I am very surprised to read that this is a debut novel for this author! Kudos to you, Shannon St. Hilaire!!

This is Historical Fiction, which is usually based on some shreds of reality. That being said, it was at times, very difficult to read.. never mind to understand and even try to rationalize... at all....

Ilse is a young woman, only 17 when this begins, who is in 'love' with a young man.
She lost her Mother during the birth of her baby sister, so she only lives with her Father, who is strict, and a devoted Hitler follower.
She comes to find that she is pregnant, and is advised to speak with the father of the baby. She is sure he will marry her. He is a good young man...
But when she goes to speak to him, his home is emptied...and his entire family has fled. It is at this time that she realizes that her love, Felix, was indeed a Jew. =0

With NO other options, she presents herself to a home for unwed mothers who are carrying PURE Aryan children... then considered to be the elite breed. The way she gets admitted is a story within itself! But she is ALWAYS afraid of being found out, and of what will happen once the baby arrives... That being said, she is now a part of Lebensborn... which most of the townspeople consider nothing but a brothel...for the German soldiers and their whores and mistresses....

While there she meets a good friend (I believe her name was Hannah Lauren) and is lucky to form a strong bond with her...but as time progresses, more and more horrible things are happening... both to her, and, all around her!

This one will definitely PULL at your heartstrings, cause your eyes to get blurry with tears, and most likely will leave a gaping hole in your heart...

It does deal with some awful doings by the German 'elite' soldiers...so if this is something you cannot deal with, I'd suggest you steer clear of this book.

It also deals with nature, and the effects nature can have on your body when herbs, etc are used correctly... which is always fascinating to me!!

If not, this is definitely worth the read! Although, I am very saddened that it ended the way it did with many loose strings... (and I will leave it at that, as to not spoil it for others...)

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 for me, happily rounded up to 5!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #TantorAudio for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.
*** Release date is tomorrow, 3/25/25, so look 👀 for it on shelves then !! ***

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