Member Reviews
Anna lives with her mother, sister and their children in Nazi-occupied Prague while their husbands are away with the Resistance. They live in fear of the Brown Sisters, who scour towns in Nazi-occupied lands for Aryan-looking children to steal and send to Germany to be raised by German families. Anna's daughter Ema is snatched away from her in the marketplace and Anna makes the tough choice to move to Dresden to be employed in one of the nurseries where children are kept before being parceled out to German families. Anna comes across her sister's son, who has also been stolen, and must exercise cunning and strength to save their children. A fascinating and emotional account of a mother's love, courage and bravery in unthinkable circumstances.
A novel that relates the shocking story of how the Nazis took children of Aryan appearance from mothers in occupied Czechoslovakia during the later years of the Second World War.
Sisters Dasa and Anna live with their mother Matka, their husbands being away with the resistance. They have four children, all blond and fair skinned. The Brown Sisters, women employed by the Reich, are scouring their town for suitable children.
At first, they try to disguise their children, using scarce coal to dye their hair, but they know this is not the answer.
Neighbours might help them, but who can they trust?
Anna's daughter Ema is taken. She is desperate to find her daughter, so finds out where Ema has been taken to and impersonates a good German woman to get herself employed as a nurse there. She meets a tall, young, blond German working there as a gardener - why is he not serving in the military? Perhaps he too has a secret.
Then, she must work out a way to rescue her daughter...
A really compelling read, showing the struggles of those in countries occupied by the Nazis.
This was a very emotional and thought provoking book that showed the strength of mothers during WW2 and the lengths some were prepared to go to for their children. This story follows Anna who goes in search of her daughter Ema who has been taken by the Nazis as part of their Lebensraum program. Andie Newton had very obviously done some great research and it was interesting to read about the war from a different perspective. Very strong characters and very descriptive events and places. I read this in one day and would highly recommend this but also defy anyone who reads it not to be moved by it. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins, Just One Chapter for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
An emotional story set in WWII about child abduction. Based on horrifying true facts it's a mother's search for her daughter after she is snatched by the infamous Brown Sisters. The author has clearly done a lot of research about the issue and the book resonates with truth. The fact that these horrors occurred, that war is rearing it's ugly head again and the far right are gaining ground is hugely worrying.
Well written and extremely thought provoking
3.5/5 stars
Another great read by Andie Newton. If you like historical fiction particularly that revolving around events of WWII then you will find this a must read.
A mothers love for her child is the strongest bond and the main character in this book Anna proves just how strong it is.
A touching yet harrowing story of stolen children that were part of the Lebensborn program in WWII.
The Nazi program was aimed at strengthening the German race with Aryan blood. The program not only kidnapped babies and toddlers from parents in lands the Germans took over during World War II, and gave them to a German family to raise but they promoted unmarried German women deemed “racially valuable” to give birth to their children at Lebensborn homes.
This title had me floored from the beginning! I had heard about the kidnapping of children by the Reich in order to pass them off as Aryan, but I had not thought about parents who fought back. This was just gripping, as we follow the story of a woman's journey to save the lives of not only her own daughter and nephew but also to help others. As a parent, I didn't stop reading until it was over, and it was a roller-coaster. I would recommend this book for readers who want to see things from the perspective of the parents fighting back.
This wonderful book is based on a true story. It's is based around the czech Dankova family. Annas husband is in the
Czech resistance and she has been looking after there daughter but when blonde haired Ema is snatched she has to go to great lengths to get her back from the nazis.
Full of courage and determination.
Excellent.
I was hesitant to read this book about a mother who risks everything going undercover to rescue her daughter who was snatched by the Nazis for the Lebensborn programme. I knew it would be an emotional read and hit a little close to home for me. Andie Newton is an auto-read author for me and I was confident that she’d do this topic justice.
It took me forever to read. In a good way! It’s a spectacular read and pulled on my heartstrings. At times it was so intense I had to put the book down and do something mindless to keep me occupied. I’d come back to it and be swept up in the beautiful writing and quick pace … the glimmer of hope getting brighter as I kept reading.
I felt the palpitating tension, desperation, panic and deep sense of loss as Anna leaves no stone unturned in her search for her child.
If you haven’t heard about the notorious Brown Sisters, you must read this book. These female nurses were dedicated to the Nazi cause and searched through villages and towns for Aryan-looking children. Once located, the Sisters would relate the information to the local SS and the children would disappear from their homes at night. The Third Reich’s theft of children is definitely a chapter in the annals of history that I’d never come across. Thanks for bringing it to my attention, Andie Newton.
You’ll love the heroine mothers, Anna, Dasa and Matka and their love for their children that enabled them to move mountains.
I was gifted this copy by Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I have recently been reading several books set during World War 2 in a variety of settings. This is the first that was an eye opener for me about a different atrocity of the times.
Andie Newton has written so compassionately and with great understanding of a mother's love and protection for her children. The main character, would do anything for her daughter to keep her safe in such difficult times. Apart from her own mother and sister who else can she trust? There are other questions in my head but these would give away the storyline.
This book comes highly recommended, it is an easy read that you can't put down even though the subject matter is disturbing.
How far would you go as a mother to save your child? What risks would you be willing to take to save your child from a country that has stolen your child and is attempting to indoctrinate your child to conform to their sinister beliefs? How would you cope being alone when your entire life has been stolen from you? These are just a few of the many questions that came to mind as I read this beautifully crafted book by Andie Newton.
In this book you will quickly fall in love with the strong, determined, brave and bold main character, Anna. Anna lives with her family in Nazi-Occupied Prague and aside from the Nazi Soldiers and Gestapo that make them fear for their safety every waking moment, Anna and her family are terrified of the "Brown Sisters" - a group of Nazi indoctrinated women whose sole job is to steal children from occupied countries and send them back to Germany to become Germanized and given to German families to raise. When tragedy strikes and Anna finds her daughter Ema stolen, Anna comes to a crossroad: give up or fight.
The story tells the remarkable story of how Anna chose to fight back and the lengths a mother will go and the risks she will take to save her child and make sure her child is safe. I love the how the author tells the story and how each character is introduced so intricately and the development is phenomenal. Kudos to Andie Newton for touching on a subject that is so unknown to so many and bringing awareness to the kidnappings that occurred during WWII across Europe in the name of "Nazism". Job well done! And if I could give this book more than 5 stars I would.
Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins for this ARC of A Child for the Reich. I read this in one sitting and wow. What a beautiful story of survival and the lengths it might take for a mother to protect her child. While I wished that this book and story was longer, it was an incredible read. I loved each character that was introduced and the plot flowed well. A five star read.
A Child for the Reich is a wonderful book written with such compassion .Although a work of fiction ,during WW2 the Nazi's did commit horrific acts stealing children that looked Aryan and giving them to German Families to bring up so this is based on truth. Anna is Czechoslovakian and when her daughter is stolen form her arms in a market by the Nazi's she moves heaven and earth in her mission to find her ,she truly is very brave and how horrific it must have been for her .The story is fast paced and sometimes very tense as Anna doesn't really know who to trust .I very much enjoyed reading this book .Thankyou to NetGalley for my ARC.
This is a pretty good book. I don’t search out books about the atrocities of WWII but sometimes they seem to just come to me. This book is about the home/mansion that the Germans had to take the babies/children they stole off of the streets, from houses, anywhere really to train for their perfect race. Sorry for the run on sentence. I thought I might put the book down and just not finish it several times but the story kept pulling me in. The characters were well developed and the storyline captivating. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.
I loved Andie Newton's previous work, so I was really looking forward to this one - it did not disappoint! Rich in historical detail as well as drama, Newton has clearly researched her subject matter thoroughly and this really draws you into the story. I felt for the protagonist and, as with her last couple of books, I ugly-cried at various points (this is definitely a positive!).
I very much enjoyed reading about an aspect of the war I was previously unaware of, and this coupled with Ms Newton's ability to craft a page-turner means I can heartily recommend this book, to fans not just of WW2 drama but to anyone who enjoys a well written, exciting and at times emotional story.
I am an absolute sucker for a WW2 novel. I think it is my favorite place in history to read about and I always learn something new. When in school I wanted to learn the most about this war, mainly because it is just so appalling to me what happened to so many innocent people.
The Nazis are on the lookout for Aryan looking children to give proper German homes. Finding many Aryan looking children in Czech and Poland, the brown sisters as they were called, would entice hildren from their mothers with candy. Once they were captured, they were taken to facilities and indoctrinated in the way of the Nazis. Anna has gone years avoiding the brown sisters but when they get their hands on her daughter she is besides herself with grief and worry. Anna is determined and looking Aryan herself, goes undercover as a German nurse where her daughter was taken. Anna does everything she can to ensure her daughter is safe, but will it be enough to reunite them?
Just wow, this book was amazing and it taught me something new. After I finished I spent all afternoon learning more about the taking of Czech children. The authors writing style was amazing and I was hooked from the beginning. I didn’t want to put this one down and was annoyed when something else needed my attention. At first I found the 400 pages daunting as it’s a little long for me, but now that I’m done I feel that this author could have continued on for way longer. I gave this one 5 out of 5 stars, and I’m sure I’ll be thinking about it for a long time.
As always I’d like to extend my thanks to @netgalley and the publisher, Harper Collins UK - @onemorechapterhc, for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out early December (Dec 9th) so make sure to add this to your list if you’re looking for a heart wrenching holiday read.
I have not come across Andie Newton before but will now be looking up her other works. As is my custom, I will not be describing the storyline here as I believe that the blurb writers do a better job without giving away crucial parts of the plot.
Although this book was rather slow to get going, it built wonderfully and had me reading well past 'lights out'. What a subject matter! I had vaguely heard of the Reich program but was unaware as to how widespread it was. Don't miss the authors note at the end which shares a little about the research undertaken. Recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.
I really enjoyed this book. It is my first read by this author and I will definitely look to read more of her books in the future. I felt the first part of the story was quite slow and a little too drawn out for my liking though. The main character Anna is very likeable, brave and when her daughter is taken by the Reich to be raised as a true German she is determined to find her and bring her home. This book is beautifully written, it flowed so smoothly and the author created lots of tense moments throughout. I could really feel Anna’s fear at times through the risks she was taking and had a lot of empathy for her. This is a book that catches your emotions - it is a haunting read at times because you know from history that this actually happened. Overall a very good read that is quite thought provoking, and I’d recommend this if you enjoy historical fiction, particularly set around the WW2 period.
Although this is a work of fiction, the research and storyline validate the horrendous historical facts of the Second World War when thousands of Aran-looking young children and babies were stolen by the Reich to be raised as German children. This became known as the Lebensborn program. After Anna’s daughter is stolen, she leaves Czechoslovakia and arrives in Dresden and secures a job working in one of the many nurseries, where the children are subjected to a strict regime, devoid of any love or compassion before being adopting by German families. Whilst at the nursery Anna witnesses the arrival of her sister’s baby son, who has also been kidnapped. Through cunning and nerve, Both children are eventually reunited with Anna, her sister and mother after the war. A very touching, at times upsetting, story based on real events providing an insight into history.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers HarperCollins One More Chapter for this advance copy.
A harrowing and chilling story of the Lebensborn featuring the Brown Sisters, the ‘Aunts’ of the Handmaid’s Tale. Though much of the historical documents surrounding the Lebensborn project have been lost or destroyed, this story shows the anguish and pain the women who lost their children to the Nazis must have felt, and the lengths many of them wished they could have gone to to get their children back.
I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
This book is a fictional account of yet another atrocity that the Nazis committed during WWII. They took blonde-haired children from orphanages and from their families in the countries they occupied and sent them back to Germany to be adopted into German families. The anguish of having a child ripped from a mother's arms is too horrible to contemplate. This book takes us into one woman's life as she strikes out to find her child and bring her home again. As a mother, this book is horrifying, but also such a compelling read.