I was absolutely thrilled to receive an advanced copy of The Keeper of Lost Children. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Books for the opportunity to read this book early! After reading The House of Eve last year I knew I would love reading another of Johnson’s books, and I was so right.

The best thing about reading historical fiction is learning about events you never knew happened, and Sadeqa Johnson took the opportunity to teach her readers about the hundreds of biracial children in Germany - children of black US soldiers and white German women - who were placed in orphanages after WWII.

Inspired by real life hero Mabel Grammar, Johnson created fictional story of Ethel, Sophia, and Ozzie. Through alternating storylines she told the tales of bravery, struggle, and redemption of these three incredible black characters.

What immediately struck me about this book was how seamlessly Johnson could switch from each character without confusing her reader. Each story was captivating, and my only struggle was that sometimes they switched so often that I was sad to let my current character go for a handful of pages! Any sadness quickly dissipated though as I was quickly re-entrenched in the story of the next character. And while it’s obvious that at some point their stories would collide, the inevitable collision was done in such a beautiful and believable way, celebrating everything these three went through on their individual journeys.

This is an wonderful tale of important black history. It will make you angry, give you hope, and give you so much more to think about than just a history lesson. Keeper of Lost Children is a must-read, and cheers to Johnson for highlighting this story. I can’t wait to have this on my shelves in 2026.

This historical fiction novel is truly one of the best that I have read.
We meet three different characters post World War II in Germany.
The story spans from the 1940's - 1960's with each person's story told at different times.

This is a time when children were left in orphanages, many biracial and not accepted in society.
One American woman who was with her husband ,an American officer, visits the orphans and decides she must help these children or as many as possible. The journey begins.
The paperwork, finding potential parents, and plane tickets to get them to America is not an easy task..
Can she do it and make sure all the orphans have good homes?

This entire story is so well integrated and written that you truly must open it if you love historical fiction!
It is terrific!
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Simon&Schuster for this Arc and allowing me to provide my own review.

Unputdownable. Informative. Entertaining.

This book sucked me in from the first page. Told in 3 alternating storylines, Johnson blends history and fiction into a fast paced, enthralling read. Loved the characters, loved the reflection and introspection. Loved the stories and the pacing. Everything about this book was just perfect. It is also about a historical event that is not well known so it is eye-opening. Love love love

This author never disappoints with her historical fiction. I loved this story and was once again grateful to Johnson for bringing to light yet another story of strong women of history. She crafted this story so well, giving us a complete look at adoption from all perspectives, a compelling look at discrimination during the 50's and 60's both in Germany and the United States, and a heartwarming story of the strength of a mothers love. I loved it!

All things work together. I am a fan of Sadeqa Johnson’s work and this one did not disappoint. At times I felt like I was reading three books as the author captured the perspective of each character so intently. As the story unfolded I found myself trying to guess the outcome. In the end I was both amazed and satisfied. This book is a must read whether you’re a fan of historical fiction or just a great story in general.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I am a big fan of this author, having read The Yellow Wife and The House of Eve, so when I saw that she had a new one coming out, I was excited to get an advanced copy of it and let me tell you, it is excellent! What I really like about this author is the amount of research she does when writing her historical fiction novels. I also like the fact that she writes about events in history that so many of us know nothing about. At the end of World War II in Germany, there were many mixed race babies that were born by German women with African-American fathers. Once the war ended, most of the fathers went back to America, leaving the women to raise the babies themselves. The mixed race babies, however, were not looked upon kindly by German society nor were their mothers so many of the mothers were forced to give their children up to orphanages. The author introduces us to the three main characters who are all associated with this issue in one way or another. Ethel Gathers is the wife of an American officer stationed in occupied Germany after the war who becomes involved with these orphans and works tirelessly to get them adopted in America. Ozzie Phillips is an American soldier stationed in Germany, who meets and falls in love with a German woman, and ends up having a baby with her only to be reassigned duties and lose contact with them. Sophia Clark is a teenager raised on a farm in Maryland, who never really connects or feels part of the family she lives with. The author crafts her story going back-and-forth between timelines and characters until the ultimate ending where all three are brought together.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. Johnson’s best book yet.

I don’t always gravitate toward WWII fiction, but Keeper of the Lost Children by [Sadeqa Johnson](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5444044.Sadeqa_Johnson) immediately pulled me in. Johnson, whose last novel *[The House of Eve](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61273858)* was a Reese’s Book Club pick, delivers her most powerful work to date.

The novel unfolds across three distinct but seamlessly woven timelines:

Ozzie Phillips, a young Black soldier who enlists after WWII and is deployed to Mannheim, Germany, where he quickly falls for Jelka, a local woman. Life dramatically changes for the both of them.

Sophia Clark, a 15 year old navigating the brutal racism of the 1960s while being fortunate enough to attend an elite private school. Her home life is marked by abuse and hardship, and the tension in her world feels heartbreakingly real.

Ethel Gathers, the proud wife of an American officer stationed in 1950s Occupied Germany. After discovering an orphanage housing mixed race children born to Black American GIs and German women, Ethel takes it upon herself to help these forgotten children find homes.

The story centers on the experiences of these mixed race children, abandoned not only because of racism but also due to poverty, war, and military relocation. Johnson blends fictional characters with real historical figures, shining light on a part of history that is rarely discussed. The novel has the pacing of a thriller, keeping you engaged as you watch the characters’ lives slowly intertwine.

This was a period I knew little about, and I appreciated how Johnson brought it to life with both depth and compassion. I absolutely loved this book. Expect Keeper of the Lost Children to be a standout release when it hits shelves on February 10, 2026.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

It is so easy to say you would die before giving up your child. It is even easier to condemn those who have made the heartbreaking decision to do so. But try sleeping in the streets with your child for a few nights, without food or clean water, and without any job prospects or hope, simply because your parents refuse to let you keep your mixed-race child. Perhaps you would have a change of heart. Hundreds of women faced this reality in post WWII Germany.

But what happens to these children when society tosses them away? Often, they are housed in orphanages run by Catholic nuns. But then what? Ethel Gathers, wife of an American officer stationed in Germany, has the solution . . . find them good, American homes! She even adopts a number of these children herself. Ethel has been dealing with the heartbreak of infertility for many years. Are these children the answer to her prayers? Will they receive the acceptance from society that was never afforded her and her husband? Will they be able to leave behind the feelings of hurt from years of rejection?

Author Sadeqa Johnson seamlessly stitched together this historical fiction with three compelling characters, and Ethel at the lead. It is her vision that ties them together in a most unusual way. These characters have shared experiences with discrimination, some to the extreme, but also a shared desire to make the world a better place. The second character, Sophia Clark, a high school student desperate to escape the poverty she has experienced on her family farm, has been given the opportunity to attend a prestigious high school. Will she be able to push back the prejudice against her in order to succeed? The third character, Ozzie Phillips, volunteered with the army to help put Germany back together again post WWII. He too must put up with discrimination in order to achieve his goal of a better world. Unfortunately, he has found himself in a very compromising position, and must make a very difficult decision.

This novel is brilliantly written, reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and The Help. While reading these poignant novels for the first time, I slowed down my reading pace considerably to fully absorb the events, and to see the world through the eyes of these iconic characters. I had this same experience with Keeper of Lost Children. It is one of the best books I have read in a good long time. I know these characters will stay with me for years to come.

This is my 3rd novel by Johnson, and her detailed historical fiction are well researched and her words give me an inside look into a world and time in which I learn something that I feel within my soul. The subjects are deep, emotional and need to be told.
Told in two timelines.
1948 Ozzie Phillips is in the army and is a black soldier. He meets Jelka, a German woman and their relationship will be tested in many ways.
1965, Sophie Clark has always felt different, and when she lands a spot in a prestigious boarding school she leaves behind her family and farm life.
The story had my crying and full of emotions. I have already pre-ordered this one, to read again. I highly recommend this one.

I was excited to receive this ARC. I'd previously read two others by this author and they were so good, I was worried that I wouldn't like this one as much as the others, but I shouldn't have worried. I stayed up hours past my bedtime to finish this, it was so good.

Told from different perspectives in multiple time lines, the story lines flowed so well that I wasn't jarred at the chapters like I've found with some novels from multiple times/perspectives. All of the characters were fleshed out and not only could I see what they were going through, I felt it.

Although the main storyline is based on a true story of "brown babies" in Germany after World War II, the work is fiction. After reading this book, however, I honestly felt like the characters were absolutely real.

I love Sadequa Johnson's writing, so I was SUPER thrilled to receive an email from the publisher with this #arc.
I started reading this immediately after downloading it.
She manages to write historical fiction about women in a way that keeps me interested. This novel is about post WWII. Ethel comes across mixed race children and start to wonder about their background because she is desperate to start her own family.
The book is from the view point of her, and two others = Sophia and Ozzie and through out various decades.
Sadequa has the creative ability to weave a story through out timelines like no other.
If you are a fan of her writing you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to #netgalley and #simonandschuster for this arc

I don’t think it’s possible for Sadeqa Johnson to write anything bad. All of her books are phenomenal and Keeper of Lost Children is no different. Simply phenomenal. I don’t give 5 stars easily but she’s a 5 star author. She has a gift and magic in the way she tells stories that are important.

This is my third book by this author and I was excited to receive an advance copy! Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity! What I love about her writing, is that she always chooses important topics, but makes them easy, interesting and seamless to read! Thank you!

Sadeqa Johnson has a gift for finding stories in history that need to be shared, and then illuminating them with her eloquent and powerful writing. I also always enjoy reading about historical references in Virginia. Fans of Yellow Wife and The House of Eve will enjoy the author’s latest book! I am looking forward to reading the author’s note that was not included in this ARC! Highly recommend!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.