Dual timeline germany during the 1940s. And mostly in the States during 1979 1980
Such a captivating and powerful book. It broke my heart. So horrendous and warped ideas people followed and executed. It scared me. I seriously cried for the Main characters. A must read book
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

The Children We Lost by Catherine Hokin is a powerful dual timeline novel that completely captivated me. It is horrendous, heart breaking and powerful.
The action is set during World War II in Berlin and also in 1979/1980 America. We see the dreadful exploits of the Angel of Death in Germany during the war, continue afterwards. Far from seeing what was done as war crimes, the Angel of Death is proud of her lifetime of horrendous crimes.
We see the power wielded as one chooses who lives and who dies, who is deemed worthy and who isn’t. First it was the Jewish people during World War II, then it was the African Americans in Alabama as the white supremacists supported the horrendous acts of prejudice and inequality.
The Lebensborn program of the Nazis robbed families of children, and children of their mothers. Blonde haired, blue-eyed boys were selected for the Nazis Fatherland. Girls were not valued so highly, being viewed only as good for breeding boys. The army of drab brown-uniformed sisters were selected to blend in as they stole children. They were meant to be unmemorable. The novel is grounded in fact as the brown sisters actually existed.
1970’s America sets up a new department determined to bring the guilty to justice, and to reunite the innocent with their birth mothers. Age old secrets come to life, illuminating the horror of it all.
The Children We Lost was a powerful read. It completely consumed me, it horrified me and it broke my heart for the mothers whose babies were quite literally ripped from their arms or stolen from under their noses. We must never forget.
I received a free copy from the publishers for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Compelling story that covers 2 time periods, WWII and 1980 in Birmingham Alabama. The story follows an organization trying to hunt Nazis and also re connect children who were stolen from their Mothers by the Nazis. There is incredible evil shown in the story, the actions people take because of their warped views. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Simply extraordinary! I can think of no other way to describe Catherine Hokin's latest book and I hope I have adequate skills to write a review that will do it justice. I was hooked before reaching the bottom of the first page until I finished the last with a satisfied sigh. Although I have read many books about World War II, this one bombarded me with new and horrifying information. It is part historical fiction and part high-octane thriller with characters to love and others so vile that they made me nauseous.

This novel touches on the development of the V-2 rockets, both the German scientists and the slave labor that built them. The larger part concerns the Nazi racial purity programs, including the Lebensborn homes and the widespread kidnapping of children with Aryan attributes in occupied countries. It also addresses the large number of Nazi scientists who were brought to the United States and given jobs, citizenship, and protection. Many lived happily and successfully in the segregated South which is a stomach-turning revelation. This is accomplished in a dual storyline where the World War II characters are insidiously connected to the 1980 characters. The plot is so tightly woven, tense, and fast-paced that at times I had to remind myself to breathe. As I've already said, The Children We Lost is simply extraordinary and I am in awe of Catherine Hokin's talent. This is a book that will appeal to everyone and it was a privilege to read it.

I'm grateful to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are my own.