Using the dual timeline plot device, Adriana Allegri's novel is a gripping account of the Lebensborn homes during World War II. I've read a lot of books centered around the events of WWII but this is only the second one I've read that even mentions the Lebensborn homes. For anyone that doesn't know, these were maternity homes that the Nazi government set up to encourage women to have more babies, the future of Germany. Essentially a breeding program. It's a horrifying topic that isn't often written about but this was an intriguing story of one woman's survival in such a program and how she tried to help the youngest victims. I definitely recommend this book for fans of historical fiction.

What an incredible debut historical fiction novel! I really loved this book, but be warned it is not for the faint of heart. It’s a hard read at times, but I think it’s important to learn about this story. I wasn’t fully aware of the Nazi Lebensborn Program, part of Himmler’s eugenics program, which was a home for unmarried pregnant "Aryan" women who were encouraged to have perfect Aryan babies and perpetuate the Aryan race. Ugh. Just writing that sentence is so very Handmaid’s Tale meets Project 2025. It’s a scary reminder of what could so easily happen in today’s politics.

At the core of these horrors is a love story between 2 rebels: Allina Strauss who’s German village is raided and she loses everything, and Karl a high-ranking SS officer. They both have secrets and decide to trust each other with them, and set on a mission to save as many of the children as possible. You end up rooting for them the whole story. The structure uses present day with Allina as an old woman telling her adult daughter this story–the story of who her father is which she kept secret her entire life.

I’m drawn to historical fiction because I like learning about history and this is a well-researched book and also a real page-turner. It’s heartbreaking and horrific, but most of all a story of survival. I would recommend this book if you liked The Nightingale, We Were the Lucky Ones or The Porcelain Maker.

CW: Rape, Child Neglect

**Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC**

A hard book to read about the Lebensborn Program in WWII Germany. Allina is forced to serve at Hochland Home, but she has a dangerous secret that disqualifies her from being a surrogate mother: she’s Jewish. She discovers several babies who aren’t perfect Aryans are being neglected. A revealing look at one ghastly aspect of wartime Germany, but definitely not a fun read.

What a beautifully written and powerful debut by Adriana Allegri that is heart-wrenching to discover. Throughout the riveting tale of our character Allina Strauss, a young woman forced into unimaginable choices, the seed of a love story blooms.



The story is told throughout two timelines past and present. This story is extremely well told with meticulous research from that period that brings to light a story I am so glad to have read. Completely recommend. 

If you loved The Women by Kristen Hannah this will hit many of those emotional peaks in such a beautiful way.

Thank you for the ARC to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press, and of course, the wonderful work created by Adriana Allegri.

I found this book interesting, as I did not know about the SS Lebensborn program. I enjoyed the story and found myself transported back in time with Adriana’s writing. The middle of the book became a little slow for me but I appreciated the overall quick pace of the story.

Wow, this is an absolutely incredibly historical fiction novel that covers a topic that I've never read about-- and I read a LOT of novels about World War 2. Allegri has managed to take a topic that is grotesquely fascinating and bring it to life in a respectful way while also create a captivating story. I am absolutely blown away by this book and think it will be one of my top of the year.

But, I think it needs a new cover. The current design is not doing the story justice, and I don't think it will grab readers' attention. This book could truly be the book of the year if it is marketing well.

Set in Nazi Germany the story follows a girl who falls in love with an SS officer? They both have secrets. This is a different look at what some did in the war to survive.

This book will bring out all your emotions. Allina has a Jewish mother in Germany on the cusp of WWII and has to change her identity. In a series of unfortunate events, she becomes a nurse at Hochland Home. There she learns about Hilter's program to experiment on less desirable children. With the help of Karl, she begins to save those children.
It is a take of love and loss. One of good vs evil. Such a compelling read. It has a slight dual time in it but it is mainly Allina's story.

The Handmaids Tale meets the reality of pre-war Germany.

From the first pages, you’ll know your heart will be broken.. The horrific Lebensborn program was new to me although I was aware of many other Nazi atrocities. Allegri takes you into its midst and presents the unimaginable compromises her characters must make to survive when solutions are not merely black or white. She masterfully walks the line between making it nearly unbearable to keep reading and yet impossible to deny yourself the satisfaction of knowing the whole story.

Featuring concealed family secrets and the unsettling realities of the Lebensborn Program, this novel provides a fascinating look into Nazi Germany. Through the perspective of Allina, a relatable and brave protagonist, we observe the shift from a peaceful existence to a daunting fight for survival within the sinister confines of a Nazi baby factory.

Karl, a former SS officer, weaves a compelling storyline full of suspense and love. Meanwhile, this book sheds light on a period in history that is often overlooked in its examination of atrocities during World War II through the lens of the Lebensborn Program.

In addition to its captivating characters, carefully researched setting, and thought-provoking themes, this novel represents an emotional journey of defiance and resilience. At last, a page-turner that will inspire and evoke emotion.

It's worth it.

am absolutely heartbroken.

This book is going to be my book of the year - I’m calling it. Reading about the horrors of what actually happened during WWII was absolutely maddening and awful. Following the story of Allina, from living a carefree life to being thrown into a baby factory and everything that happens in between and after, was so heartbreaking.

This is an absolutely beautifully written telling of a woman finding love and trying to survive in a dark dark world and I recommend absolutely everyone giving this a read.

This book took me by surprise. I wasn’t expected to cry or laugh as hard as I did. I loved reading Karl and Allina’s story. I would greatly enjoy getting a sequel more about Karl’s activities, and Allina’s uncle and Albert too. What a great book!

During World War II, Allina Strauss loses everything when her small German village and family are attacked. Being one of the few survivors she is suddenly placed as a nurse in one of Germany’s Lebensborn houses, a place where unmarried German women are taken in to increase Germany’s population by producing as many offspring as they can for Nazi families to then adopt.

In the acknowledgments, the author shares that this story was over 20 years in the making, and I can definitely see why. I could not put this book down! As someone who knew very little about the Lebensborn Program during WWII, I thought this was incredibly informative and a huge eye-opener to what the women and children of these houses went through.

Allina’s journey is a powerful and heartbreaking story of survival, strength, love, and female friendship during times of absolute horror and suffering.

The Sunflower House is a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, like I do. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the early copy!

This was an amazing work of historical fiction, about a little known aspect of the Nazi regime during World War Two. Allina, raised by an aunt and uncle, is basically taken to a home for unwed mothers and babies. The Hochland House was a real place, and offers insight into troubling actions to further the Nazi cause and create Arayan children. I did not know a lot about this occuring, and found the book moving and educational. The characters were well developed and the fiction part of the story was well used to depict what happened. A difficult and emotional read, but one that needs to be widely read!

This is an amazing book. Definitely my top five historical fiction books. A whole new perspective on the “pure German” woman impregnated by soldiers in the Nazi regime. The babies that were born during World War II under Hitler’s reign is just another sick perverse twisted way of his abusive power.
Fortunately there were brave souls that would help save these children that were not “perfect”, along with helping the Jewish children escape Germany.
Thank you, NetGalley for this memorable ARC

The Sunflower House – Adriana Allergri
Allina Struss’s life is torn apart and flipped upside down in one night when she learns the truth about her family history, her mother was actually Jewish, meaning she was in danger. Danger actually wasn’t very far off, because before Allina knew it, she was losing everyone she loved. Instead of dying with the community, Allina was forced into service at the Hochland Home, which was a home for German mothers and babies to continue the strong German blood lines.
It was critical that Allina kept her Jewish identity to herself, stay unnoticed and out of the way. But when Allina notices that there has been neglect happening within the house, Allina knows she must find a way to save those children while keeping herself alive.
After meeting Karl, a high-ranking German Officer, Allina feels a shred of hope as she realizes she can trust in him to help her and together they risk everything they possibly can to ensure these children have a shot at life.
I love a good historical fiction novel, and this one blew me away. In all the books I have read about WWII, I have never come across any that talks about the Lebensborn Program, and I must say it sent me down a rabbit hole of my own research. I devoured every bit of truth to this story, while enjoying the tale of Allina and Karl as they acted with every good intention to save those children as well as keeping their truths hidden to save themselves. This book without a doubt deserves 5 stars! Keep an eye out for this one in November and I promise, you won’t regret and this book will stay with you for a very long time.

Just finished this advance copy & I need to gather my thoughts...what a story


Historical fiction is my go to genre. Always something new is learned & that leads me to want to read more about certain eras, or just specific parts of history.

This starts in current times, when a daughter is carrying for her elderly mom & finds a secret box in her mom's closet. She approaches her mom & what follows if the mom reliving her time as a German & her difficult story & how she ends up at the Lebensborn House, a home for women to have babies & raise them as future members of Hilter's army. Parts were very disturbing & I was thankful that some parts were alluded to without heavy descriptions.

And the book ended back to current times with mother & daughter trying to work through all that the daughter didn't know.

Very well written & researched & yet there were likable people in a time of anger, hatred & terror.

This took me months to get through - not due to quality, but because it's a hard read, emotionally. I actually can't believe this was a debut; the research and writing quality, specifically when Allegri finds her footing around the 45% mark, is remarkable.

If you're a fan of historical fiction, you'll love this. Though, I've never read Kristin Hannah, from what I've heard, this follows a similar style. Bear in mind, it is an emotionally draining book. Please read trigger warnings before going in. All that said, it's a story that needs to be told because before reading this, I had never heard of the Lebensborn program.

This book is told in dual timelines, which I normally don't love because it takes me out of a specific storyline, however, for this, I think it only adds to the emotional impact. It centers around themes of mother daughter relationships, love, loss, and what it means to be a woman under a patriarchal dictatorship (a poignant message for today's healthcare restrictions on women's bodies.)

This deserves all the praise in the world. It does start off slow, but by the 30% mark, you're so emotionally tied to the story and the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I'll be thinking about this one for a really long time.

This beautifully written and fascinating story has stayed with me after finishing it. In previous WWII historical fiction that I’ve read, the Lebensborn program was discussed, but not in the detail provided in the Sunflower House.

Young Allina had great trauma inflicted upon her fairly early in the war and was brought to a Lebensborn house to assist with the children. There she had to entertain members of Nazi leadership. One man in particular takes an interest in her, which initially terrifies and repulses her, but over time they discover similarities and devise a plan to save children, an untold number of lives and hopefully themselves.

Katrine, Allina’s daughter, is unaware of her mother’s dark history, and knows next to nothing about her father, but slowly the dramatic story is revealed and answers so many questions.

thank you for the advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion

I really enjoyed The Sunflower House however there was a couple of plot holes that while they became apparent you had to read between the lines so to speak

I knew nothing of these houses, and went off to google. This was real. What a horrific thought! The beginning of this book was a little slow for me, however the pace did pick up around the middle.

There is something for everyone here. in the WWII background you have the "breeding" of the superior race as defined by Hitler and HImler. You have a little espionage and a little love story all rolled into one.