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!

In this story we follow Allina, a young woman in the late 1930s in Germany through her experiences during part of World War II. Her life changes rapidly when she learns that she is part Jewish and those she loved were killed by the Germans. She is taken to be enrolled in the Lebensborn program to work as a nurse to care for the babies that are born to be 'children of the Reich.'

She meets an SS Officer, Karl, who seems a bit set apart from the rest of the Germans. With time, Allina learns to trust Karl and he learns to trust her. Together, they try to save as many children as possible while danger and the risk of discovery lurk around every corner.

This book seems to be historically accurate and the characters are well developed. I would have like to have had more background on Karl's portion of the story, but his point of view is sprinkled in now and then.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

Well, most of this story is made up, you can tell the research that this author took to make this masterpiece feel like it was a true story. I loved that it was heartbreaking, beautiful and honestly helped me to remember all the lost souls that left us due to WWII. This story will show you the heroic side of Allina and Karl, and what they did to save children and mothers in Germany, it's also a story about love, friendship, resilience, healing and hope above all else. This is a story about Katrina and her mother, but then you find out it's really about Allina (Katrine mother) and her story in Germany.

This well written book had my heart breaking for the characters, the situations that they were put into and for all souls that lost their lives due to Nazi Germany. This author took a long time writing this book, but you can see the research, you can see the passion that she had for writing it well, making sure that everything was just right and having the characters likable/easy to connect with. I found this debut to be one that I would have never thought I would like but I am so happy that I took a chance with it because I will not be the same, and in a good way. You will learn about the horrible things that did happen in Germany, the horrible acts that the Nazis would take and how they would treat children that were not “perfect” for good German families to raise. However, through this book you will find hope, resilience and love in the most unexpected places. I loved the characters so much and the way the author writes them, I found it so easy to connect with them, I felt as though I had known these people my whole life. To see what actions they would take even knowing that it would be their death if they got caught, or people who they love. I loved getting to see Allina and Karls’ story unfold and seeing the love that they both have for each other throughout the whole book. You will see twists and turns in the plot and some of them are completely heartbreaking and other ones will have you smiling with joy and happiness that was brought to them during those years. I don’t want to say anything other than, go get this book and read it.

At the end of the book, you will find the author’s notes and I loved that she shared interesting notes and great information that I never knew about. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know!

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the opportunity to review this book.

The Sunflower House is another story concerning the atrocities of WWII but one in a different from so many other books. By Adriana Allegri, this story is a close look at the Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany which may be notorious to Many but was unknown to me until I read this book.

Well-researched and well-written this fictional story is heartbreaking and inspiring. This state-run baby factory called Hochland Home has one nurse who is willing to sacrifice and do what she can to protect the babies born there. Is there another who will join her as he too is appalled by the events happening there. A unique look at the depth of evil that the Nazis performed as well as the unsung heroes who stood in the gap.

The Sunflower House pulls readers into WWII Germany, where Allina Strauss hides her Jewish heritage, surviving in a world that brands her a “Mischling.” Forced to work at Hochland Home, a Nazi “baby factory,” Allina faces horrifying realities, risking her life to protect children trapped in the Lebensborn Program.

Adriana Allegri’s debut is meticulously researched, capturing both the historical horrors and the resilience of the human spirit. Allina’s bond with Karl, a conflicted SS officer, brings a powerful message of love and courage. This heart-wrenching story will linger long after the last page.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for my #gifted copy of The Sunflower House! #stmartinspress #TheSunflowerHouse #pubday #fivestarreview #AdrianaAllegri

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐢
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟱★

Historical fiction lovers, this book is a MUST read! The Sunflower House is a debut novel by author Adriana Allegri, and you would never know it by reading this book. This book was flawless. It was written in such a way that kept me up reading late into the night. This book was full of suspense, heartbreak, love, determination, friendship, and more. I loved everything about this book from start to finish. I know the author spent a lot of time writing this book, but I truly hope she continues to write more, because she is truly so talented.

Allina lives with her aunt and uncle in Germany, but her family has been hiding a secret, that she finds out right before her uncle dies - her birth mother was Jewish. One night, after Allina’s village is turned upside down, and everything Allina loves is taken from her, she is taken to Hochland Home, which is a baby factory run by the state where she serve as a nurse. At Hochland Home, she witnesses the horror of Heinrich Himmler’s eugenics program. At Hochland Home, Allina meets Karl, a SS Officer with his own secret, and the two join forces to save as many children as they can.

I loved reading the Author’s Note at the end of the book and finding out about all the research that went into writing this book. I knew nothing about the Lebensborn Program and this book was truly so eye opening. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Posted on Goodreads on November 11, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around November 12, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on November 12, 2024
**-will post on designated date

This is an extremely well-researched and well-written debut novel. It tells a story that is both moving and heartbreaking, yet hopeful. A story that is filled with secrets, bravery, and resilience. What is unique about this story is that it gives a fresh perspective on some of the situations facing the German people who did not support Hitler and his programs, even someone who was a member of the SS.

Heinrich Himmler and Hitler's Lebensborn program is so well highlighted in this novel. The mere thought of the actual existence of this program is frightening, and its administration terrifying. However, the love story between Allina and Karl demonstrates that even in a hellish time and place, attraction and romance can bloom. The way that scenarios are written in this story made them seem so very real. I felt danger, fear, panic, anger, and grief.

I will highly recommend this novel to friends and to fans of historical fiction or WWII fiction. A book that also balances war and romance. I can't wait to read what Ms. Allegri writes next.

My sincere thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the giving me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. I have reviewed this book on Goodreads and will send my review to Amazon and Barnes and Noble within a few days of publication.

The Sunflower House is a meticulously researched, well-written WWII historical fiction novel based on actual events. It depicts the brutality and horrors of the war, it focuses on Lebensborn homes. This was the first time that I was truly learning about this, and I have read a lot about WWll.
Allegri did a fabulous job executing this story in a fast-paced entertaining manner
The narrative was emotional and magnificently written. It took her twenty years to write this, it so worth this read!
I see this as a book club pick!
Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Sunflower House by Adrianna Allegri is a story of little talked about history and family secrets at its center. In a sleepy German village in 1938, Allina Strauss had an idyllic life. She works at her uncle’s bookshop, she makes strudel with her aunt and she spends her free time with her friends and fiancé. But with Adolf Hitler as Chancellor, her family is hiding a dangerous secret. Allina learns that her mother was Jewish, making Allina a Mischling. Everything and everyone she knows and loves will be gone in quick succession and she will find herself at the Hochland House, a state run baby factory as part of the Lebensborn Program with the purpose of creating the Aryan population. Allina knows she must keep her Jewish heritage; however, when she discovers a group of neglected, less than desirable children, she is determined to save them from the horrors of the eugenics program.
The Sunflower House is one woman’s story of determination to survive and resist against the powers of evil. I love World War II stories which bring to light the stories that are often forgotten or passed over. I had never heard of the Lebensborn program which the book’s blurb described as a “real life Handmaid’s Tale.” Where the Lebensborn program differs from the Handmaid’s Tale is that many of the women in the program willingly and proudly produced these babies for their country. This story had me hooked and I could not put it down as Allina risks her life for the innocent children in her care. There is a love story as Allina joins forces with Karl, a high ranking SS officer who is using his rank to subvert the evil plans. I highly recommend The Sunflower House. It is a story of love, loss, friends and the secrets we think are dead and buried.


The Sunflower House will be available on November 12, 2024
in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

"The Sunflower House" by Adriana Allegri is a haunting tapestry of memory and reconciliation, weaving together the fractured relationship between a mother and daughter against the backdrop of World War II's darkest chapters. Allegri's masterful storytelling employs alternating timelines, creating a palpable tension that propels readers through a labyrinth of past and present.

At the heart of this poignant narrative lies a journey of rediscovery, as mother and daughter traverse the landscapes of their shared history. The author's delicate prose illuminates the shadows of estrangement, gradually revealing the profound impact of wartime experiences on familial bonds.

Allegri's unflinching exploration of the Third Reich's Lebensborn program sets this novel apart in the realm of historical fiction. With remarkable sensitivity, she unveils the heartbreaking fate of women and children caught in the relentless pursuit of a "supreme race." Most strikingly, the author dares to venture into rarely charted territory, shedding light on the complex motivations of women who willingly embraced their role as unwed mothers in this chilling eugenic experiment.

The novel's alternating structure serves as a brilliant narrative device, each timeline shift leaving readers breathless with anticipation. This technique not only heightens suspense but also mirrors the fragmentary nature of memory and the gradual process of understanding between generations.

"The Sunflower House" stands as a testament to the power of confronting the past, offering a nuanced perspective on a dark chapter of history while exploring the resilience of the human spirit. Allegri's work is a must-read for those who seek historical fiction that challenges, enlightens, and ultimately, touches the soul.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for my free copy for review.

The Sunflower House is Adriana Allegri's debut novel. Years in the making this book is a beautifully written story about Allina Strauss and her life in Nazi Germany. The book opens with Katrine, Allina's daughter, finding a wooden box with a Swastika under the floor boards of her mothers closet. What happens next is Allina telling her daughter about her life before moving to America, something she had kept secret from her her entire life.

1939 Germany, Allina finds herself all alone and being brought to the Hochland House, a boarding house for women. Some of these women are unwed mothers, some are a part of the Lebensborn Program. Reading this book was the first time I had heard of this program. It was quite shocking to read about. During Allina's time at the Hockland House she meets and falls in love with Karl, an officer. However, things are not what they look like at first. Allina and Karl dedicated and risked their lives to save these children.

Definitely read the information after the story ends. It provides information about this time in history and the horrifying fact of how many children were born in this program.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of The Sunflower House for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and author Adriana Allegri for allowing me the chance to read this book in exchange for a fair review.
Present Day. Imagine you are in your mom’s closet and you stumble upon a loose floorboard, you open it up and there is something wrapped in a scarf. After unwrapping the scarf you see a wooden box with a swastika logo inlaid in the top! If you are Katrine, ya flip out, she has sooo many questions for her mother Allina. When she confronts her mother, Allina knows it is time for her to about her early years as a nurse in one of the Reichs Lebensborn houses, as much as she wants to forget that time in her life… she begins to tell her daughter of her upbringing with her aunt and uncle in the late 1930’s was and how she ended up running one of the programs for the Natzi’s.
In this well researched story we learn about another part of WWII that is not well known, the Lebensborn program. It is a program to increase Germany’s population by encouraging single Aryan women to bear the children of SS soldiers to help build the master race. I could not put it down. 5⭐️

This is a pretty heartbreaking read. We love Allina, and her story is a tough one to follow. But... BUT.. this story is more than just darkness. This story is absolutely about love and finding the light in a world where we don't always have control. I loved it!