📱” Cradles of the Reich” by Jennifer Coburn
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐⭐ publication date Oct 11, 2022

Wow- an incredibly, well-researched story of 3 very different German women whose lives all intersect at Heim Hochland, a beautiful estate in Bavaria, where young German women of good lineage can live and eat in luxury during their pregnancy. Also young, fertile German women enjoy the finest things for entertaining high-up Nazi officers in hopes of becoming pregnant. Based on untold historical events, from inside one of Hitler’s Lebensborn Society maternity homes that actually existed during World War II, where thousands of "racially fit" babies were bred and taken from their mothers to be raised as part of the “new” Germany.

Thank you @netgalley for the Kindle ARC

✨Book Review✨

Happy Sunday! I participated in a buddy read of Cradles of the Reich this past month. You guys know I love a good historical fiction novel and I was really looking for to this one!

Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooks for the eARC of Cradles of the Reich.

Have you heard about the Nazi breeding program, Hitler’s attempt to create a so-called master race? I knew the Nazis did all sorts of horrific things, but this one was news to me.

The book follows three women, all playing different roles in this crazy Nazi scheme. It was eye-opening and I was disgusted multiple times.

In an effort to create a pure society in Germany, women are kept in a house where they are available to entertain German officers and pregnant women are cared for until they give birth and allow their babies to be adopted.

Cradles of the Reich tells a story of three women who find themselves in Heim Hochland, a maternity ward/ breeding home developed by Nazis. The aim of the Lebensborn program was to produce racially desirable Aryan babies. Although I was already aware of the Lebensborn concept, I think this will be an interesting read to those who wish to gain more insight into Nazis and WW2 topics.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Very poinent book about unbelievable acts from Germany WW II. The story follows 3 women from very different backgrounds and how they come together. Beautifully written with all its heartbreak, raw honesty and redemption.

I'm going to start by saying that I read a lot of HF. And have read voices from many different countries and the effect (and reach) Nazi Germany had during WWII. That said, I have yet to read anything that this novel talks about. The Lebensborn Program.

The author gave a new topic, a new spotlight, and a fresh horror to unpack for the reader. The fact that I was unware of the program says that we are just not reading enough about it. Here's the biggest pro: I think that the author did a brilliant job of researching the two major war efforts (Holocaust & Lebensborn) and how they worked hand-in-hand to create the belief system of Hitler's new world.

The characters themselves were developed but I found that Hilde was the one that wasn't dissected enough. It must have been hard to get into the head of an 18 yr old who held the prestige of being one of SS's "chosen ones" as a higher calling but I needed to know why she made that choice.

The negative (for me): I felt like the characters (3 women) didn't get enough time or a past formed on why they did what they did...almost like the book was slightly too short and they needed more of a backstory. Also I felt like the book just ended too fast. I wanted to know what happened to Hilde, Gundi or Irma. Or even Leo. I just needed more of the ending to tie things up even if it was in heartache.

I waver between 3.5 stars and 4 because of the uniqueness of the topic in a saturated WWII genre of HS but didn't quite make the mark of 4-5stars because of character development and the ending. I would still recommend it regardless because I do think that this spotlight on what was happening is a lesser-known piece of WWII in Germany.

Pub date: 10/11/22
Genre: historical fiction
Thank you @bookmarked for my e-ARC!

At Nazi breeding home Heim Hochland, three women will witness the horrors of the Lebensborn program firsthand. Exemplary Aryan Gundi is hiding a secret about her child's father, zealot Hilde hopes to impress the high-ranking officials, and nurse Irma can hardly believe what she's being asked to do. I loved getting these three diverse perspectives and seeing how their stories intertwined. WWII historical fiction fans - definitely add this to your list!

Cradles of the Reich

🎁 📚 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 🎁📚
4.5/5 🌟

If I didn’t know that this novel was based upon historical fact, I’d have characterized it dystopian womens fiction - that’s how unbelievable the subject of this well-researched book is.

Coburn brings to light the Nazi breeding program which actually took place during WWII. Young German women lived in what amounted to brothels, offering themselves to Nazi officers in attempts to become impregnated with perfect German babies to be adopted by wealthy families, in order for mothers to earn coveted medals for raising as many children as possible. Additionally, pregnant women with no marriage prospects found themselves part of this program, dubbed Lebensborn, forced to give up their babies to the Reich. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, - Nazi soldiers killed hundreds of thousands of parents and abducted their German-looking babies in Poland and other occupied countries to make them into “Germanized” citizens. It’s unthinkable, and it happened.

This story focuses on three very different German women and their reactions to the society in which they found themselves. Anti-semitism was woven into the cultural fabric of Germany at that time - every aspect of life was infused with it, from children’s books and board games to propaganda films and outright acts of violence. Some German citizens followed along whole-heartedly for the promise of a “pure” German race while others knew the treatment of the Jews and other “undermensch” was abhorrent and did their best to fight against it. Coburn also does address the concentration camps, although tangentially, as most German citizens were not aware of the extent to which Jews and others were so inhumanely treated and systematically murdered.

This one rocked me. I appreciated it’s different perspective and It brought up questions of HOW these types of atrocities happen in a seemingly civilized society (though this is inherently questioned in every Holocaust novel), about the environments that allow women’s bodies to be used for political gains, and about what it took, and takes, for one to stick by their beliefs in the face of grave danger.

There are endless amounts of stories stemming from the Holocaust, and while the focus should primarily be on the victims of the concentration camps (IMHO), this was a good one to fill
in perspective gaps about that period in history.

This one will be published on October 11 - I hope you’ll read it!

My thanks to @netgalley, @bookmarked and @jennifercoburn for the gift of an advanced reader’s copy in return for an honest review.

A very good book. Information I never really knew much about. Three woman during WWII and the paths they took to try and survive this horrendous war and the awful things that were done against humanity.

Loved this book. Lots of interesting information to digest. This is a great read for anyone who loves to read about history. Very well written

*****Publishing October 11, 2022*****


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cradles Of The Reich is based on the Nazi breeding program during WWII called the The Lebensborn Society. The Lebensborn Society are maternity homes for “racially pure” German mothers to live at until they have their baby. They are forced to give their baby up for adoption. The couples adopting pledge to raise the child to uphold the Nationalist Socialist Party values and to pledge their allegiance to Hitler. Young women are also recruited to live at the houses in order to get pregnant by Reich Officers, in order to breed “racially pure” children. Jennifer Coburn took a heartbreaking part of history and created an engaging story through the eyes of Gundi and Hilde, “racially pure” German women and Irma, a nurse, all who eventually lived at Heim Hochland, a maternity house. What will they experience? Will this experience question their own beliefs? Will they eventually figure out what is really going on?


From the research to the story to the characters in this book, this author created a heart breaking and powerful story! This book is hard to put down and will keep you thinking about it long after it is done. For those who love Historical Fiction, this is a must read! A great book club pick as it will lead to many great discussions.


Thanks to Jennifer Coburn, I was asked to read and review!

I read this new historical novel by Jennifer Coburn on the heels of “The Foundling” by Ann Leary. Both deal with eugenics programs. In “The Foundling,” set in 1920s America, a so-called medical institution attempted to restrict procreation by women deemed to have undesirable traits. By contrast, the Lebensborn program in Nazi Germany, depicted in “Cradles of the Reich,” sought to cultivate desirable Aryan traits through breeding at a chain of maternity homes.

The story is told through the eyes of three women: Gundi is a beautiful young woman, pregnant out of wedlock by a Jewish man and fellow resistance activist. If the ethnicity of her baby is discovered, the infant will be euthanized. Irma is a jaded nurse from World War I. She’s had enough of death and agrees to reenter nursing only if it can be as a midwife at one of the Lebensborn homes. Hilde is a true believer in the Nazi cause as well as ambitious. She becomes the mistress of a high ranking official in hopes of ingratiating herself with party leaders. Her married lover sends her to the maternity home when she becomes pregnant with his child.

The expectant mothers are pampered and well-fed at a time when Germany is suffering deprivations due to the war. However, their babies are taken away a few days after birth and placed with adoptive families. The babies are viewed as commodities where only the best will be selected. One unit in the facility houses yet-to-be pregnant women who are trained to satisfy the desires of Nazi officers and become ideal German homemakers.

The novel offers a fascinating look at a lesser-known aspect of WWII. It is sobering to consider that portions of the futuristic dystopian novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” have already been tried. Thank you NetGalley for an early version of this book.

My Interest

Liebstraum is one of my programs used to punish the horrific Nazi eugenics ideas in real life. Whether the children were born to unwed Aryan mothers who could prove the father also was Aryan or they were born to a young, willing, Aryan woman and an SS Officer or even that they were stolen from the “conquered” lands and taken back to Germany to be adopted by SS or other high-ranking Nazi families, all brought about the same end: furthering the numbers of Aryans.

This novel is what I’ve taken to calling a “Book Twin”–two books on the same subject appearing at about the same time. The earlier book was, The School for German Brides by Aimie K. Runyan (my review is linked).
The Story

NOTE: Lots of spoilers! Sorry! I just couldn’t hide them.

The story is told in a conventional way. Characters reflect various stereotypes. The nurse who has never married and is let down by her current beau takes a job in one of the Leibenstraum houses for expectant mothers or for “mothers in training.” The young women are stereotypes, too. One comes from a proudly Nazi family with a father who ignores her, the other, you guessed it, is the picture of Aryan everything but in love with a Jewish man. Only she goes along with the program and helps her gay friend by saying he, with an impeccable Aryan family, is the true father of her child.

Instead of experiencing all the normal Nazi events as she nears her due date, X flashes back on the events. The other, sadly can’t help herself and brags to one of the holiest of holy Nazi’s about who the father of her child is. Naturally, there is a big scene in which it all crashes down.
My Thoughts

This book was so “meh” I almost threw it back. If you are about 14 and know nothing of Nazi history it might be spellbinding. I had to wonder if this author was asked to write something to “compete” with the other book. I’m sure the author has better stories than this in her, I hope she is given the chance to tell those stories.
My Verdict
2 Stars

Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn releases on October 10, but is available now for pre-order.

This book was both fascinating and terrifying. I appreciated the author’s use of three different perspectives to explore this horrifying piece of history. As a mother of young children this book was an especially emotional read for me. Highly recommend to readers of historical fiction.

Cradles of The Reich discusses the little known Lebensborn society where German women were coerced into a breeding program during nazi rule. Their children were given up for adoption to high ranking officials as the women were made to believe it was their “patriotic duty”. The story is told from three women’s POVs and kept me hooked the whole time. I also enjoyed reading this with a group led by @wellred.bookclub!

In an overcrowded WW2 historical fiction space, this was a unique and little known element of the further atrocities the nazis committed. I definitely recommend this book to continue to learn how to recognize the signs of indoctrination, fear mongering, and what happens when we don’t stop charismatic dictators from taking power.

Set during WWII Bavaria, Cradles of the Reich is based on the true and lesser-known Lebensborn Society maternity homes story. With the goal of racial purity, Heinrich Himmler strongly encouraged SS officers to breed with pure Aryan women to create a perfect Nazi-Aryan nation. Many women were ecstatic and proud to be part of the program. They were housed in better rooms than many had, were fed well and had a sisterhood of sorts. Over a quarter of a million babies were also wrenched from their families and taken away to "Germanize". Some were raised by SS couples, others were deemed not good enough and killed.

In this heartbreaking but beautiful book, three women with unrelated lives meet at a breeding hospital, Heim Hochland. Deceit abounds as Nazi propaganda is rife including that of "mothers-in-training" which sounds much nicer than the reality. Middle-aged nurse Irma with life experience saw the goings on at the "maternity hospital". Pregnant teen Hilde was over the moon happy about carrying the racially pure baby of a high-ranking Nazi official. Prized Aryan Gundi was part of the Resistance. Readers are privy to the fascinating viewpoints of these and other characters. Interesting to read but also extremely sad and disturbing to know that this happened to real people.

My favourite aspects about the book are the unique storyline, the perspectives of the women involved in various ways and the gorgeous and emotive writing which swept me away into a completely different world.

Historical Fiction fans in particular ought to pick up this book. Well worth your time. It compelled me to do further research to educate myself.

My sincere thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this difficult yet captivating book. My heart broke as I learned more about the horrendous Lebensborn tragedy and kidnappings which ended in incomprehensible devastation for the children who had no voice. Books like this are important.

This story Is about three vastly different women during a dark time in history. The Lebensborn Society was a maternity house for a breeding program to create a “master race” in Germany under Hitler’s rule. The three women in the story end up at this house for different reasons and they have very different ideas of what is right and what is hideously wrong. The subject was well researched and well told. Often times in these retellings only focus on the people who opposed Hitler. The author did a good job of exposing those who enabled the type of thinking that allowed these atrocities. Thank you to NetGalley and Sorcebooks Landmark for the ARC. This is my unbiased review.

Pub date: October 11, 2022
Pages: 320

Cradles if the Reich by Jennifer Coburn tells the story of Irma a nurse, Gundi unwed and pregnant and Hilde a Reich mistress and how they all came to be at an estate that is now a birthing center for the Reich. Each girl had a different story and a very different personality which made the book interesting and kept me reading. I was very surprised at the sudden and abrupt ending. I had to think about it and did each girl have an end to their story. Thank you NetGalley for letting me review this book.

3.25 – 3.5 STARS

Set against a WWII backdrop, “Cradles of the Reich” is a fictional story based on historical events, unfolding to the harsh realities of the Nazi breeding program through the entwined stories of 3 fictitious women who form a connection at Helm Hochland--a Lebensborn Society maternity home.

While I found the historical elements horrifying and disturbing, it really opened my eyes to atrocities that I was previously blind to. But it’s the individual stories of Gundi, Irma, and Hilde that felt a bit flat to me. Told in alternating POV’s, I found their unique stories interesting, but they were not as powerful or emotionally-charged as I had hoped. Therefore, the overall story ultimately fell short of my high expectations.

In this historical fiction story set during the rise of Hitler in WWII, we catch a glimpse into the ideology of Hitler’s program for creating a Superior Aryan race through the establishment of homes for pregnant mothers representing the most perfect Germanic qualities – fair skin, blond, and blue eyed. Pregnant young girls were highly selected to take part, whether pregnant or not, where upon birth their children were then adopted into German families to become indoctrinated into the Reich. I found it pretty creepy and actually horrifying for these exploited women as this wasn’t voluntary and many were tricked. And how terrifying that those whose children born too dark or not meeting the criteria of the perfect German race, were destroyed. Gundi seems to be the perfect German girl but in reality, she sympathizes with the Resistance and the hides the fat that her baby’s father is Jewish. Hilde is a true “Hitler Girl” in hopes of having a baby with an officer in hopes of showing her devotion and importance. Irma is a retired nurse, but looking for purpose in life and agrees to work at the home, unaware of its true origins. I liked that the narration varied between these women so as to gain a different perspective and to empathize with their plight. This well researched story seemed to move quickly and was heartbreaking to read about more atrocities that were committed by such misguided people. It’s not a book that I would say is enjoyable to read, but it is history that is important to not ignore less we repeat.
Many thanks to #netgalley #sourcebookslandmark #jennifercoburn for the opportunity to read and review this book.