlighting the dangers involved with resisting the Nazis from the inside and the troubles of remembering these events, readers learn Margarete’s story with Kristel in 2005 through vibrant detail and complicated events. The characters are the best part of the novel, with complex and dynamic personalities and important relationships, and Bennett centers these characters and their relationships in this novel. Many of the characters are morally complex and often intentionally unlikable, and this contributes to the atmosphere and moral questions surrounding Nazi Germany and many of those who participated (willingly or unwillingly) in their various institutions and programs. A challenging, complicated, yet heartbreaking novel, Bennett’s latest book is a fantastic piece of World War II historical fiction with incredible characters and powerful descriptions.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy.
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