Jennifer Coburn’s Cradles of the Reich is a haunting and thought-provoking historical novel that sheds light on the Nazi Lebensborn program—a topic that is rarely explored in fiction. Set in a maternity home in Bavaria during World War II, the story follows three women—Gundi, Hilde, and Irma—who are brought together under vastly different circumstances. Through their intertwined stories, Coburn delivers a chilling yet empathetic narrative about an unimaginable chapter of history.

What stands out most in this book is the strength of the female protagonists. Gundi, a university student and resistance member, shows quiet defiance and courage in the face of her forced role in the program. Hilde, a naïve believer in Nazi ideology, is equally strong in her conviction, though her journey reveals the dangers of blind allegiance. Meanwhile, Irma, an older nurse seeking a fresh start, finds herself grappling with the moral dilemmas of her work. Each woman’s strength is unique to her situation, yet their resilience unites them in a powerful way.

Before reading this novel, I knew nothing about the Lebensborn project, but Coburn’s thorough research brought this horrifying piece of history to life. By presenting the program through the perspectives of Gundi, Hilde, and Irma, the book captures the complexity of this atrocity. The Author’s Note at the end is a standout feature, offering insight into the author’s research process and clarifying the blend of fact and fiction. It not only deepened my understanding but also reinforced the importance of remembering these dark moments in history.

While the novel is deeply engaging and informative, there are moments when the pacing slows or the character development feels secondary to the historical backdrop. However, the overall impact of the story makes up for these minor flaws.

Cradles of the Reich is both a cautionary tale and a testament to the resilience of women. It’s a gripping read that reminds us of the importance of solidarity and moral courage in the face of oppression.

I cannot sing enough praises for Cradles of the Reich. This historical fiction read checked all the boxes for what make an excellent read in the genre. It was atmospheric, had inspiring and strong characters, rich in history and things to learn and draw from, and a story that was powerful, poignant, and interesting. This WW2 story followed three women in various places in Germany, and through those lenses the reader experiences such a rich story of bravery and strength in such a dark and devastating time in history. I loved how there was even a little bit of mystery woven in here. I couldn't put this one down!

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the gifted e-copy!

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Really poignant story telling and writing, intriguing and surprising story, and fascinating to learn. This devastating history will stay with you.

Cradles of the Reich follow three women during WWII from ;3 different cities in Germany. All three are German and carry different beliefs about Hitler and his thinking. The story tells the background of each woman and how the all end up at Heim Hochland (a maternity home) . Each of the women question the reason behind the maternity home and wonder why they were there. From the beginning to the end the story was rich with characters and descriptions of what was happening in Germany. Part facts and part fiction I was pulled in. Ending was good but a little left out.

This story is based on untold historical events inside the Lebensborn Society maternity homes that existed during WWII. They had a "Program" to ensure that the German race is preserved and raised by good German families. Three women find themselves in precarious situations while trying to protect themselves and their unborn baby. Gundi Schiller is a university student who is pregnant and trying to keep the real identity of the father a secret as he is Jewish. Hilde Kramer is 18 years old who wants to be an actress but feels that her best chance for a good life is getting pregnant by a Nazi officer. She thinks that getting pregnant by high ranking Werner will secure a place within the regime. She happens to meet Gundi on the maternity ward. Irma is an older woman who works as a nurse who lives in a boarding house and engaged to Eduard who seems to be stalling moving forward with getting married. This is a view into the dark time in history where babies were being separated from their mothers due to their ethnicity.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks/Landmark for providing this book to me for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a great read! It's told from three different points of view and the women are all brave and amazing in their own way! Great story!

This was a great historical fiction novel. I actually learned so much that I didn't know. This story has multiple points of view and follows three different women's stories. We also follow get to know a nurse very well, once she finds out what is going on in Hitler's breeding houses she still stays to help the women, but in the end she changes their lives and really fights for what is right. Overall I gave this book a 4.25 stars. Great read.

For the most part this was a very written historical fiction. This is a part of history I’ve heard of but didn’t know too much about so it was interesting to read a book on it. I found the ending to be a bit abrupt, and would have liked to have more background on some of the characters

This book has everything I love--womens voices, interwoven time lines, a little mystery. It was a lot of fun to read and I'd recommend it to any lover of WWII fiction.

I just don't want to read any more WWII trauma p*rn books. couldn't get into this even if it is a slightly different area of focus than typical WWII fic.

This book is on a fascinating topic, and one I've been studying and writing about myself for the last three years. I was excited to read this novel and get another writer's take. I appreciated the three perspectives of very different women, which capture the indoctrination and also the casual acceptance of many German people of the time.

I was perplexed that the stories did not weave together. Two of the them do, but the third dangles, as if it's not part of the same narrative at all.

There were also some inaccuracies about Lebensborn, which very few people living today would catch. The biggest one is that misconceptions about the program are reinforced, that it was a place where girls came to learn how to woo SS men. In reality, women came there already pregnant, or to be employees. Both postpartum mothers and employees were. expected to become pregnant again as soon as possible, and Lebensborn made sure they came into contact with SS men, but there wasn't a herd of girls just living there for that purpose.

Also, one character mentions taking a pregnancy test, which did not exist until decades after the story takes place.

I both read and listened to the audio version of Cradles of the Reich and I was immediately drawn into young Gundi's story. It really is horrifying how they treated the Jewish people in Germany during World War 2. But I found it interesting and thought the narrator did a wonderful job!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 11 October 2022

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I could not finish this. The way the book jumped around between being third person and first person and the thoughts were not properly distinguished between the present. I loved the idea of the book but couldn’t not continue.

Such a well written book but now days I can only take so much so didn't love it as much as I should have. Great research too.

I want to preface this review with the caveat that this book isn't for everyone. Reading this book made me pretty uncomfortable, but in a good way - in the way it was intended. The topic explored in this book - the Lebensborn project - wasn't something I knew a whole lot about prior to reading this. If you asked me what it was, I could have probably told you it was a Nazi thing during WW2 and the Holocaust about stealing and making more Aryan babies. But I didn't realize how deep and impactful this "program" really was. You can tell how much research the author did when putting this book together and how authentic she wanted it to feel. I really think more people need to read this book. Those who don't study and learn from history are doomed to fall victim to it.

Eerie book about a Nazi breeding program and the lengths mothers will go to protect their children. The book has a fascinating and upsetting at the same time story line. However, I do feel like the writing fell short on this large story.

Historical fiction takes a hold of me every time! A very emotional and sometimes disturbing read, but one that is meant to be heard. Hard truths are difficult and this book appears to have been deeply researched and well written. Be ready to have your heart strings pulled!

Set against the backdrop of historical events, in 1935 during World War II, the Lebensborn Society Maternity Breeding Program emerged as a creation of the Nazis, intended to foster a so-called “master race.” The narrative unfolds through the experiences of three fictional women ensnared within the machinery of Lebensborn Society’s maternity homes.

One of these young women, Gundi, carries the child of the Jewish man she loves, a secret she guards closely as she is involuntarily sent away to bear what is meant to be a “racially pure” baby. Meanwhile, another young woman, Hilde, is a pregnant zealot devoted to the man wreaking havoc on lives and nations; she’s a fervent believer willing to make great sacrifices for her country. The third character, Irma, aged forty-two and estranged from her previous life, accepts a job at the same Bavarian breeding home where the two young pregnant women have been taken.

The existence of these homes where newborns were born, and the heartbreaking reality of babies being separated from their murdered parents in other countries, only to be chosen and handed over to German couples supporting the Reich, is truly harrowing and terrifying.

This story delves much deeper into these chilling historical events, making it an essential read for readers of historical fiction.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.