What a beautifully written story about the Lebensborn program in Germany during WWII. It was very well researched, and the historical facts were presented yet the heartful emotion of the story still came through. The loyalty, strength, dedication, and love that is portrayed by Allina and Karl is so strong that the reader feels a personal connection to them. This book was a perfect blending of fiction and non-fiction to create a memorable story.

Thank you Negalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Such a good book! I am now into historical fiction because of this book. The author did a great job of portraying “true events” in a book setting. The book had me at the edge waiting for someone dreadful to happy but hoping for the best.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this eARC for my honest review. I'd give this 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4. I really enjoyed this novel. Like many historical fiction fans, I have read many a WWII novel, but I hadn't heard of/read about the baby factories covered in this story. I really enjoyed Allina as a character. The scene where she wakes up in the middle of the night and her world changes is one of the most memorable scenes in the book (the barn scene? Horrifying). I also loved seeing the progression of her friendship with Rilla while at Hochland Home.

I felt like the start of her relationship with Karl moved a bit too quickly. From the jump he acted overly familiar/intimate with her in ways that didn't make sense to me. Overall, their relationship was fine, but not the best part of the book for me. I much preferred Allina's interactions with the other ladies and children.

One other slight critique I have is that there were a few chapters in Karl's POV, and even a couple in Ziegler's POV. I don't think these were necessary, especially Ziegler's. I feel like if those chapters were cut we wouldn't lose anything. With Karl, besides from one chapter toward the end, I also am not sure his perspective added anything CRUCIAL.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this book and would read more from the author in the future.

The Sunflower House is a historical fiction story of survival during WWII. Allina Strauss is living with her aunt and uncle after her parents die when she was very young but she knew very little about her parents. This story starts in Germany before WWII begins. When the village where Allina is living is wiped out by the Nazis she is taken to Hochland Home when she finds refuge working there. Hochland Home is part of the Lebensborn program the Nazis have devised to come up with children that will be part of the master race. While there Allina falls in love with a man fairly high up in the nazi regime. But not all is what it seems to be.
This is a fabulous story of survival and love in difficult times. The story does go back and forth between the 1940s and 2006 but its not every chapter. I couldn’t put the book down. It is very well written and easily read.

What a gutting & stunningly written story about a haunting and horrific time period. This story was at the top of my list of releases this year and I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read it early.

Being the second novel I have read about the Lebensborn program, I had an idea of what I was getting into with this. But still, it never fails that this type of story just guts you but seems leaves you with enough hope in humanity to keep going. It was beautifully written, and I found myself incredibly attached to this fictional main characters. I adored the romance and felt the story was heartfelt and beautifully told albeit intertwined with fiction and non-fiction throughout. Overall, a beautifully heartbreaking story.

It is astounding to me that with all the historical fiction written about the events in Germany during WW2, there is still so much to learn through the skillful storytelling of historical fiction authors. This is one such story that focuses on the Lebensborn Program where unwed mothers along with young women of childbearing age would live in institutional homes that served as “breeding homes” to perpetuate the Aryan race through eugenics.

After tragedy stuck the life of Allina Strauss, she was brought to Hochland Home by a high ranking Nazi officer to serve as a nurse caring for the babies and toddlers who would either be adopted or turned over to authorities for experimentation. Told in alternating timelines of wartime and present and in the voices of Allina and her daughter Katrine, we are taken on an emotional journey through the hardships, joys and secrets that Allina never shared. Be sure to read the Author’s Notes as they are as intriguing as the novel itself. In the words of Ms. Allegri, “The Sunflower House is a work of fiction, but based on historical facts that need little embellishment. I used any creative license sparingly, when necessary.”

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Adriana Allegri for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genere. Especially those about WW2. I had never heard about lesbenborn project. I learn so much about it by reading his book and connected to all the characters. I really enjoyed this one

I have read a lot of WWII books, but have never read or actually heard about the Lebensborn homes where young women gave birth to babies sired by German officers. It was fascinating and horrifying to think these things really happened. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. Thankfully there were some breaks with the love story of Alina and Karl.

This novel was well researched and the characters well drawn. Highly recommended. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was invited to read this book via NetGalley. I had read the Porcelain Maker and enjoyed it. This books is set in a similar time frame but it looks at the German regime from a different perspective. Both book featured young women who were trying to find out about their heritage and the revelations that their Mothers provided. The books differ in the situations their mothers find themselves. I really appreciated the way Adriana Allegri explored some of the moral choices that were part of living in Germany. There are some scenes that can be triggering but are pertinent to the story. At the end of the story, I admired how strong Allina was. I did not know anything about the Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. This was fascinating and the book lead me to dig into learning about that program. I would recommend this as an adult book. As I said there are scenes of wartime like that can trigger people. I have already recommended this book to some friends and my adult daughter. I couldn't stop talking about the book.

This author did an amazing job telling a story about a difficult subject and showing the humanity in all the characters. There was a good balance of heavy moments with light and happy moments to balance it out. I cried several times, and loved the complicated characters and storytelling of the author.

This is a beautiful debut by Adriana Allegri. I like historical fiction and this did not disappoint. I was afraid the topic matter would be too raw and horrible, but that is not the case. Ms. Allegri finds writes with beauty and raw emotions. I would encourage anyone interested in women's historical fiction, particularly around WW2, to read this book. I look forward to reading her in the future.

Okay. This was not what I was expecting in the best way possible.

I've fallen into a historical fiction rabbit hole recently, and this one was right up my alley. Even though it dealt with WW2 (and I've gotten a bit meh about WW2 stories because most feel similar to me?) BUT. This one was a breath of fresh air. Something about the setting and the plot (I mean, we're dealing with a baby factory--which I had no clue even existed at the time) and it was such a wild ride. Provoking and heart clenching in all of the best ways. With that being said, if you're a WW2 person--or new to historical in general--PLEASE give this one a shot. You won't regret it.

The Sunflower House is a novel about WWII Germany, but with an original subject. Adriana Allegri researched the lebensborn project and used it as the historical context of Karl and Alina’s story. The lebensborn homes were a part of the Nazi plan to ensure that German population was built through good German stock; thus, women were recruited to serve their country by having babies with young German soldiers. The novel delves into the shameful practice of rejection those children who were not up to the standards of the program. However, the story focuses on the couple who come together to save some of these children even as they fall in love. While nothing of the nazi regime is glorified, the author shows the conflict of decent people among the evil goals of Hitler. The novel is an enthralling story which gives readers much to think about of the complexities of human behavior.

Wow this book is just wow. It gave me similar vibes to Kristin Hannah. This story was so impactful and full of information about things most people don’t know about. Hell I didn’t know about it until I read this book. This book broke my heart but I also couldn’t put it down!

Those World War II historical fiction books have become quite popular these days. Especially those that have more of a social aspect rather than a military theme. Admittedly, for some reason, I too tend to love those books. Just something about them resonate with my interests. But after reading so many of them, they start all reading the same with the same basic plots. This book, The Sunflower House, has a bit different slant. One that will appeal to some readers while others might find it a little more difficult to come to terms with. Personally, I enjoyed exploring a different angle.

The story is about the Nazi Lebensborn home, Hochland Home, initiated by Heinrich Himmler. A place where the Aryan eugenics program was instituted and practiced to further the Fuhrer's dream of a Master Race. Fictional characters were created to play out the parts of the characters in this nest of a dystopian baby making agenda. The horrors that took place were downplayed to make for an easier read for those who can not stomach what went on in these homes. Oddly enough, a love story blooms out of the ashes which many will find enduring and get caught up in. It's between the protagonist Allina and a somewhat powerful Gruppenführer who isn't all that he seems to be. These two lovers have much in common that isn't apparent to those who run and are part of the home, but I don't want to give away details as it's best to discover them on your own.

It all starts with Allina's deathbed confession to her daughter many years later. As you can imagine, some of this story is predictable, yet still offers up a few surprises. Worth reading if these are the sort of stories that you like. I enjoyed the book, though found it to be yet another one of those social WW II stories of those caught up in the horrors of the times. Contains a fair balance of terror, though somewhat tempered, with some heart wrenching endearing moments.

The Sunflower House is a book that you will not want to put down! It is a story of love and loss and the secrets that must be kept in order to survive. This was my first introduction to the Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany through the eyes of Allina Strauss, a nurse who worked in the Hochland Home. She and her love, Karl, a high ranking SS officer, are committed to helping the neglected children of Hochland House.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley. I read a lot of WWII historical fiction so I have heard of these types of Nazi baby-making places before, but this one is very compelling. It was interesting to read about Allina and Karl's Jewish heritage while they were each involved in the German war machine in different ways. I would've liked more details about Karl's fictional attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler. I had a hard time putting this book down. The writing was very good and the characters likeable.

The Sunflower House was absolutely breathtaking and beautifully written. This beautiful tragic story takes you back in time to WWII when hatred towards those who were deemed unworthy killed millions and amplified secrecy in order to survive. Allina and Karl’s story was filled with so much love for each other that it made all the secrets and planning worth fighting for.

This novel was a heartbreaking and remarkable read. This was a novel about a a woman's life in the Lebensborn Program in WW2 Germany. The main character, Alina Strauss, has gone through so much and despite the odds she managed to survive and build a new life for herself. This story sheds a light on real programs and tragedies that occurred in Germany during WW2 and it is an amazing and insightful read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this amazing novel!

This is the second book I’ve read about the Nazi run Hochland Home in Germany. Once again, the lunacy of the Nazi’s directives are appalling. There were several quotes and Hitler praise services that caught my attention as particularly appalling.

I thought Sunflower House 🌻 was very well written with interesting characters—many of them likable. I really liked Allina and Karl, of course, along with Allina’s friend Rella. I could hardly stop reading, once their story began.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.