This was a hard book to read because of the content, but important to read. History can be hard, but hopefully we learn from the past. This novel is based on the Lebensborn Society maternity homes during WWII. Mothers giving birth to “racially fit” babies were being bred to be raised in Germany.

Coburn tackles the hard subject of the Nazi breeding program to create the “so-called master race.” Coburn research is meticulous and the subject matter is hard to fathom.

We follow three different women from different backgrounds. Their lives become intertwined at the program. Gundi is hiding a secret, but is considered the perfect German specimen. Irma is the nurse involved in these birth mothers lives. Hilda is a teenager seeing a high ranking Nazi but gets in trouble and the man is married.

How do these girls survive such horrific crimes and brainwashing?

he beginning of this book sucked me in. The topic was really interesting and heartbreaking to learn about. I actually really fell for Gundi and Irma’s characters, but could have done without Hilde. The middle of this book dragged for me and I felt like the ending was very abrupt - it left me with a lot of questions!! Overall, I really wanted more from this book.

I'm so grateful that Jennifer Coburn has told the painful, unbelievable (and yet true) story of the Lebensborn Society maternity homes of WW2. I can tell that a ton of research went into this novel, and fans of historical fiction are in for a treat with this one. Of course, it's a painful read. But it also focuses on the strength that women have in the darkest times of history. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Based in the Third Reich Era in Germany, in the beginning of Hilter's dictatorship, three women have to navigate their way through a circumstances that lead them to a Nazi breeding home in Bavaria.

Gundi - an Aryan beauty who is secretly part of the resistance - falls pregnant with her Jewish boyfriend's baby, she is sent to the Lebensborn Society maternity home as the state is under the impression that the baby is of pure German blood.

Hilde, a true believer in the cause finds herself at the home after she fall's pregnant with a Nazi official's baby.

Irma, a middle-aged nurse looking to start over after she walked in on a Jewish women heading into her Fiancé's basement and assumes he has been unfaithful.

***Spoilers!!

As things unfold, Irma realises that not everything is what it seems to be and discovers that the head nurse condones soldiers using there "mothers in training" as sex slaves, babies, whose parents aren't engaged, get taken from them and put up for adoption and God forbid that a women gives birth to a darker skin child that could be misconstrued for a Jew! That baby would be "cleansed" by lethal injection. And all this for the name of Germany! Hilde ends up without a career or her status of being a Nazi Official's mistress and Gundi has to escape after her baby is born to save both their lives.

My thoughts:
What a heavy read! I'm still unsettled by all the things I have learned from this book. This was a dark time in Germany, where Nazis were killing and framing Jews, kicking them out their homes, throwing them in work camps, burning down their property and stealing their belongings. My heart aches for Jews who had to live through that.

Past the heavy stuff though, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was hectic but it was beautiful and hopeful. The women formed connections that saved their lives, and their souls. It wasn't a happy ending for everyone but those who got theirs deserved it. I'll say it again, this book was BEAUTIFUL😩

Although occasionally heavy-handed, this is an important historical fiction novel about a part of World War II history that not even history buffs might be familiar with (probably because it's a women's problem and who cares about those, right?) This is a novel about a forced-breeding program in Nazi Germany and a tight, subtle commentary on where 2022 post-Roe America is headed. Wouldn't read this one if you're not feeling hyper-realistic Handmaid's Tale vibes. A great novel that is worth a read.

I could not love this book more!! It tells about a part of Germany during WW2 that I had heard nothing about prior to this book. And I am a WW2 historical fiction fanatic. This one definitely goes on my recommend shelf! So well written and done!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

I didn't think it was possible to read a unique story set in WW2 Germany that I hadn't already read a version of. Jennifer Coburn proved me wrong. This book tells the story of pregnant mothers, maternity homes and eugenics in Nazi Germany. Like most WW2 books, this book is emotionally heavy. However, I was quickly sucked into the plot and was very eager to see how it all ended. My only complaint is that the book ended abruptly and there are some unfinished plot lines. I would recommend it overall. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of this novel.

This was one fantastic WW2 historical fiction book. I love when I read a book like this and learn about something I had no idea about. Historical fiction fans will definitely want to read this one. I have read my fair share of HF books and this one took be by surprise that. I still cannot believe that things like this actually happened.

The story is told through the POV of 3 women that were in the Lebensborn Society maternity homes, a Nazi breeding program. All of these women are there for different reasons. Gundi is pregnant and an Aryan beauty, but is also part of the resistance. Hilde is at the home, pregnant with one of the Nazi officers' babies, and is a believer in the cause. Then, there's Irma, a nurse who wants to start over after seeing a Jewish woman in her fiance's basement and thinks he is unfaithful. Irma learns about these babies of unwed parents that are taken from them and given up for adoption to Germans, to be raised as the new Germany , and the "mother's in training" being used as sex slaves.

This book was heavy, heartbreaking, and tragic, yet there were still parts that I felt hopeful for the women, mostly Gundi and Irma. I cannot even fathom what these women endured. So horrifying that they were forced to breed, and so traumatized and brainwashed that they actually thought it was a good thing. Ughhh! 😩😩 So many bad things happened during this time, and learning about more of these atrocities is just unreal. I definitely know alot of research went into this book. This is another reason I love HF.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I have read many books in this time period. However, I am not familiar with Nazi-run breeding homes or The Lebensborn Society. Jennifer really did bring to life the story of these three women, Gundi, Irma, and Hilde. I truly felt for them and what they were going through.

Because Gundi was the first one introduced in this book, I felt an instant connection with her. It did not change, so you could say I had the strongest connection out of the three women with her. Although, this is not to say that Hilde and Irman did not play big parts in this book as well.

Once I started reading, I did find myself getting lost in a good way. This book was a fast read for me. Readers who enjoy reading historical fiction will want to pick up a copy of this book. Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn is not to be missed!

🔹Cradles of the Reich🔹

Thank you @jennifer, @sourcebooks, and @netgalley for my first NetGalley arc!

At Heim Hochland, a Nazi breeding home in Germany, three women’s lives are forever changed by the Lebensborn program - Gundi, Irma, and Hilde are each brought into the home to further the mission of increasing Germany’s “Aryan” population.

Wow. This was a challenging story to read, as are many WWII historical fiction novels, but I was captivated from beginning to end! I had never heard about the Lebensborn program before this book, and it made me really angry, confused, and sad. I really appreciated the different sides of history each woman told, but I really struggled with Hilde’s views and beliefs (which was intentional, I know). It’s clear how much research the author did for this book! It’s a work of fiction, but it’s largely based on real people and real events, so I learned so much history along the way.

A few stats that stuck out to me in the author’s note:

▪️20,000 children were produced through the Lebensborn program.
▪️Roughly 200,000 children were kidnapped from countries Nazis occupied and placed up for adoption. Children who refused to conform to German culture were sent to concentration camps.

Cradles of the Reich is a tough read given the subject matter, but I highly recommend it to historical fiction fans or people who’ve never learned about this part of history. It’s out today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022!

Jennifer Coburn weaves a captivating story of the Lebensborn Society maternity homes during World War II in Germany. This story is told through the point of view of three German females, each with their own thoughts and opinions about what was happening in their current climate. At the Helm Hochland, their lives become to be interwoven as they navigate their own roles in the story. The unique perspectives helped myself as a reader understand a little bit more of the German people from questioning to following along whole-heartedly. I was also intrigued by the time of history that I have not read or learned much about. I found myself immersed in each of their individual stories, and read this book very quickly. Thank you to Jennifer Coburn, Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn
Historical Fiction
Publication Date: Today!

The story follows three women of very different backgrounds and their experiences with a breeding home in Bavaria in Nazi Germany. Gundi, a member of the resistance, Hilde, a true believer of the Reich, and Irma, a middle aged nurse. The idea behind the home is based on the Lebensborn Society "maternity homes.” Emphasis on the quotation marks. It was an institution whose primary purpose was the trafficking of children and women for the good of the state. Women were forced to give up their children for adoption, if they weren’t blonde enough children were given a lethal injection, or women acted as prostitutes for high ranking officials.

For pretty much the entire book I was both horrified and uncomfortable at what all three women experienced. To have your value reduced as a breeding mare for your country and to be brainwashed to the point where you are happy to do it is just unimaginable to me. Yet, Coburn manages to present all three women’s stories in a way that while you want to yell at them, you can kind of understand their positions and where they were coming from. They were just ordinary citizens and they all had their own reasons yet, by the end you can see how their experiences begin to open their eyes and disillusion them of their realities. It was a well researched and well thought out story bringing attention to a part of history that I certainly don’t remember ever learning about.

Coburn kept all three characters in a state of uncertainty ensuring the plot was constantly progressing. There was never a dull chapter.

I think the atrocities outlined here definitely serve some food for thought in terms of humanity, nationalism, and women’s rights and their relation to a women’s value.

I’ve had a hard time writing this review because I just don’t think I can adequately review it. For me at least, it was a hard story to read but it is an important one. I’ll definitely be on the look out for whatever Jennifer writes next.

Thank you Jennifer for reaching out to me and thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read a lot of historical fiction, and much of it takes place during World War II. Just when I think there can't be any new stories from this era, I am blown away by something new like I was with Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn.

This novel is based on the Lebensborn Society "maternity homes" that were run by the Nazis to expand the Aryan race. Babies who were born there were given to officers' families, and other babies were downright kidnapped if they looked "racially fit" to join a good German family. Young women were actually recruited to have liaisons with German officers to create more loyal Nazis. It's frightening to realize that this really happened. (I appreciated the thorough author's note to expand on the history of this time.)

Our three main characters were well-developed, and I could relate to all of them on some level. Gundi was deemed a perfect German specimen, so the Nazis were eager to get her baby, since they knew nothing of her resistance activity or her baby's real father. Hilde was an eager Nazi who couldn't wait to help the cause by becoming pregnant by a German officer, and Irma was a nurse escaping her own past but didn't know what she was getting into by joining the staff at Heim Hochland. Their stories intertwine as the story is told from each of their points of view.

The pace kept the plot suspenseful, and there was plenty of action to move the story forward. What these women went through was harrowing to read. The ending was a little abrupt, but that didn't detract from this being a solid 4.5 read rounded up to 5 stars.

I will recommend this to our library's (many) readers who like WWII historical fiction featuring strong women.

I thank Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars. Author Jennifer Coburn casts a bright light on a lesser known nazi evil. Based on historical events.. in 1935 during WWll, the Lebensborn Society Maternity breeding program was created by the nazi’s as an answer to create a new master race.

This book follows the character driven (fictional) story of three young women, one a nurse, who all live on the ground’s of one of these infamous maternity homes.. this one being the real “Heim Hockland” located in Bavaria. All three having their own beliefs toward the party (not all were positive).

It’s heartbreaking and absolutely terrifying to know these homes did exist.. with newborns being born at these sites, or that babies were being taken from their murdered parents in other countries (for their blonde hair/blue eyes).. then shuffled through, picked by and given away to German couples supporting the reich.

There’s so much more to this story, and is one I feel a must read for historical fic. readers. Jennifer Coburn has done an incredible job of researching this subject and it truly shows in this book. Excellent. 4.5 stars — Pub. 10/11/22

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cradles of the Reich is the story of three German women during the height of the Nazi occupation. One is a pregnant university student, one part of the resistance movement and the other a middle-aged nurse who is trying to rebuild her life. Their lives soon connect at one of the homes of the Lebensborn Society - whose goal was to gather healthy, young Aryan women to breed the next generation of Nazis.

This is an interesting part of WWII, and it is clear that Coburn did a lot of research for this book. The story is set during the Nazi's reign, but despite being set in this era, there is a surprising lack of tension. The plot also progresses at a painfully slow pace until the last quarter of the book when the energy picks up substantially - only for the book to end abruptly, leaving me with too many unanswered questions.

I like the use of multiple timelines and the inclusion of different POVs in my Historical Fiction and through Hilde, Gundi and Irma, readers get an interesting trio of perspectives. But the storytelling and character development were weak and the back and forth between the POVs and timelines often felt muddled, so I never quite felt invested in the lives of these women.

With its lighter feel and lack of tension, the story didn't have the emotional impact I was expecting and had an almost Women's Fiction feel to it than the grittier Historical Fiction I tend to gravitate towards. I'm not the ideal reader for this lighter Historical Fiction read but I think it will find its audience with fans who enjoy lighter takes on the genre, particularly fans of Kristen Harmel, Kristy Cambron and Natasha Lester.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

’m a historical fiction junkie, but I must admit it’s rare to find books that manage to hit the right balance of historical elements and believable characters and plot.
Jennifer Coburn does this flawlessly in Cradles of the Reich, which follows three different women with different roles at Heim Hockland, a Nazi breeding women.
Jennifer Coburn shows us how ordinary people can get swept up in a fervent wave of horrific insanity — particularly women who find themselves with few choices.
This is definitely one to add to your line-up!

In Cradles of the Reich, author Jennifer Coburn explores a topic rarely highlighted in WWII historical fiction, the Nazi's Lebensborn project. Lebensborn, translates to Spring of Life and is based on eugenics and the Nazi's belief in a pure Aryan race. The Nazi propaganda machine extolled the patriotic honor of bearing 'appropriate' children. These Nazi run homes' provided a safe and pampered life for women with 'inconvenient' pregnancies and encouraged sexual encounters with Nazi officers all to further the ideal race.

Coburn chose to expose these atrocities through three different characters' experiences at Heim Hochland, one of the actual homes. Gundi, a pregnant University student, has been working with the resistance and fears what will happen when her baby is born. Hilde, 18, is a dedicated member of the party and determined to rise through the ranks. She thinks having a Nazi official's baby will fast track her plans. Irma, a 44-year-old nurse saw so much death in WWI, she is desperate to start life over and focus on the beginning of life.

This novel is meticulously researched, and the author's notes are a must read. The portrayal of these characters, their motivations and evolution seem balanced and true. I wouldn't go so far as to say I felt sympathy for Hilde, but we do see the indoctrinating, grooming and fear that put her on her path. Coburn wove together the three character's storylines with tension that kept the novel moving at a quick pace.

Historically, women have held little power, but have proven themselves to be adept, quick witted and resourceful with what they do possess. I feel certain within these fictional women are the roots of real women of history who risked it all to fight for a different future.

My only criticism is I feel the ending was rather abrupt. The reader is not left hanging, but perhaps wanting a bit more.

Many thanks to the author, Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy and finished copy in exchange for my honest review.

This one is a must read for my WWII fiction fans! Unfortunately my schedule is insane and it took me a while to get through this one but if I had the time I would have finished it in a day or two!

This novel highlights a lesser known piece of WWII history and focuses on the Lebensborn Homes in Nazi Germany. The Lebensborn Society was essentially a breeding ground for Hitler’s master race where “racially valuable” unwed mothers were sent to have their babies before they were adopted by high ranking members of the Nazi party. Later the program was expanded to include “mothers in training” who were encouraged to get pregnant by German officers.

This novel follows the experiences of three different women at a Lebensborn home called Heim Hochland. Each of the women have very different reasons for coming to Heim Hochland and the reader is able to see the Lebensborn society from many different angles. Gundi is a resistance fighter forced into the program by a high ranking Nazi doctor. Irma is a lonely nurse who volunteers to escape a broken heart. Hilde is a Nazi zealot desperate to be noticed by the party. Each woman will be tested in their own way and their lives will never be the same after their time at Heim Hochland

This novel is told from multiple perspectives, alternating between the three women. I enjoyed the character development and getting to know the three main characters. I found Hilde’s character to be rather annoying and frustrating, but it’s hard to like a Nazi zealot. I also thought that the novel was very well researched. Coburn provides lots of historical details about Nazi programs for building a master race and their persecution of the Jews. She also included real life characters wherever possible.

I would love to see this story continued and check in with Gundi and Irma after the war to see how their lives have turned out.

I definitely recommend giving this one a try!

Cradles of the Reich
by Jennifer Coburn

In Cradles of the Reich, Coburn brings to light an unthinkable Nazi scheme to produce “racially desirable” children for Hitler’s master race. We learn of the top secret Lebensborn Society through the eyes of three very different women. There paths will cross at Heim Hochland, a maternity home. Gundi is a university student who falls in love at the wrong time for the wrong man. Learning that Gundi is pregnant, her well intended mother schemes with Gundi’s doctor to send her off in an effort to prevent social shaming. Assessed by the SS to be a perfect specimen of Aryan beauty, Gundi isn’t given a choice. Hilde is the less desirable of two sisters in a family that doesn’t acknowledge her value. She finds her opportunity to be seen and feel important by becoming the mistress of a high ranking married SS officer. Irma is a veteran WWI nurse running from a broken engagement and heartache. She finds solace and her true purpose at Heim Hochland, that is, until she discovers the hidden truths of the Lebensborn Society. As has been true throughout history, woman find the comfort, hope and courage to persevere in one another and here is no exception.

The author slowly and skillfully reveals the intricacies of the Lebensborn Society’s program. Coburn plainly illustrates the dehumanizing strategies and practices that commodified woman into breeding machines. If The Handmaid’s Tale seemed too far fetched, read Cradles of the Reich. This book will also appeal to readers of historical fiction who enjoy delving into less explored parts of history. I will however say that reading certain passages made me viscerally uncomfortable - triggers abound.

Thank you @netgalley & @bookmarked (Sourcebooks Landmarks) for this gifted digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Coburn's novel sheds light on the mostly untold Lebensborn program that the Nazi regime had, in order to make "racially pure" children. The story was told in three alternating perspectives -- those of Gundi, Irma, and Hilde. I can tell you that I absolutely despised Hilde, which I'm quite sure was the point. She is a loyal Nazi and finds herself trying to impress everyone she comes into contact with. The other two characters, Irma and Gundi, I really enjoyed reading about, and how their participation in the Lebensborn program came to be. I was interested in the story from the beginning and wanted to know more about the characters, their fates. The story moved at a good pace, but I felt like the ending was abrupt. I wanted just a bit more at the end. Overall, this was incredibly well-researched and an insightful look into a part of history we don't hear much about.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.