I first learned about the Lebensborn program 25 years ago while watching a History Channel documentary. It’s popping up in more historical fictikn which is good because I don’t think many people are aware of it.
Allegri’s approach is a unique one about Allina who worked at the very first Lebensborn home.
It’s chilling but provocative.
I learned a few new pieces of information from the author’s note.
Topics like these need to be read and studied because they are a reminder of a painful past.

An emotional and haunting must-read historical fiction story. Fans of Looking for Jane would absolutely love this one. Although sometimes very challenging to read, it is important that Allegri bring to light the harsh realities of the Hochland House during WWII. I still cannot believe that this is a debut!

Another horrible piece of history from WWII is brought to life in a poignant and compelling story. Excellent debut novel.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Romance exits even in the presence of evil. This book is so well written that it is hard to believe that it is a debut novel. The author's previous work has been in the field of romance, but this one is about more than that. It is about a couple that meets under the most adverse of circumstances. The young woman is a survivor, the young man is as well. They have one thing in common, their background. He however is a Nazi; they are the enemy. The story is based on a true place that was part of the Nazi regime. A place where young women had children of the Reich. They were raised in mass from their birth on, many adopted, others by their natural parents. The circumstances were ones that caused harm to many children. It is a part of the horrors of the regime that is little known. The book has some well-developed characters and becomes the history of the woman who first finds the artifacts that will open the door to her history and her mother and father's past. I hope this is not the last book from author Adriana Allegri. This book is one of the best of the year.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: This book was 20 years in the making. The author is a member of a romance group and I found it essentially a romance set in Nazi Germany in the homes to produce Nazi children. The horrors were mitigated by the romance--but that is not a detraction--it was a lovely book--well researched with well developed characters and the story is compelling. A solid debut. Enjoyable, informative and I found that re-reading the first chapter after finishing the book helped close the circle.

This was an amazing and so well written debut novel. The storytelling and vividness absolutely gave me Kristin Hannah vibes. Have I caught your attention yet? Lol

If you love historical fiction with a dash of romance i highly recommend this one. You get such an informative story about Germans who didn't support Hitler and some of their trials they went through.

This story follows Allina. When I tell you that it's horrific, gut wrenching, heartbreaking and so much more I don't say it lightly. Her journey is something I absolutely could not fathom. Her survival in such a dark environment was humbling. I really can't say enough about this book and the audio was just as fantastic! I'm so excited to see what this author releases next!

WWII 1939 and Hitler is rising to power. During a time filled with turmoil and terror, men and women are forced to make unimaginable choices.
Allina is forced into service as a nurse in a state run baby factory. The baby factories serve to build on the Aryan race, as service men interact with women to procreate in order to send the child to be adopted by Nazi families. And if not adopted, the child is sent for "testing" purposes. A terrible place for child.
Despite the circumstances, Allina, along with others risked their lives to save as many of the children as possible from going to Nazi families.
Extremely well written and filled with emotion. Sunflower House is an amazing read. 5 Stars.

Thank you net galley for giving me this opportunity to read 'The Sunflower House'.
This is a dual timeline story. Starting at the cusp of WWII and 2006.
The story begins in Germany just before WWII breaks out. Allina lives a comfortable life with her aunt and uncle (she lost her parents when she was an infant). Life goes on but there is something in the air. German soldiers are in her sleepy little village. Allina makes it to her home to find chaos has ensued. Allina runs to a neighbour's house to find out what was/is going on.
The neighbour tells Allina to run but she is not fast enough as she is soon surrounded by Nazi soldiers and is brutally attacked.
Allina is forced to work in a Lebensborn house. While working there she soon finds out what Hochland House really is.
German officers go there to have relations with the females who live there. When Allina sees a soldier in uniform the nightmare of her attack resurfaces.
One officer that Allina begins to trust is Karl. They eventually get married and have a child.
2006 New Jersey is where Allina now resides and her adult daughter is trying to come to terms with her family, as there are many secrets that Allina didn't want to share as they are disturbing.
I found this book disturbing due to the subject. It was well researched and written. I have never read a story like this.
Thank you again net galley.

The Sunflower House is a historical novel about the notorious Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. Women considered to be racially valuable stayed in Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of perpetuating the Aryan population, giving birth to thousands of babies who were then adopted out to “good” Nazi families. Social events took place in the homes where these girls could meet "elite" men of the SS and hopefully produce even more children. In other times and places, this would be considered a brothel. This story is mostly about Allina, a young German girl who is forced to work as a nurse in a Lebensborn home after losing her family during a raid of her small village by German soldiers. She eventually comes under the protection of Karl, a high-ranking SS officer, and after some time they undertake a program to rehabilitate those children in the home who are developmentally or physically delayed and whose future we are left to guess at.

Although I found the story interesting, I didn't enjoy the romance angle and, to be honest, I was expecting much more from the book in the way of historical information. I felt that much of the history was skimmed over and I actually didn't realize what Karl's duties with the SS entailed until I searched out information on the internet. Even though it seems that he was one of the "good" ones, he still had to follow orders, the results of which were heartbreaking. The ending had me choking back tears, as did the Author's Note. Other reviewers have rated this book much higher than me so my review should be taken with a grain of salt.

TW: Rape, eugenics, anti-semitism

Thank you to Sara Eslami of St. Martin's Publishing Group, for inviting me to read an advance copy of this novel via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: November 12, 2024

Unfortunately this was just not for me. It just didn't grasp my attention the way I wanted it to. I will try this one again as a published book.

Adriana Allegri has written a dual timeline story that shows the power of love in a time of horror that will bring you to tears. In 2006 Allina’s daughter Katrina is horrified to find a box hidden under the floorboards in her mother’s home that is marked with a swastika. Inside is a picture of her father in an SS officer’s uniform. When she confronts her mother, Allina finally reveals a story that she has kept hidden for years. Allina was from a small village that was destroyed when a connection was made to a resistance group. Brutally attacked, she survived and was placed under the protection of an SS commander who also attacked her. She was taken to a lebensborn home, hoping that she was carrying his child. The attack left her traumatized and barely able to function so she was put to work in the offices and later transferred to the nurseries. There she met Karl Von Strassberg, who treated Allina with kindness and patience, helping her to deal with the past. While Karl was with the SS, he was secretly working to save Jewish children and needed her help. Together they also worked to save the children in the home who had been deemed damaged and were scheduled to be transferred for experimentation and termination. Using false papers, Allina is hiding the fact that her mother was Jewish, a secret that could get her killed. It is through the kindness of Karl’s family and his connections that she and their daughter are saved and ultimately reach America. It was sometimes difficult to read of the conditions in the lebensborn home. I was also brought to tears as Allegri described Karl’s ultimate fate. This was beautifully written and an important reminder of an often forgotten part of WWII. It is a story that stays with you long after the last page and is highly recommended. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book.

I found myself so invested in this story that I couldn't put it down. I read "The Sunflower House", by Adriana Allegri in one sitting. This story is Perfect for book clubs, because It makes you want to talk about it when it's over. I plan to get the audio book as well.

The Sunflower House is a wonderful story about Germans who helped save children during World War II. The Nazi decision to facilitate increased baby production and raise them in residences like Hochland Home with strict schedules was crazy!!! Alina and Karl acted in ways everyone would hope they would act but who knows what we are capable of when under duress. As usual, Allegi writes a story that makes me want to learn more.

Amazing! I cannot put into words how good this book was! This was one I could not put down. I loved the way this story was told. I loved all of the different perspectives. This topic has always been interesting to me and learning about other things that happened during this time through this story was amazing.

THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE
BY: ADRIANA ALLEGRI

"Every war is a letting of the best blood. For the people, many a military victory has, at the same
time, been a shattering defeat of their blood and vital power. The death of the best men--which,
deplorable though it may be, is an unfortunate necessity--is not the worst consequence. Much
worse is the lack of children.
A man can die peacefully if he knows his family and everything he and his ancestors have worked for
will continue through his children. The best gift for a widow is the children of the man she loved.
Beyond the boundaries of civil laws and customs, there is also the high task, outside marriage, for
German women and girls of good blood to become, not through frivolity but from a deep moral
sense, mothers of children by soldiers going to war. Only fate can tell if those soldiers will come
home or fall for Germany.
Also, the holy duty for men and women, whose place is at home by State command, is to continue to
reproduce themselves. We cannot forget that victory and the shed blood of our soldiers would be
meaningless if not followed by the colonization of the new soil.
In the last war, many a soldier decided to produce no more children during military conflict because
of concern for his wife's welfare in the event of his death.
This factor need not be considered by you SS men, for any such anxieties are obviated, by the
following provisions.
(1) For all legitimate and illegitimate children of good blood whose fathers have been killed in the
war, special trustees personally chosen in the name of the Reichsfuhrer SS will guardianship. We
will stand by the mothers of these children and will make ourselves materially responsible for the
education and upbringing of the children themselves.
(2) In cases of disease and distress, the SS will care for all children, illegitimate or not, and for all
pregnant mothers. After the war, if the fathers return, the SS will give generous economical help
if an individually proved application is made.
SS men and mothers of these children, prove that in your readiness to fight and die for Germany
you are also prepared to pass on life for it!"

[Signed] H. Himmler
The Reichsfuhrer SS

Allina's daughter, Katrine, gets a call from early in the A.M. morning hours while she was sleeping with her husband to hear that her mother has had a bad fall. When Allina's daughter gets her mother settled in her home, and comfortable, knowing her mother is sleeping peacefully, she sees that it's her opportunity to check if her mother fell off a stepping stool in her mother's bedroom. She discovers a box hidden underneath one of the loose floor boards by accident. A hidden box underneath a lifted piece of flooring, piques her curiosity, but nothing could have prepared her for what she discovered. She opens the hidden box, and discovers a Swastika. Allina is standing in the doorway and her explanation, starts to pour out of her what it means. Allina, has kept this part of her life to herself for the past sixty years.
This is not a spoiler since it starts out in the very beginning. As Allina's story pours out of her to her daughter we are taken back in time to 1939 in Germany to a small village.

It begins with Allina being out on a picnic with her fiancee, and her best friend Karin, and her fiancee named Fritz. Fritz says some very disturbing things about some friends of theirs that have disappeared in the middle of the night, and no one has heard from them since six months ago. Allina has grown up with her Aunt and Uncle and is a very spirited young woman, who lives a quiet life helping her Uncle run his bookshop. Her Uncle gets sick and when he finally sees a doctor he is told that he has cancer. With not very long to live, he gives Allina a box with some letters from her father, saying that he has met Allina's mother Irene, who is Jewish, and they are expecting a child. Her parent's were killed in an omnibus accident, and it was decided that since Allina is half Jewish, that the truth be kept from her, since they wanted to keep her safe and were afraid she wouldn't keep it to herself.

Two days after her Uncle dies after giving Allina the box of letters from her father telling her to read them as they are her inheritance, she wakes up to shots fired and she trips over her Aunt Claudia, and discovers she has been shot in the head and is dead. The barn is burning and she runs into the woods to hide under some leaves. That night the Germans invaded their town and right before her Uncle died he gave her some forged papers with a new identity that her fiancee, who hadn't written to her had made for her. Allina Strauss becomes Allina Gotlieb, and her former life as she knew it was over.

After an unspoken amount of cruelty done to Allina, and after she is discovered hiding in the woods underneath a pile of leaves, She is brought to Hochland Home by a high ranking SS officer, not far from Munich. It is a Lebensborn home, one of the Reich's most heinous secrets. A Lebensborn was a baby factory. The high ranking German officer brought her there to recuperate, but when he decided to help her she asked him why, and he tells her it's because she reminds him of his granddaughter. But when he brings a beaten and traumatized Allina, she hears him telling the head nurse there that he thinks that she might be pregnant with his child. Allina is given a job there and she really has no choice, but to keep up with the ruse that she is Allina Gotlieb now. She can tell what is going on very quickly, and will Allina survive or will she be discovered?

I wrote that quote in the beginning, to show how horrific, and disturbed Heinrich Himmler's Eugenics program truly was, and to highlight how these homes were truly in existence to produce pure Aryan blood for Germany to increase the population. The young women who stayed there were encouraged to mix with the Nazi officers who frequented them regularly. I was particularly horrified how little the babies in the nurseries were handled. They only got minimal stimulation from when they needed to be fed or a diaper change. I know that babies can die more frequently from not getting their needs met, and their need to be picked up and cuddled, is more powerful than their need for eating or drinking regularly. More babies die from lack of touch, or being ignored when they cry than they do from lack of food. That's right. A baby can die from not being cuddled or touched more often, than their need for being fed. A baby can give up on living easier when they cry, and are ignored, more frequently than their need for being fed regularly.

I'm so grateful that before my first son was born at my baby shower my best friend gave me a snugly as one of her gifts to me. I used that snugly so often, it turned out to be an invaluable gift that I had no idea how much use I would get out of it, until after I gave birth. For those of you that don't know what a snugly is, I will do my best to explain. Think of a backpack, but a snugly is worn in the front by the mother or father, and is used to carry your infant around with you so your baby can hear your heartbeat, and look up at you. While you're carrying your infant around the house, or to go on errands, it frees up your hands so you can get things done, while smiling and talking to your baby. The young infant faces inward towards the person wearing it, letting the baby get cuddled at the same time as you are getting things done. This snugly I wore constantly for both infants and they loved it since they got to be close to me for most of the day, and I remember both babies loving it. It's designed with enough cushion for the baby's comfort, while being sturdy to hold the baby, and for the baby to have two cushioned holes for their legs to fit through and hang down. I think there are cushioned two holes for the arms for the baby, but that detail I can't remember. Usually it's worn from the newborn stage until the baby starts to walk. So probably a good ten months the baby is getting to be close to Mom, or Dad and getting plenty of closeness with their parents. By the time the baby starts to walk they don't want to be in it anymore. I just remember how both of my babies loved being in it so that they could feel close and loved. I used it with both of them, and they were very happy babies and children and so easy to raise.

It is hard to believe this was a debut novel. It took this Author two decades to research, and write such an excellent historical novel. Don't skip the Author's Note, since it's just as enlightening, as the novel. I have told myself that I have read all of World War II, historical novels that I feel that I have satiated that desire to read anymore. I'm so grateful that I took a chance on this one, since I LOVED IT. Yes, it's difficult to have read this, but it also was handled with as much compassion, and sensitivity to the subject matter as possible. I will read anything that Adriana Allegri writes in the future, and I am left wishing that she had written a couple of other novels, before this one, since she writes so well, that I wish I could read more of her work other than this. I highly, highly recommend this to everybody. I can tell that this author has a ton of compassion as a characteristic of her personality by how she employed it within this novel as much as possible. This book deserves to reach as wide of an audience as possible. FIVE SPARKING STARS FROM ME AND THE MOON THAT FOLLOWS ALL OF US AROUND!

Publication Date: November 12, 2024! AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE NOW! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

Thank you to Net Galley, Adriana Allegri, and St. Martin's Press for generously providing me with my unforgettable ARC, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheSunflowerHouse #AdrianaAllegri #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri was moving, heartbreaking and an overall an incredible work of Historical Fiction. I've read several books about the baby factories in Nazi Germany but this one superseded all the the others. Impeccably researched with characters filled with heart and goodness makes this a fabulous read!

Review Link coming soon!

**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Adriana Allegri for an ARC of this book!**

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it." - Helen Keller

Allina Strauss doesn't have a cruel bone in her body...but unfortunately for her, a kind spirit and an inquisitive mind is no match for the horrors she is set to witness. It's 1939, and in her tiny German town, her friends are Jews and Catholics alike. She's quick to defend and protect the liberty of those around her, and spends most of her time with her friends and family, living a fairly quiet and simple life. But one night everything changes, and a flurry of soldiers take everyone she loves from her in one fell swoop. Amidst the chaos, Allina also discovers a closely guarded family secret: her mother was Jewish, and that makes Allina a "mischling", or a person of mixed Aryan and Jewish heritage...and Allina must now guard this secret with every ounce of her being, lest she end up losing everything she has left.

After the horrific invasion of her home, Allina wakes up to find herself part of a very different House of Horrors that she never imagined: she is stationed at Hochland House, one of many Lebensborn homes. The Lebensborn (which translates to "Font of Life") homes quite literally function as secret baby factories, where Aryan women are forced to mate with SS soldiers...and produce the next generation of Hitler youth. Although Allina is a nurse rather than a mother, she is aghast at what she sees. Rather than loving and nurturing care, babies are given the bare minimum to survive, and their pained cries are ignored for hours at a time, even if all they long for is a quick cuddle or a clean diaper. When she sees what happens on the upper levels, however, the infant room looks rosier: the toddlers who should be walking and talking are incredibly delayed in both physical and mental development, due in large part to the levels of neglect. Worse still, since so many of the children aren't 'up to snuff' they are removed and essentially marked for eventual execution.

Determined to try to help the children at all costs, Allina is at a loss, and despite her best efforts to remain solitary, she makes a couple of friends along the way. Her most unlikely ally, however, comes in the form of handsome SS solider, Karl. Although Allina bristles at the mere thought of being close to someone who could work as part of the Third Reich, she comes to learn that Karl isn't like the other soldiers...and they might have far more in common than she thought....including a shared interest in protecting the children from the horrific future that awaits. But once emotional bonds are formed and a romance begins to blossom, Allina and Karl's bevvy of secrets prove to be more than a mere liability...and could mean the difference between life and death. Will Karl and Allina's plan for escape and liberation for themselves and the children they care so deeply about come to fruition? Will they be able to also protect their OWN daughter, Katrine? Or will the terrors of the Third Reich dim their light...permanently?

It's been quite a while since I've delved into WWII historical fiction, and there are several good reasons behind that choice. For one, this type of historical fiction is practically GUARANTEED to be painfully heavy. From Lowry's Number the Stars to Hannah's Nightingale, each WWII HF book feels like a gut punch in many ways; after all, these books are essentially exploring genocide and the systematic destruction of an entire race and religion of people, with little motivation for such destruction other than a desire for power and a heavy dose of xenophobia. Being a pretty huge pacifist myself, I often struggle even reading about these atrocities at all. There's also the fact that this type of HF has practically become a genre in an of itself, due mostly to the LARGE proliferation of these types of stories. Although some are driven by tragic romance of one kind or another, others focus on the destruction of torn families, etc....but unfortunately, the fact that SO MANY of these stories have been told can make this type of book feel a bit 'been there, read that.'

But when it comes to this powerful and emotionally charged debut from newcomer Adriana Allegri, the focus of this particular tale on a completely new angle of WWII that so many have never heard of before was enough to make this painful and tragic tale stand out like the North Star in a crowded midnight sky.

For a debut, this is a book quickly grounds itself and once it sets focus, never loses sight of its endgame. Meticulously researched, Allegri takes a concept that seems particularly abhorrent but also completely unfamiliar and gets the reading audience up to speed entirely by about 20% in. Although Hochland House itself isn't real, it rings with such truth that you feel you are there...and as a mom especially, my stomach was in knots hearing about the neglect these children faced, not to mention their IMMEDIATE 'brainwashing from birth'. Although this story could have easily dipped into the sort of tired trope of "SS officer falls in love with someone diametrically opposed to his ideology", the extra layer and the common goal of extricating the innocent children sort of removed this one from predictability. There are several layers at play here, and the author also gives Allina AND Karl a voice throughout, keeping this book from falling into tired, too-often trodden tropes with surprises, twists, and turns throughout.

This is also technically a dual timeline story, but in many respects, you'll sort of forget this by the time Allina arrives at Hochland House. The second timeline (present day) only truly matters at the beginning and end of the book. (Think Rose Dewitt-Bukater from Titanic, but with a far less important tie to present day...and no big fancy necklaces.) It basically functions as a sort of metaphorical bookend, giving us just enough of a setup to have daughter Katrine questioning why and how her mother would have a box with a Nazi medal in it in her closet. Perhaps my only criticism of this is that the book's blurb seems to hint at more of a balanced timeline, and there truly isn't one: it's 90% Allina's recollections of her past. Which is not necessarily problematic, but if you go in expecting a Picoult-like tie in to present-day, it will feel a bit lacking. However, the author's note is everything you WOULD expect from a writer like Picoult, in that she has ALL of the research in hand, provides a very detailed description of what is drawn from reality vs. fictionalized aspects, and provides bountiful examples for further reading, should you feel so inclined...or have the fortitude to read more!

This moving story stands as a solemn reminder that although powerful, seemingly limitless forces may try to silence those who value intelligence, integrity, curiosity, and acceptance, it is only the house that stands united that has the capability to weather any storm.

And who knows...after enough rain, maybe a sunflower will still find a way to bloom.

4 stars

#TheSunflowerHouse #AdrianaAllegri #StMartinsPress #partner #smpearlyreader

Such a beautiful, emotional, and just all around awe-inspiring read. Such an incredible debut from this author, and I am more than just a bit excited to see what she writes in the future!

This book is the perfect example of an emotional WWll story with an incredible strong female lead. Allina is beautiful and just incredible - her strength is mesmerizing and the fact that she was a nurse and truly just rallied to take care of others while she, too faced insurmountable grief and tragedy was just beautiful.

The atrocities that occured at the time were well documented, and you could see the incredible amount of research that went into this story. This story was very hard to read at times, but it's a book that I will be thinking of for a very long time to come.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Sunflower House
I have previously read books about the Lebensborn program in Germany before and during WWII , whereby unmarried women were encouraged to bear children of German officers. These women’s background was meticulously searched and only pure Aryan women were selected. These women then lived in homes specially created for them during their pregnancy. Once their babies were born, they were put up for adoption by German families. Hochland Home, where most of this novel takes place was such a home. Alina is a nurse there after she loses most of her family in a pogrom style killing spree. This novel approaches the Lebensborn program slightly differently, concentrating of the “slow” unadoptable children. While in Hochland House, Alina meets Karl, a German officer. Without giving away the plot,the two share secrets of their past. I found most of the novel contrived and unbelievable and sorry to say boring. I did finish it, so I can write this review. For me, this was just a three star book.
I received a complimentary copy, opinions are my own.

Beautifully written book and a heartbreaking story!!

This book will stay with you for a long while after reading it. It showcases the human spirit and how it survives with love and hope despite horrific actions.

If you want to expand your reading, the types of books y0u read and learn about the ugly truth of human beings right along side the beauty of humankind, pick this one up!