When the Englewood Hospital calls Katrine to pick up her mother after an accident, little did she know that her life as well as her relationship with her mother would change. Katrine has a difficult relationship with her mother, Allina, but Katrine soon discovers that her mother has a past. This is the beginning of The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri. As a young girl in Nazi Germany, Allina is what is called a Mischling, a person with some Jewish blood. One day the Nazis come into her village, and she loses everyone near and dear to her. She is sent to Hochland House. There she works to help the pregnant women who will give birth for the glory of the Fatherland. She also meets Gruppenfuhrer Karl von Strassberg. As Allina and Karl get to know each other, they discover that they are both appalled with Hochland House and especially, the impaired children on the third floor, who are part of Himmler’s eugenics program. Working together and at great danger to themselves, they attempt to help as many of the children as possible. A sad, but in its own way, uplifting story. I would recommend this book.

When Allina finds a wooden box hidden under her eldery mother's closet floor, her mother decides to tells her about her life in Nazi, Germany where she was a nurse in a Lebensborn home (aka Nazi baby factory). The children are treated horribly and Allina, along with a man she falls in love with, are determined to find a way to help them. This was a time in history I didn't have much knowledge of and a time period that was very tragic and heartbreaking. This was a very well researched, expertly written, page turner of a book that is definitely a must read!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book.

Allina has a great life in her small German village with her Aunt, Uncle, and fiance! But things are not as idyllic as they seem. When the SS storms her village, killing many of the citizens, Allina barely escapes with her life and is brought to Hochland Home to work. There she is faced with the horrors of the Himmler's Lebensborn Program. As she tries to survive and not let her true feelings show, she catches the attention of a high ranking SS Officer, Karl. Both have secrets to hide, but will they be able to learn to trust each other? And will they be able to stay safe?
This is an enjoyable historical fiction book that covers some parts of the Nazi eugenics programs that is rarely discussed. I first learned about these houses when I read Cradles of the Reich, by Jennifer Coburn, two years ago.
I found this one a bit difficult to get into, but as the story progressed I was anxious to find out what would happen! I appreciated the perspective of an average German citizen who had secrets to hide, trying to work through the horrors and fears of life under Nazi rule. It is not always a perspective we see much in WWII historical fiction. We know from the beginning that Allina has a child who she doesn't share her past with, as her daughter discovers a box with a swastika and asks her to explain. The theme of secrets and trusting others, and even the freedom of letting those secrets go runs throughout the story.
If you are a fan of intrigue, love, historical fiction, or just a really good story, I would recommend this one to you! It is set to be published 12 Nov, so add it to your TBR and check it out then!
Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the free advanced copy!
#NetGalley #TheSunfloweHouse

This is a fantastic read that kept me turning pages until I was finished. The story begins in 2006 in Ramsey, NJ when Katrine has to help her elderly mother, Allina, who had fallen and was treated in the hospital. While at her mother's house in her bedroom, she came across a loose floor board and upon prying it up, she found a wooden box with a swastika on it which contained letters and articles. She confronts her mother who agrees to tell her about the secrets that she had been keeping all of these years. The story then goes to the summer of 1938 in Badensburg, Germany where Allina is being raised by her aunt Claudia and uncle Dieter. Her uncle is working with the resistance and helping to save Jewish people. One night, her aunt and uncle are murdered and Allina is taken by the SS, assaulted and taken to the state-run baby factory called Hochland Home where she is forced to work as a nurse. There, she meets SS officer Karl who she eventually forms a friendship with and together they work together to try to save the children. I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars because it deserves it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this very interesting book.

WWII historical fiction centered on a young Jewish woman who is forced to work in a Nazi Lebensborn home while keeping her identity a secret. It was interesting (and chilling) to learn about the Lebensborn program. It was an interesting book, but kind of typical of the genre: atrocities, acts of nobility and sacrifice, romance in the midst of the horror, etc. Recommended for fans of WWII historical fiction.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

This is an interesting take on WWII historical fiction. I had no idea that these baby making factories existed! The writing is excellent and the plot kept me interested. If you like WWII, you’ll enjoy this book!

The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri is a story that took the author several decades to write. It is her debut novel. The story begins in the present day. Katrine rushes to her mother after she takes a fall off a ladder. She makes a very disturbing discovery under the floor boards in her mother’s closet. Katrine’s mother, Allina, asks her daughter for the opportunity to explain. The overriding question is will Katrine come to terms with what she wil learn.

The author writes this story in a dual time line. One is present day and the other just prior to and during World War II. Allina becomes a witness and a victim of Himmler’s eugenics program that ‘creates’ perfect Aryan children.

Allina and Officer Karl von Strassberg make plans to help the children who are rejected by the eugenics program. Allina and Karl were resisters who were trying to destroy Hitler’s Germany. Alina and Karl’s story gives the reader hope that there were Germans who didn’t agree with Hitler’s new Germany. Despite Karl’s ‘day’ job which ultimately makes his life a living hell, the author does an excellent job of making Allina and Karl sympathetic characters. The work the two did to save Jewish children from the Nazi War machine is inspiring.

Ms. Allegri clearly has done her research. Her writing is seamless and transportive. She brings the reader into the horrific moments of Hitler’s master race. Her characters are so well thought out and very memorable. The settings are so vivid that you can picture yourself at Houghlan House and the Sunflower House.

I highly recommend this debut novel. Ms. Allegri has a gift and I look forward to seeing what she has in store for us next.

I would like to thank Ms. Allegri, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 Stars

The Sunflower House packs an emotional punch. A tale of intrigue and romance provide the foundation of exploring Nazi Germany's government sponsored and sanctioned homes of the Lebensborn Program. The program's goals were to create a superior (read that white) nation of future Nazis and Hitler idolaters.

What made this tale a bit unusual for the World War II Historical Fiction genre was the involvement of a Mischling and a Nazi Officer. It begs the question: can the reader be swayed or empathetic toward a main character that is profoundly a Nazi? No spoilers here.

Told in a then and now format. A woman in her 60's finds a box marked by a swastika buried among her elderly mother's things. A pandora's box, if you will. Chapter by chapter the story of Allina and Karl is unspooled by Allina to her daughter revealing the traumas both personal and witnessed decades early.

As a debut novel, I am impressed on how the author was able to create characters that I could both love and despise. Though I feel there were a couple of time jumps, the Sunflower House will certainly satisfy those that love Historical Fiction and perhaps add to the knowledge that we readers often learn through such a book.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an early electronic copy. All opinions are my own.

Allina was living a very happy and content life, until the night she loses everyone she cares about, and it taken by a German officer. after being brutally beaten, she is taken to Hochland Home. A home for “pure” woman to give birth to and then adopt out the next generation of the German race. What they don’t know is that Allina’s mom was Jewish. When she sees what happens to the “imperfect” children, Allina knows she needs to do something. Between helping others, and trying to protect herself, Allina is running herself into the ground. When she finds an unexpected partner in crime, the two do everything they can to fight Hitlers plans.


PHEW PHEW PHEW. This is NOT an easy read friends. Honestly, I kind of feeling like right now I can’t read cute happy stuff. It just isn’t doing it for me. Maybe my head is just not in a happy go lucky place so I can’t appreciate it? I’m not sure, but it takes me over a week to read a rom com, but a thriller or historical fiction? I speed through. Anyway, this book was absolutely fantastic, but horrifically hard to swallow at the same time. Reading about the baby rooms that Allina was working in just made me sick to my stomach. I don’t want to spoil anything but I just loved some of the characters, even though it was hard to justify the things they were doing in order to be able to help the Jewish population. This one will leave you debating whether what these characters did was “right,” or enough, and would be a great book club pick. I think it would lead to some really fascinating conversations. Something that really stood out to me while reading this book, was how quickly and easily people fell under Hitler’s spell, and started doing his bidding. It was impossible to read without comparing to a certain person running for president right now, and how easily we could fall under a similar leadership. So if I haven’t said it enough recently….VOTE!

Thank you to @stmartinspress for my gifted copy of this book!

“Secrets can’t exist in the light of truth, and while the truth can be painful to hear, its lasting gift is peace. I know this is true, because my mother taught it to me.”

The Sunflower House by Adrianna Allegri is the horrific story of the Lebensborn Project started by SS officer Himmler during World War II. Allegri gathered information over a 20 year period creating a masterpiece of a story that teaches people about the true monsters Hitler and his officers were.

The story takes place at Hochland House, the first home built in 1936, where hand selected women came to create as many perfect Arian children as they could so that the children could be adopted by German couples who could not have children of their own. This was a way to expand the German population and increase the “perfect” race. This did happen. But…… what happened to the children that were not born perfect and could not be adopted? How did the women survive having their children taken away?
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Katrina comes to take care of her sick mother, Allina, in 2006 and stumbles across a box with a swastika on it. She is scared, but determined to find out what it all means. Secrets of who her father was has kept Kristina and her mother apart for years. Is she ready to hear the story that was keep secret for over 70 years. Will the story of her mother’s life be the truth that brings them back together or will the truth continue to keep them apart?

This is an unputdownable read and an important one. As like what is happening in our world right now must never be forgotten, so must the atrocities that occurred during Hitler’s reign never be forgotten. The way to never forget is to keep writing about the time period so that we can get the stories in as many hands as possible. Thank you Adrianna Allegri for helping the world to never forget.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is an excellent story that must be read. It will be out November 12, 2024.

Language: PG13+ (18+ swears, 1+ "f"); Mature Content: R; Violence: PG13+
While I generally find WWII historical fiction books fascinating, this one hit my heart with too much pain. The descriptions of rape are not crass but are detailed enough to be uncomfortable, and I don't want to keep reading about these atrocities.
The mature content rating is for mentions of alcohol, kissing, groping, nudity, and rape. The violence rating is for corpses, assault, gun use, and murder.

The Sunflower House is the story about Lebensborn program. I knew nothing about this prior to reading about it. To say that I'm shocked and horrified is understatement. Wondering how such evil could exist is beyond me. I've taken this story into my heart and mind as a reminder of what could happen again in the future. The story resonates with on a personal level as a mother. I highly recommend this book.

I had no idea about the Lebensborn Program and the Lebensborn Houses and this program during the war. I learned so much through the eyes of Allina, Karl and the rest of the characters. The story of Allina and Karl and their determination to protect as many children as possible was incredible. They took extreme risks in the face of danger. I did not want to stop reading. I look forward to the next books this debut author writes.

A read that brings to light some of the atrocities that happened during the reign of terror of WWII.
This is a fictional read, based on truth, and the author brings this story alive, she gives us main characters that are fictional, but based on Lebensborn Program, a real program that was in place to make a strong Aryan race of people. The author brings to light the horrible, sterile conditions these poor babies lived in, and what happens to those that don't make the cut.
I really loved the way this story begins, and then how it is told, what a great opening to share this horrible time in the world's history.
The author also give us some great notes at the end of this book, and such insight into the horrible happenings that were occurring!
A story that would make a great movie, and should be a mandatory read!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive review.

Sometimes, one unforgettable story, like The Sunflower House, comes along and touches me deeply with its resilient characters, formidable plot, and extremely beautiful and heartbreaking love story.

Allina is a strong and spirited young woman in a time when personal convictions can get you killed. I can’t imagine the terror and loneliness she experienced while trying to keep a dangerous secret and survive during the war. Her love of the children at Hochland Home gives her purpose as she tries to save as many as she can from the atrocities being inflicted on innocent people.

Allina is understandably reticent of everyone around her, and when the kind and thoughtful SS officer, Karl, takes an interest in her, she is extremely wary. Karl has his own deadly secret and elicits Allina’s help for his cause. Their love story is beautiful, but their partnership is rife with risks and difficult choices that ripped my heart out. Historical fiction/romance during WWII is challenging to balance between good and evil, and Karl’s character is so complex and tragic as he fights for his country in his own way but loses his soul in the process. The way he protects Allina and his daughter, Katrine, is extraordinary.

Ms. Allegri does an excellent job explaining the Lebensborn Program, which was a genuine state-run baby factory established by the Nazis to perpetuate the Aryan race. It has been recorded that German women volunteered as part of the war effort, but it’s likely, as in Allina’s case, that not all women were given a choice. The two timelines with Allina’s grown daughter and Allina’s journey as a young girl are skillfully woven together as mother and child come together over tragedy.

I could not put this book down. This exceptional story has left an indelible mark on my heart and mind, earning its rightful place among my favorite reads of the year.

Thank you to Ms. Allegri for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

Absolutely couldn't put this book down. It was so emotional and heartbreaking to read this story but the author wrote it beautifully. Thank you very much for allowing me to read this and leave my opinion. Thank you to the author and the publisher for this book .

5 bright stars! Wow. This book is why I love historical fiction. It was an amazing story and I learned about events in history I was unfamiliar with. Be sure to read the authors note at the end of the book

The story follows Allina and begins when her small village is raided by German soldiers looking for traitors. One soldier seems her special and “saves” her. He brings her to Hochland home. Hochland home is part of the Lebensborn program - Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless program that consisted of women who were “working” to further the Aryan race by providing children. Allina is tasked with working in a nursery at the home. Eventually she falls under the protection of Karl, a high-ranking SS officer. Together they forge ahead sharing family secrets, love and determination. Highly recommend.

For the first half of this book I was fully invested in and very much enjoying the story. The writing was immersive, the story heartbreaking, and being brought along with Allina to Hochland Home was interesting (in a horrifying and sad sort of way). But once I got to the halfway point the story shifted to be focused more on the romance, and I got bored. The writing didn’t feel as immersive at that point, and I just didn’t enjoy it as much.

Also, the book is basically a mother telling her daughter the story. So it felt like a very odd choice to include some slightly descriptive open door scenes. And they didn’t fit the tone of the book either, so it just felt weird. And at one point we are told about things that the main character couldn’t possibly know, so that’s didn’t fit the narrative either. Not a huge problem, but it kind of bugged me.

Anyways, my slight issues with the book are not likely to bother most people. I think this one is going to be very popular. And I did like the book and thought it was well written. So definitely give it a shot if you’re a fan of historical fiction!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC of this book.

Through this novel, I was fascinated (and sickened) to learn of Germany’s Lebensborn houses during WWII, houses established as “baby farms” for the purpose of increasing and multiplying the Aryan race — something that Hitler fervently desired. I applaud the author in being able to tell this atrocious story through characters who were deeply concerned with protecting the child victims of Hitler’s maniacal tendencies and who exhibited love, compassion, and sacrifice — and who were some of the finest people that the human race had to offer. All in all, this was an enlightening and uplifting read, mainly because of Allina and Karl, the main characters.

Let me first say that this is a book that will stay with you for some time. This debut author knew how to bring her characters to life, and the story was original. I couldn’t put it down.

There are duel timelines, but not to the point of distracting from the main story. When Katrine discovers a hidden box in her elderly mother’s closet, she needs answers. Why? They are living in the USA. The box has a swastika on the lid.

Her 86-year-old mother, who was resting after falling off the step stool in her closet has no excuses. Time is getting short and she has a story that her daughter needs to hear.

Since I’m not a fan of reading a synopsis, they have a way of sharing too much, I’m just going to say that this story will keep the pages turning. This unique story was woven around history that was new to me. However, I never felt like the story was secondary to the history. Allegri let the characters do the telling and the history fell into place.

Allina, the 86-year-old lady relating this story to her daughter will quickly win you over. She is frail at the appropriate times yet has plenty of spunk. And the characters that surround her are a mix that feels believable. I could feel their emotions pounding in my chest: their dilemmas and choices. 

It would make a wonderful movie since it covers people and circumstances that are so touching.

My Concern

While we all know this part of history was horrendous, the author has injected a good side of humanity. I had no concerns.

Final Thoughts

I recently discovered how much I like historical fiction. But . . . the last few books have fallen short and I’ve started to pass on the genre. However, I liked the title and cover of The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri, so I thought I give the genre one more try.

It provided the boost that I needed. Bravo to a new author who I will certainly be watching. And while I try not to push a book to the point it can’t meet expectations, don’t overlook this gem.

My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Publishing for a digital copy.