I know this book has already been published but I still wanted to write a review. This book took me longer to read because I had a cold but I still devoured it. The program mentioned in the book I heard vaguely about but it was I intriguing to read a fictionalized acct. I got so wrapped up in the book that even though the next chapter said ‘Karine’ it took me a few moments to realize it was back to present time…I was so enthralled with it that I didn’t make the connection

A great read and one I couldn’t put down!

I enjoyed this book. Would highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy historical fiction. It held my interest

It is a necessary heartbreak to read this story and bear witness to this unspoken history. So well written and poignant, The Sunflower House is not only a look into a well-kept secret of Nazi Germany, but also a love story.

I have read a lot of WWII history and historical fiction and I will read a lot more in my lifetime. However, most of what I have read so far is history that I knew of previously. I, like most, know of the Holocaust. I know of Anne Frank. I know of the most well-known concentration camp—Auschwitz. But I had no idea about the baby factories in Germany during the 1930s and 40s. I learned so much reading this story and was saddened beyond belief when I learned in the Author's Note that most everything in the book was true, except for the rehabilitation efforts of Allina and Karl. My heart goes out to all those who suffered and some who continue to suffer.

I cannot thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley enough for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. I will never forget this story and cannot recommend enough this book that so eloquently illustrated a piece of history that they tried to keep hidden.

I had briefly heard of the Lebensborn program before, but had never read about it. This historical fiction novel really brought it to life. You'll fall in love with both Allina and Karl in different ways. I was rooting for her the entire time.

Title: The Sunflower House
By: Andriana Allegri
Pub. Date: November 12, 2024

The Sunflower House will likely be in a close race with The Frozen River as my favorite novel of 2024!

Genre:
Fiction, Historical, WWII, Holocaust, Romance,

Trigger Warnings:
Sexual Abuse, Neglect, Trauma, Murder, Death, Loss, Grief

Summary:
New Jersey - 2006
Katrine stumbles upon a mysterious old box in her eighty-six-year-old mother’s closet, sparking a journey of revelation about her mother’s hidden past. Katrine embarks on an inspiring exploration of who her mother truly is and how she ultimately found her way to New Jersey. This narrative takes us back in time to the horrific days of World War II, specifically to the controversial Lebensborn Program—a Nazi initiative designed to foster a "master race" by breeding children from selected Germanic families. Through this dark chapter of history, the story unravels the complex, often painful origins that shaped her mother’s life and identity.

Review:
In this captivating debut novel, Andriana Allegri takes the reader on a powerful journey of discovery, blending romance with the harrowing history of the Lebensborn Program. The expertly researched story sheds light on a tragic part of WWII that I was unaware of. Allegri’s fast-paced, gripping writing pulled me in, leaving me unable to put the book down, so much so that I purchased the audiobook to listen to during my commute. The heartbreaking yet moving narrative, with its plot-driven characters, has resonated with me, long after the final page. This horrific, yet inspiring novel offers a glimpse into a dark chapter of history, and I can’t wait for more from this talented author. Highly Recommended!!!

Thank you Andriana Allegri, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#TheSunflowerHouse
#AndrianaAllegri
#StMartinsPress
#reluctantreaderreads
#advancedreadercopies
#NetGalley

The Sunflower House is a heartbreaking story.
So many secrets.
So many questions needing to be answered.
A historical fiction read based on true events. The story revolves around the Lebensborn program in Germany.
What a horrific time in history. The author does an extremely good job of bringing the facts about this time to us.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you are a historical fiction reader, The Sunflower House, by Adriana Allegri, is a MUST read!!! Thank you @stmartinspress for the #giftedbook - it’s available now, so put it on your tbr!

This book starts in present day when Katrine is at her mom’s house helping her get settled after a fall. Katrine finds a box in her mom’s closet that sparks questions about her mother’s past. Allina decides it’s time to tell Katrine the story of her past, even though it’s an incredibly difficult story to tell.

Man this book brought out all the emotions. I was honestly thinking ‘another WW2 story, sighhhhh’ but this was unlike any of the HF books I’ve read about this time period. I devoured it in less than 2 days, and spent an absurd amount of time on Google after I finished.

And did I mention it’s a debut???

This was different from other WW2 books and I appreciated that. This tugged at my heart.
Although the subject matter can be heavy at times, it’s not an overly sad book and would recommend to anyone who is looking for a different branch of history from WW2.

A heavy, powerful story that needs to be told. While these characters were fictional, the events they experience were not. It deserves to be told, in honor and memory of every person it represents. Set in 1938 to early 1940s, the nature of the Lebensborn program is brought to light. Allina finds herself at Hochland home and realizes very quickly things are not as they seem. I will not divulge any details as you truly need to read this to experience without anything being spoiled for you. Know that Allegri’s research is extensive, the emotions are captured palpably and the characters are complex. The story is moving and exposes much of the behind the scenes, how everyday people found themselves caught up in the movement and how some people risked everything to do the right thing.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Wonderful! Superb! Passionate and informative
This is a work of fiction but based on some facts such as Hitler’s desire to populate his world with perfect Aryan children. Knowing this book takes place mostly from the years of 1938 through 1941 and knowing that Hitler’s reign of terror did not end until 1945, the outcome for our characters is inevitable. Reading this phenomenal novel was like watching a sinking ship slipping slowly from the water’s surface. You know what will happen and that made reading this book so provocative; you must discover Allina and Karl’s stories. Even knowing that I cried throughout a portion of this book, I would read it again. It comes highly recommended.
The book begins as an 86yo mother gets hurts, her 66yo daughter must pick her up from the ER and figure out how to deal with her. Their roles have reversed. When they get back home from the ER Allina reluctantly shares her life before she came to America with Katrine. Allina’s story starts in 1938 when she was 17 or 18yo. This is a beautiful, intriguing and captivating romance at a terrible time in world history. For a glimpse of the time before the world got involved with what Hitler was doing in Europe, you must read this outstanding book. The author admits that this is a work of fiction but based on some known facts. Read it for yourself. Get a box of tissues! I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group. I would give this book more than five stars if I could. I am sorry to see this cast or characters go. They made me feel their pain and joy. Kudos to this author!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I’ve read a lot of WWII books but none on the Lebensborn Program.

Due to a declining birth rate & desire to increase Germany’s “Aryan” population, “baby factories” throughout Europe housed married and unmarried women whose role was to produce a superior race. Military metals were awarded to women based on the number of children they had.

Allina, (FMC) after learning of her own Jewish heritage, (which she kept hidden) & surviving the most traumatic night of her life, she is sent to Hochland. Under the “protection” of a high ranking Nazi officer, who hopes his assault on Allina will result in a pure blooded child for the Reich, she is given a job in the home.

Allina’s job opens her eyes to more of the atrocities imposed by the Nazi’s and her story of bravery, perseverance & sacrifice, both angered & left me in awe.

This book was well researched, engaging & a page turner. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

When Allina meets Karl, a high-ranking SS officer with secrets of his own, the two must decide how much they are willing to share with each other—and how much they can stand to risk as they join forces to save as many children as they can.

Allina just broke my heart in so many ways. But she never gives up as she struggles to survive.

There is so much to say about this novel! I had to wait a few days before I wrote my review. I had to let this one marinate.

Yes, I knew this occurred. But it is still hard to understand how this COULD have occurred. The author really takes you through some of the outcomes of this method used by the Germans. I really do not think I knew what they actually did to these children as babies. I knew they had homes for women to have babies for the Reich but I didn’t quite fathom the child care system. Cringeworthy!!

This is a book which will have you crying and angry all at the same time. This review still does not do this book justice. Just know…you need to read this now! Don’t wait. RUN!!!

Need an emotional read you won’t forget…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

This book needs to be added to your “Historical Fiction Must Reads” list because it is absolutely fantastic! Strong female lead, world war 2, nazi experiments on children, unlikely friendship/love story, this story is steeped in history that isn’t usually talked about in casual conversation.

The story follows the lead, Allina, who is swept up in the horrible atrocities of Hitlers Germany in 1939. She is a Mischling, someone of Jewish decent. After a terrible, terrible night and losing everyone she ever loved, she is forced into servitude at a baby-factory. Yep. You read that correctly. Women of pure lineage are celebrated for creating the “perfect Aryan race” for the fatherland. The struggles she endures and the things she sees, makes my heart ache!

I specifically enjoyed the romance aspect of this story as it was totally unexpected in my opinion! The way it unfolded was so raw and beautiful. This whole story is heart wrenching and brave. Certainly recommend to all who love historical fiction!
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ʏᴏᴜʟʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
•historical fiction
•world war II history
•unlikely romance
•strong family ties

Allina Strauss was living with her aunt and uncle in a small German village at the start of World War II, and though the world was changing around her, she still felt safe and protected, until she was told that her mother was Jewish. Allina had to come to terms with the fact that everything she knew about her world was fabricated, including her name and her identity papers. After the brutal murder of her aunt and uncle, she was raped by an SS officer and taken to Hochland Home, a Lebensborn facility for young women eager to procreate for Hitler’s vision of a new Germany.

While caring for the Lebensborn children, Allina meets Karl von Strassberg, another SS officer, who convinces her to work with him in the Resistance. Soon, they fall in love, making their dangerous work even more so, and after Allina becomes pregnant, the two marry, and continue doing what they can to save and protect the children of Germany, Jewish children included.

The strength and courage of Allina and Karl, and the others like them, is unimaginable to me. How they managed to do the work of the Resistance while hiding their true feelings is incredible. The Sunflower House is a fascinating story that details the horrors of Hitler’s Germany while still showing hope for the future, and I loved every word.

The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri was one of my favorite books of 2024. It was a very impressive debut novel. Adriana Allegri’s research for this book was impeccable and it was so well written as well. Although the setting for The Sunflower House was Germany during World War II, the topics that were explored were done in an unexpected and unique way. It was written in a dual timeline, focusing mostly on the past but resorted back to the present for clarity, commentary and occasional questions. I’ve read many books that have focused on the Lebensborn Program that the Nazis created during World War II and the Nazi’s handling of citizens that were categorized as Mischling but none as extensive and impressive as the way Adriana Allegri portrayed those two aspects in The Sunflower House. The two protagonists, Allina and Gruppenfuhrer Karl Van Strassberg, were brave, intelligent and very compassionate about what they believed in and eventually about each other.

Allina Strauss was brought up by her Aunt Claudia and Uncle Dieter in a small German town called Badensburg. Her life with her aunt and uncle had been idyllic for the most part. Allina had no memories of her biological mother or father and her aunt and uncle were gifted at avoiding the subject of her parentage when Allina brought it up. Over the course of 1939, when Allina was at the impressionable age of sixteen, her whole life changed in ways she never saw coming. Allina was in love with her longtime childhood friend, Albert, and expected and welcomed the idea of spending her life with Albert. War was on the horizon, though, and growing antisemitism was on the rise. Around this time, Allina learned that her beloved uncle was gravely ill. Uncle Dieter had been given a diagnosis that offered him little hope of survival. Allina was devastated by this news. Uncle Dieter felt compelled to finally share the identity of her parents with Allina during this time and how she had come to live with her Aunt Claudia and himself. Allina never could have imagined what Uncle Dieter now confessed to her about her parents.

Then just days after Uncle Dieter’s death and funeral, the Nazis led a surprise middle of the night attack on the town of Badensburg that resulted in a complete and utter massacre. Aunt Claudia was brutally shot. Allina had no one left. She had lost both her uncle and her aunt within days of each other. That was the night Allina Strauss became Allina Gottlieb but not before German soldiers tried to attack her sexually. A high ranking German officer, Gruppenfuhrer Gud, came to her rescue. Gruppenfuhrer Gud allowed Allina to return to her home to clean herself up and pack lightly. Allina was determined to keep the letters from her father that Uncle Dieter had given her just days before that she hadn’t even been able to read yet. She quickly sewed them into the lining of her coat before she bathed and cleaned herself up. When Gruppenfuhrer Gud collected her he brought her to Hochland House, one of the first Lebensborn facilities that the Nazis established, but not before he forced himself on her. Gruppenfuhrer Gud was old enough to be Allina’s grandfather. Allina Gottlieb was permitted to stay at Hochland House as staff, first in an administrative role and later with a position in the nurseries. The more Allina saw and learned about the practices at Hochland House, the more she questioned and found fault with them. Allina tried to isolate herself from all that was expected from her at Hochland House the best she was able to. That was not always an easy feat.

Then Gruppenfuhrer Karl van Strassburg came upon Allina one night in the nurseries. That chance meeting proved to be the catalyst that both required to stimulate a trust that grew between them. Allina tried to deny any feelings she was developing for Karl. The children’s welfare and safety proved to be the top priority for both Karl and Allina. It was quite unusual for a SS officer to question Nazi mandates and directives. Karl was not the usual SS officer though. Slowly over time Allina glimpsed the real Karl, not just the role he played as Gruppenfuhrer van Strassburg. They shared their stories with each other. A raw and beautiful love developed between them. Both Allina and Karl worked tirelessly to help the children who fell victim to the Lebensborn program and any Jewish children that they were able to help. They were both in constant danger of being exposed. Would their bravery and initiative allow them to help the innocent children they felt compassionate about? Could they learn to love each other or would war prevent them from being able to do that?

I really enjoyed reading The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri. My curiosity is heightened to see what Adriana Allegri will write next. I am a fan of her writing after reading The Sunflower House and look forward to reading her next book. It was a welcomed fact that Adriana Allegri chose to concentrate more on the children born at Hochland House and their routines and strict care rather than on the mothers or potential mothers that lived in the house. I really admired the bravery and resilience that Allina exhibited despite all the trauma she was subjected to. It must have been so hard for her not to want to or not to be able to share what happened to her with anyone for all those years. The Sunflower House spoke volumes about friendship, hope, love and doing what had to be done in order to protect others. It was both moving and heartfelt. I highly recommend The Sunflower House by Ariana Allegri if you enjoy historical fiction based on actual events that occurred during World War II.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It is an amazing, well researched historical fiction that kept me totally absorbed from the first page until the end. Told in dual timelines, it begins in present time with the discovery of a hidden box by the daughter of an elderly woman. Within the box is the story of Allina, a 16-year-old girl who survives a brutal attack, and the destruction of her small German village. Just before the attack, she discovered that her heritage was partly Jewish. Based on her forged papers, Alina is transported to a Lebensborn home. Devised by Henrich Himmler, Lebensborn homes were created for SS soldiers and young women to have as many children of pure blood as possible. As Allina lives with the daily fear of discovery of her secret, she begins to realize that the children in her care are purposely neglected as part of policy. She is both determined to survive, and to find a way to help as many children as possible. As the story evolves, Allina finds both purpose and love. Adriana Allegri has written a powerful book based on a brutal time in history, with strong and memorable characters. It is both a heart wrenching and heartwarming story of the resilience, determination, hope, and capacity for love for those who lived during this dark time in history. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri
For a debut novel this was a fantastic read. I had to give it a 4.5. I have read many novels regarding Germany, the War and other aspects but this was another take on it involving children and the ways the Germans set up “houses” like a bordello so they could keep the children who are blond and Aryan looking for their country. The women were never alowed to keep their babies.

Katrina discovers some shocking evidence in her mother’s closet. There her mother Allina tells her story of being born a Jew in Germany and how she as a nurse became involved in Hochland House, a eugenic program that churned out perfect Aryan children. She is a nurse who worked at Hackland House and once she realized what was happening there tried her best to make things better for the children and perhaps work out a way to remove some or all of them and get them to homes where they can live “normal” lives and not work for the Motherland.

Allina’s village is attacked and she barely makes it out alive – after killing almost the whole village, the soldiers went on a rampage and found every girl or woman and raped and killed them; she somehow made it out alive but not unscathed. She is taken to the House to work there and there she meets Office Karl vonStrassberg who has his own set of secrets and the two make plans to save as many children as possible.

This story is so heartbreaking – as to Allina, Karl and the children – how they all cope and try to help the children. This is one story I highly recommend – it was a beautiful and heartbreaking story of what another phase of the War was like. If you can I would definitely suggest picking up a copy today – you will laugh and you will cry but it is well worth it

I was intrigued by "The Sunflower House" by Adriana Allegri. A powerful historical fiction about the Nazi Arian "Baby Factory" during WWII. A strong woman, doing her best to survive and help the children, hiding big secrets, and telling her daughter this tale in current times. Was very good! Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

The story of one woman's fight to survive during WW2, finding love, and working at a baby factory. She meets one SS officer who protects her and helps her to escape.

Not only did I absolutely love this, but apparently so has everyone else because I AM SEEING THIS EVERYWHERE.

Warning, it's sad and at times hard to read, but please, please read it. Such amazing writing and beautiful characters. I couldn't put it down.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.