Wow. It is hard to believe this is a debut novel- it is so beautifully written, as it tells the harrowing and haunting story of Allina, during the Nazi regime and programming. The story is a past reflection and recount of Allina's experience working in baby factories- her complicitness, bravery, and resistance are all captured in this story. This novel was clearly well researched, as it depicted the historical truth of the heinous and heartbreaking programs that occurred in our recent history. The lengths that were went to in order to create an 'Aryan' population, while eradicating and euthanizing anyone who didn't fit the description is absolutely appalling. A tool of genecide is shocking to read in detail, especially knowing it is not that far removed from our current history. This was definitely a heavy, but necessary read. And despite its depth and topic, it still depicted a story of love and the lengths we will go to stand for what is right and necessary. I definitely recommend this book to others. Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for this ARC. This one will stick with me for years to come.

The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri is a Holocaust novel, although from a different perspective than most. Much of it takes place in a Lebensborn House, which was the Nazi place of birth for high ranking Nazi women but also a brothel for Nazi officers to make children of pure blood with women provided for that purpose. Allina was stolen from her home after most of her village had been slaughtered. Her aunt and uncle, the only parents she’d ever known were both dead. The Gruppenfuher who took her said she reminded him of his granddaughter. Then he raped her. He took her to Hochland Home and made it clear she was under his protection. Then he left and didn’t come back. She was spoiled for a while and then began to work in the nurseries. There were strict rules to follow and she did, no matter she didn’t agree. May of these women were in love, or believed themselves to be. Others were just in it for the rewards they reaped with each birth. Things moved forward and Allina fell in love, too. But he was not like the others, as she soon learned.

Katrine was Allina’s daughter and knew nothing of her mother’s past or who her father was, until one day she came a box with memorabilia and was appalled. She had no idea. This was New Jersey. Despite the fact her mother was in her mid-eighties and ill, she told her story. Aghast, Katrine began to see her mother’s point of view and why she’d never spoken of it. This was a moving story of people who were caught in the middle. They were not Nazis but they had to survive. They had to help where they could and rejoice in those they did save, not perseverate on those they could not. Everyone agrees it was a horrible time and people say and do horrible things. This is one of those stories, and of two people who loved one another despite what was happening around them. I try to avoid Holocaust stories because I have kind of overdosed on them, but this one was worth the read. A new perspective.

I was invited to read The Sunflower House by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #ArianaAllegri #TheSunflowerHouse

This book explored a side of Nazi Germany that I was not familiar with. The eugenics programs and houses that produced many of their “pure Aryan babies”. Always love to read about the resistance movement and the people who silently fought against the Nazi’s and the atrocities. The characters were well developed and worthy of respect. I enjoyed this thought provoking story of a time in history that should never be repeated.

This is an incredible tale about the Lebensborn Progam created by Nazi authorities in 1935. The goal was to increase the population and create an elite race from German women deemed. “racially valuable “. After Allina Gottlieb loses all of her loved ones, she is taken to a state run baby factory called the Hochland House by Gruppenfuhrer Gud. He is hoping she is carrying his child. It is here she will hide in plain sight after discovering her birth mother is Jewish. It turns out she is not pregnant and ends up under the care of Karl, a high-ranking SS Officer with secrets of his own. Together they will join forces to save as many children as possible. .

The Sunflower House is a debut novel by Adriana Allegri. This book will tug at your heartstrings from the very beginning to the last chapter of the book. Allina is a young woman, living in a small farming town in Germany before the start of WW2. Allina has lived with her aunt and uncle since the death of her parents at the age of 3 months old. Some family secrets are left hidden until her uncle falls ill and is on his death bed. Allina is stubborn like her father and wears her emotions on her face. Now Allina finds herself at the Hochland Home, a baby factory where German women of the right bloodline are encouraged to have as many babies as possible that they could to help replenish the population. Allina is shocked by how these babies are being "trained" from birth. They don't pick up the babies when they are crying, the babies are on a strict schedule for feeding, changing, and outside time. Allina meets Karl, a high-ranking SS officer with his own. As the two form a friendship they end up sharing their secrets about their past to each other. Now more than ever Karl must do what he can in order to keep Allina safe, no matter the costs. This book was beautifully written, and I want to explore more about the Lebensborn Program and what happened to all the children after the war. This is a must read for anyone who loves a good historical fiction book on WW2. The Sunflower House gives an inside view of what life looked like during WW2 in Germany. I would like to thank both NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me read an advanced copy of this book.

Incredibly beautiful debut and one that is harrowing for the present times but so necessary to read in order to figure what we as a society may want as a whole. I couldn't help but feel horrified about the baby factories and I wanted so badly for Allina and her love interest to have a better ending than what they were giving. The pure grit and act of sacrifice, and the way Allina was properly saved away from the horrors that occurred will perhaps haunt me for days to come, but the prose of it all, the helplessness and small glimmers of hope gave me all of the feels.

Quote: "You were brave. Braver than anyone I know."

The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri starts out with Katrine receiving a phone call that her mama has been in an accident. When Katrine arrives at the hospital, her mama is fine, just a bit banged up. Katrine takes her mama home and while she is sleeping, Katrine starts cleaning up the closet where her mama fell. While cleaning up, she discovers a box that shocks her. Will the discovery of this box lead to answered questions that Katrine has had all her life? The contents of the box lead to Germany. Katrine cannot believe what she is seeing. Allina walks in and sees what her daughter has found. Through tears Allina tells Katrine that she will explain everything.

We are taken back in time through a heartbreaking journey of secrets, survival, strength, love, betrayal and redemption.

For my fellow lovers of Historical Fiction, I absolutely recommend The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review The Sunflower House.

Although there are numerous, World War II-related stories and many have quite a few similarities, this one is quite different. It is about the Lebensborn program, a state-run program to increase the number of pure Aryan births. It is quite a unique and interesting story that is very emotion-stirring. It is a times incredibly moving, at times heartbreaking, and at times even horrifying. Allina and Karl's love story is touchingly bittersweet.

They are also both quite admirable as individuals. They are caring, strong-willed, and tenacious. They do what they can to do what is right despite their circumstances. The real world nears more people like them.

🌻𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘🌻
𝒽𝒾𝓈𝓉ℴ𝓇𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓁 𝒻𝒾𝒸
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋: 𝙽𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟸, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺(𝚃𝙾𝙳𝙰𝚈!)
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟝 𝔹𝕀𝔾 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤! ★★★★★∞︎︎

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...”Family secrets come to light as a young woman fights to save herself and others in a Nazi-run baby factory—a real life Handmaids tale……

🌻𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...LOVED THIS BOOK! This one is wayy up there in my top reads of 2024! A hist fic that reads like a thriller..because of the pace💨…yes, please! 🙌 This one has it all..perfect length, a bit of suspense, a little romance & lots of WWII history. 👊I didn’t know much about the Nazi run Lebensborn program before this book & phew, what a heartbreaking piece of history. Honestly, this book will rip your heart out, but it’s done in a beautiful way. I know that sounds weird, but holy moly…this book was fantastic & I am so excited today is the pub day 🥳so yall can scoop this one up! 🌻Do it!

Allina Strauss is a teenager who lives in a small German village with her aunt and uncle, her parents having died when she was very young. Her family is protecting her from her past = her mother was Jewish - and in 1939, Hitler’s extermination plan is in full swing. When the village is raided because of suspected protection of Jews, most of its residents are killed. Allina is “spared” by a ruthless Gruppenfuhrer and brought to Hochland House, one of several state run facilities set up by Heinrich Himmler to pursue his eugenics program-the purification of the Aryan race. Young women of pure German blood stay here with the goal of becoming pregnant from pure German men in order to perpetuate the Aryan population. Known as the Lebensborn Program, the babies are sent to “good” Nazi families, but there is way more to the story. When a second SS officer, Karl von Strassburg, enters the picture, Allina must overcome her fear and cooperate with Karl as the horrors of the real destination of many of the children becomes apparent.

At the halfway point of the story, I had to take a break - the story was heartbreaking, almost overwhelming. The last half of the book was a love story in addition to the horrors of the Nazi programs of medical experimentation and extermination. But the heroine and hero’s determination could not be stopped. Add in a couple of other characters of courage and you have an emotional and well written story.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this historical novel.

Historical fiction at its best a story so heartbreaking a story of baby factories something Inknew nothing about during ww2.This is a very special story a book I will be recommending.#netgalley #st.martins

This is a chilling book that is based in WWII and specifically focuses on the atrocities surrounding the Lebensborn Program. This was a program that consisted of baby-making factories, called Lebensborn Homes, where women deemed "racially valuable" and high-ranking German officers would, in an act of service to Hitler, procreate children that would strengthen Hitler's vision for an Aryan race.

The book also weaved in the love story of a nurse, Allina, who works in one of these homes and a high-ranking officer, Karl, who chose to resist and save as many children as they can.

Both have secrets that can jeopardize their efforts and this story shares what they risk to help save the lives of others.

💭 My thoughts:
I was pulled in from the beginning when the book opens with Allina's daughter discovering a box with a swastika on it among her mother's things.

The story is told mostly in the past and provides insights on what was going on in these homes. I had chills up my spine knowing that these programs actually existed and my heart broke for those children who didn't meet the "strict criteria".

I appreciated the research that went into writing a book like this and it was evident that it was quite thorough. The plot was vividly described and I could feel the tension in some of the cliff hanger moments.

I love WWII based novels that depict strong and resilient characters in the face of such horrible monstrosities and for the most part, that was delivered.

The biggest disappointment for me was the way in which things tied up near the end. I felt they were extremely rushed (particularly on how Karl ended up in the situation he found himself in at the end). Like, how did we get here? What happened? Did I miss reading some pages? It all just felt very abrupt which is why I knocked off a star.

Apart from that, this was still a very solid read and worth a pick up if you enjoy historical fiction based in WWII.

If you’re a fan of historical romance, this is the perfect book for you! This story jumps timelines, but the majority is told during WWII in Nazi Germany.

I’ve always had an interest in WWII era and I could not stop reading this story. With the way things are in America right now, it’s a little scary how parallel things seem to reality.

Wow!

I have to say that when I started reading this book, I almost couldn't go on, giving recent election results.. But, I am so glad I continued. Such a well written, well-researched book about a subject I knew nothing about! And the plot!!! And the characters!!! Do not hesitate, this is a book that you must read.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me an e-arc via Netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own honest opinion.

I loved everything about this book. It was both heartwarming and realistic. This is a book that I will be recommending to anyone who loves historical novels. I know that so many people are over reading World War II books, but this is not a book that you are going to want to miss. It truly is a diamond in the rough and it highlights a part of the war that many maybe don’t know as much about makes it an outlier. I have only ever read one other book with this as a theme and I enjoyed that as well, but I really loved Allina’s and Karl’s story. I can’t wait to get this book into the hands of readers.
Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

I don’t usually read historical fiction but the synopsis of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 enticed me to pick up this novel and read about a darker side of history that I frankly knew very little about. As the story moved along, it became clear that the author put great care and research into delivering a heart wrenching story that was fictional, yet influenced by true events surrounding WWII and the Lebensborn program. Heinrich Himmler was behind creating the Nazi eugenic program (which was basically a baby factory)where German unwed mothers would be housed, cared for and praised for producing the next generation of “superior Aryan” children. Although the story was definitely not light as it was surrounded by pain, loss and survival, there was also space for love, friendships and strength. I had such a hard time putting this novel down, it brought forward so many emotions and thoughts about the treatment of the children and the aftermath of the program. Such an incredible and must read debut novel.

✵𝖬𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗄𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖲𝗍. 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗇’𝗌 𝖯𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌 & 𝖭𝖾𝗍𝖦𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗒 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗀𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖠𝖽𝗏𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝖽 𝖱𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋’𝗌 𝖢𝗈𝗉𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝖾𝗑𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐.✵

This was a impactful story but be aware, there are brutally difficult moments to read about. This one shows insight into the Lebensborn homes, which were basically baby factories for the Nazi regime. This wasn’t my first time reading a HF about these homes but this was a deeper look, and one I appreciated.

However, there was something that didn’t quite fit for me when it came to a traumatic experience and then very speedy recovery from it. It felt like too far of a stretch, even for the sake of making the story move along, and I struggled with that throughout the story. Even with that blip I still found a lot of the story and information enlightening and am glad I took the time to read this one.

“It’s a sickness, this hatred the fuhrer has for the Jews, and hate infects everyone it touches.” *quotes from arc’s may be different than in a finished copy

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the arc via Netgalley.

Pub day: November 12
4/5⭐️

THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE by Adriana Allegri is a gripping story of a young woman’s fight to save herself and others in a Nazi-run baby factory in Germany during World War II. It is a historical novel about the Lebensborn program, run by Heinrich Himmler, whose ruthless eugenics programs sought to perpetuate the Aryan population. Women of “pure” blood were offered financial assistance and a place to stay while they gave birth to thousands of babies that would be adopted out to high-ranking Nazi families. Allina Strauss works at her uncle’s bookshop and will soon marry her childhood sweetheart. But Allina’s family is hiding a devastating secret – that her birth mother was Jewish. One tragic evening, Allina loses everything and everyone she loves. To save her own life. she is subsequently forced to work as a nurse at Hochland Home, a prominent state-run maternity home. There she witnesses unthinkable atrocities, experiments carried out on the children residing in the home. She meets Karl, a Nazi officer, who is also hiding a grave secret. Allina and Karl secretly join forces to try and save as many children as possible. When tragedy strikes, Allina must flee alone with her own baby. In 2006, Allina’s daughter, Katrine finds a box hidden beneath the floorboards of her elderly mother’s home. As she confronts her mother, the story travels back in time to fill in the details of Allina’s past. This was a heart-breaking and emotional story that kept me engrossed from beginning to end. It is a story I won’t soon forget and I highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

This book broke my heart. It was filled with so much anguish but so beautifully written that I could not stop reading. It is the story of a daughter and mother and long-kept secrets running deeper than expected. This story makes you feel sadness, anger, and helplessness for the terrible acts forced upon people. It's such a tragic story that it makes you question so many things.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!
#NetGalley #TheSunflowerHouse
This the most powerful and riveting WWII historical fiction I have read since The Nightingale. Allina suffers a fall and while her daughter is there taking care of her, she uncovers a Nazi embossed box in her closet and forces Allina to finally tell her story. In the 1930's she survives a Nazi raid of her home and town only to be brutalized by the soldiers and taken to a facility of unwed mothers by a powerful Nazi leader as "his" ward. With this she receives a little preferential treatment and is put to work in the nursery where she soon finds that it's not only a home but it is an incubator to fulfill the Fuhrer's wishes of creating perfect Nazi bred children. The women are cared for and service the soldiers when they have time off and then the babies are cared for until adoptions can take place. Allina soon realizes that the babies are not being touched, loved or taught and many are turning into toddlers deemed "slow" that cannot communicate and are not mobile and are sent away. She attracts the attention of another high ranking officer, Karl, who outranks the other leader and takes her as "his ward" but he expects nothing from her and is respectful but who obviously adores her. They both work to stop the testing of the "slow babies" and eventual deaths of many by starting a program to teach them. She still suffers PTSD from her attack and the murder of her aunt and uncle but will have to learn to trust men in uniforms to protect all that is important to her. I could not put this one down as it was a unique twist on the horrors of WWII and the bravery and strength of the German people. Loved it!