How does a woman explain having a wooden box with the Nazi swastika on it with Germany documents inside to her adult daughter? The majority of the story takes place in the late 1930's to early 1940's in Germany centering around the Lebensborn Program, Himmler's eugenics program to create the "perfect" race.

Due to the killing of her family, Allina ends up at one of these homes where she learns about what is happening to the pregnant women and their newborns. The storyline is what Allina experienced as a young lady as she relates it to her grown daughter Katrine.

I have to admit I had not heard about these homes and the atrocities that happened to women used for breeding and their offspring. Horrible.

The pace was good and kept my interest. There was a bit too much mushy love interest. Because of this I rate this a solid 4 star.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy.

I'm absolutely speechless after finishing this beautiful book. While the story is based on World War II and the Holocaust, it is told from a different perspective. The book itself was very fast, similar to a thriller which I loved and haven't encountered before in a historical fiction. The author laid out no moments for pauses, but rather kept the book flowing with a quick plot line. I also enjoyed the love story aspect and I found myself shedding tears, even though I knew they would be coming. One of my absolute favorite books of all time that will never leave my mind.

1939, a small town in Germany. Allina Strauss "...works at her uncle’s bookshop, makes strudel with her aunt, and spends weekends with her friends and fiancé.... One fateful night after losing everyone she loves, Allina is forced into service as a nurse at a state-run baby factory called Hochland Home. There, she becomes both witness and participant to the horrors of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program."

And so it begins, The Lebensborn Program -- "Women of “pure” blood stayed in Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of perpetuating the Aryan population, giving birth to thousands of babies who were adopted out to “good” Nazi families. Allina must keep her Jewish identity a secret in order to survive, but when she discovers the neglect occurring within the home, she’s determined not only to save herself, but also the children in her care."

Amidst the horror of this program, there also is love. Allina meets, Karl, a high-ranking SS officer who she initially shies away from -- due to her rape by another high-ranking Nazi officer and persistent fear of men in that uniform, Karl, VERY gradually wins her trust and then her love.

There are secrets [key] and hope, Abuse and atrocities. Love and friendships.

This novel was a heartbreaking slow burn, but I was always fully engaged--wanting to see how the story unravelled and what would become of Allina, I've read MANY Holocaust books, but this was a different take--though no lesser an impact or description of the horrific program of the Third Reich.

Sort of a dual timeline--as it begins when Katrine, Allina's daughter, "....while visiting her mother's home in Ramsey, [New Jersey [in 2006] , encounters a hiding place holding a swastika emblazoned box containing a secret stash of items from her now 86-year old mother Alina's life in Germany during the years leading up to World War II." The novel is almost wholly a telling of Allina's life in the prewar/and WWII period, culminating at the end, with a return to the older Allina.

Intense, but also easy to read [though NOT because of the subject matter]--the plot kept moving forward--and there was always hope--after all, an elderly Allina is the start of the book.

Debut novel--sign me up for more by Allegri.

The only disconnect for me were the occasional "mush" moments--always derails me.

Solid 4/recommend.

This was an interesting read with strong characters. A sad story with hope laced throughout. It was my type of book but still not a bad read.

Before and during World War II, homes known as Lebensborn homes, were all across Germany. Essentially baby factories their sole purpose was to use young German women to be bred with German soldiers to ensure pure lineage for future generations. Any child born less than perfect was deemed inferior and sent away to be an experiment and eventually killed.
“The Sunflower House” is gripping story, told through the eyes of a Allina Strauss. When Allina’s entire family and village is destroyed she is repeatedly raped, then, under the “protection of her brutal, rapist, SS officer Gud”, brought to a Lebensborn home and forced into performing nursing duties caring for children born within the home. The children were bred to be adopted by German families with the intention of raising them to be perfect Nazis. While tending to her duties with the children, Allina meets a young SS officer named Karl. Karl out ranks Gud and takes Allina into his own protective role. He eventually gains Allina’s trust revealing his true intentions and identity. The author has done extensive research and has written this historical fiction novel in a way that makes the reader feel like these are true stories about real people. I found this to be a compelling and emotional read. I will look forward to reading more from this author. This ARC was provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Nov. 12, 2024
Adriana Allegri’s debut novel, “The Sunflower House”, is a World War two historical fiction novel that has the distinction of being one of the very, very few I have read in this category that have managed to introduce me to a topic I know very little about.
Allina Strauss is living with her aunt and uncle in a sleepy German village, helping her uncle run his book shop. But it’s 1939 and, all of a sudden, Allina’s life is turned upside down. Hitler has declared war on Jews, and after the death of Allina’s uncle, she finds out the truth about her past- her mother was Jewish, making Allina half-Jewish, which makes her a target. Desperate to escape persecution, Allina uses forged papers and begins work as a nurse in a place called Hochland House. Hochland House is one of the sites for the Nazi’s eugenics program and Allina sees it firsthand, how women are used as breeding stock to continue the Aryan race, and how babies are adopted by “purebred” Germans, in order to further the German population. She is trapped with no way out until she meets SS solider Karl, who promises to give her a better life. But can she really live a life with a German solider, putting her life at risk to try and keep who she really is a secret?
“The Sunflower House” tells the story of the Lebensborn homes (essentially, baby factories) that were scattered throughout Germany during World War Two, whose sole purpose was to create more “pure” Germans to fight in wars against other nations. Although I knew the eugenics programs existed, to hear it told through the eyes of a front line nurse was extremely powerful. The struggle of Allina, as she wore a German façade, while children with disabilities were “sent away” to be killed as they were non-adoptable, was something that had me feeling so many emotions, all at once.
The story is narrated, of course, by Allina, in 1939, but the beginning of the story starts in the 21st century, when Allina’s daughter, Katrine, finds a box with a swastika on it in her mother’s belongings. Allina tells the story to her daughter slowly, and she pulls the reader along on a tension-fueled, heartbreaking and emotionally fraught storyline that did not stop until the final pages.
Allegri’s novel is well-researched, and it stands out for many reasons, not the least of which being that it is her debut! Wherever she has been hiding, I am glad that she had taken her chances and released this book into the world and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

I am a sucker for a historical book and this one was fantastic. This is a beautiful story of a woman trying to make sense of a world that is awful and dark and just so so difficult. She doesn't have a lot of choice but she makes the best of it. The concepts in this book are wild to me. One of my favorite books I have read although I hate saying that because of the content.

The Sunflower House is a story about love, loss, survival, and secrets. Set in the time of Hitler during WW2 this novel has a fresh story than other WW2 novels I've read. This novel highlights an important aspect of history and while it is fiction, I learned of a new aspect of horror during this time period. This story is full of emotion, tension, resilience, and love. This is a must for any historical romance fiction lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Sunflower House is a beautifully written compelling and captivating read that will stay with me for a very long time.

The story is told in a dual time line .

The story begins with a woman who uncovers a hidden wooden box of her mother's that has a swastika on it.

The author then takes us to a German village where we truly meet Allina Strauss.

Her story is a sad and difficult one and shows the horrors of WWII and the treatment of the Jewish people.

Allina is put to work as an aide in a reproductive clinic and is referred to as the Lebensborn program.

It is nothing but atrocious.

Allina wants to save as many children as she can.

Adriana Allegri takes the reader on an emotional journey, one that is hard to imagine or forget .

You cry with Allina, you cheer for her and most of all you admire her tenacity and strength.

The Sunflower House will be a Book Club pick no doubt.

Historical fiction at its best.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the privilege of reading and reviewing this unforgettable book.

I have read a couple books that have covered the Eugenics program in WWII, but none of them were anywhere as educational and enjoyable as this one. The author’s research was stellar, the storyline was engaging, and the unexpected love story between Karl and Allina was absolutely beautiful.
Even though this is based upon fictional characters, the research was so spot on, it can easily be listened or read as true. If you want one more excellent WWII book to add to your library, add this one, well worth the read. High 5 stars.
I thank St. Martin’s Press along with NetGalley for providing this Galley edition for no requirement other than my offer to provide an unbiased review.

This was a compelling story of very difficult topics surrounding WWII–the Lebensborn program and falling in love with an SS officer. It is so tough for me to fathom how life during a war is, and this book drove that home even more for me. I really liked the story despite my feelings on the topics in the book. I will definitely read this author again.

4 stars for a historical fiction book about Heinrich Himmler's Lebensborn Program of N**i Germany. Women of “pure” blood stayed in Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of producing babies for the Reich.
The book opens in the present day, when Katrine finds a box of letters and documents about her mother's time in Germany during and before WWII. She is horrified when she sees a picture of her father in a N**i SS uniform. Allina, her mother, has never told Katrine about her life in Germany. She now agrees to tell her everything. It is now 63 years since they arrived in the US.
Allina led a happy life in the small village of Badensburg, where she worked in her Uncle's bookshop and helped her Aunt make strudel. Then her life is destroyed when German soldiers come to the village and kill everyone except her. She is a beautiful woman and Gud, the commander, takes her in his car and rapes her. He drops her off at a Lebensborn home and tells her that he will be back periodically for visits.
The head nurse at the home trains her to be a nurse for the babies. How she meets the man who marries her, protects her from Gud, and her escape to the US makes for a story of courage and sadness.
The author did a great deal of research on the Lebensborn program.
One quote from an actual Lebensborn brochure: "A man can die peacefully if he knows his family and everything he and his ancestors have worked for will continue through his children. The best gift for a widow is the children of the man she loved."
Thank You Sara Eslami at St. Martin's Press for sending me this eARC through NetGalley
Update Oct 4, 2024: My wife just read this book and she says 5 stars. It made her angry, sad and disgusted. She added that some people deserved to die.

Pub Date Nov 12 2024

Work of fiction but based on historical facts. It’s about the Lebensborn program (a secret, program increasing the number of children born who met the Nazi standards of racially pure & health”). As with all stories related to all things Nazi/Hitler it’s a horror to read but the story sticks with you. While this tells the tale of a grief-stricken and abused young women brought into the program and works as a nurse, it’s a story of secrets, hardships, friendship, love, and determination. The love of new husband, how they worked together, and how he kept her safe. How this determined young woman, an unwilling participant of the program, found the ability to improve the lives of some of the children prior to having to escape. The escape to America with her daughter to create a new life and kept her secret for years until her daughter finds her hidden box. Researched very well, wonderful pacing, informative and entertaining. A wonderful debut.

An absolutely stunning debut, Allegri uses a deft hand to write a challenging story about a dark part of history too often ignored. She provides a beautiful and heartbreaking portrayal of the horrors of life Nazi Germany, the things people are willing to do to survive, and the battle to reconcile the people we love with the history they lived.

This is an important book that should be read by everyone.

While the subject matter is undeniably compelling, I found it challenging to stay fully immersed in the book. The pacing felt uneven, with some parts dragging on while others rushed through key moments that deserved more depth and attention.

Ultimately, The Sunflower House presents a captivating story with plenty of potential, but it didn’t hold my attention as much as I’d hoped. The historical context is thought-provoking, yet the slow pacing and underdeveloped emotional arcs made it harder to remain engaged. It's an insightful read for its historical details, but some readers may find it difficult to push through.

An intense and highly charged look at the Lebensborn project and its abuse of the women and children in its system, as well as a terrific and tragic romance between two people who really cared for people in the face of horror.

A disturbing and heartbreaking portrayal of yet another Nazi atrocity in which young women bore children in an institution solely to bolster the aryan race. The characters are well-drawn and the story has a nice flow to it with vivid descriptions detailing the terrible events taking place. This will be a hit with book clubs. For fans of Heather Morris and
Mario Escobar.

This story takes place in Germany, where a woman named Allina is taken to work as an aide at a reproductive facility. There, she learns that the children are not treated equally due to the specific racial preference they seek. She meets a Lieutenant named Karl and learns that he wants to save the unwanted children. They plan an escape together; however, Karl is relocated, leaving Allina to follow through with the escape on her own.

What a tense story! Allina and Karl were heroic. They knew the dangers they were putting themselves in and still fought for what they believed. This story takes a different angle where the story is about Germans who didn’t agree with what the Reich wanted. However, there’s a twist. Both Allina and Karl were not fully Germans and had to forge their documents in order to survive and have access to personal files.

I enjoyed this story. It was well written and researched.

A Historical Fiction and Romance novel

1939 in a sleepy German village life will change for ever.

This meticulously researched novel uncovers the notorious Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. This is a tale of Allina Straus, a Mischling, who was forced into service as a nurse at a state run baby factory called Hochland Home. There she discovers the horrors of the eugenics program. The sole purpose of these homes was to perpetuate the Aryan population by giving birth to thousands of babies who later would be adopted. Allina must keep her Jewish identity a secret in order to survive and not only save herself but the children in her care.

Through the eyes of Allina this tale is one of determination to resist and survive and is more than the SS Lebensborn program it also is one involving a mother-daughter narrative and family secrets hidden in a box embossed with a swastika. Curiosity and questions arise and a heartbreaking story is told. It opens in the present day when Katrine finds the box of letters belonging to her mother. Allina agrees to tell her everything...

“The Sunflower House” is also a love story. When Allina met Karl, a high-ranking SS with his own secrets they marry and join force to save as many children as they can.

I was pulled in from the very start. Not only this story is a fascinating one it is very active, well-said and well researched. It is also easy to empathize with the main characters; they are so realistic I even forgot they weren’t real. Although this novel is a fiction historical truths are woven in, sadly too real.

I enjoyed reading “The Sunflower House”. The story is very compelling and emotional.

Secrets are slowly and carefully doled out in the Sunflower House. The book centers around a very painful time in Germany. Pregnant women and those wanting to birth a pure Aryan child are taken care of in the Lebensborn program. Allina, the main character, works there and wants to find a way to help the children who are not fit for adoption. She connects with a Nazi officer who has a story and secrets of his own. The Sunflower House is a powerful novel.