Cradles of the Reich, the latest novel this pedometer geek reader read, was received through the First Reads Goodreads giveaway program. It was written by Jennifer Coburn, and it is a historical novel set in Germany during the early days of World War II. This is an extended review.
Cradles of the Reich
By Jennifer Coburn
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark, 2022
An imprint of Sourcebooks
ISBN: 978-1-7282-5074-8
This historical fiction is set during the early days of World War II when Hitler is beginning to implement laws concerning the Jewish people (taking away citizenship, etc.).
Into this, he and his top people (Himmler, etc.) start a Nazi breeding program to ensure racial purity; they create Lebensborn Society maternity homes. One such home, Heim Hochland, in Bavaria is where three women will meet and their fates will intertwine.
Gundi finds her herself pregnant, and she is being sent there against her will. She is the ultimate Aryan young woman (blond, blue-eyed), but she is part of the Resistance and her child’s father, Leo Solomon, is Jewish. What will happen once the infant is born? Will the child have her features or his?
Hilde is the ultimate “true believer” in racial purity and Nazism, and she becomes involved and pregnant with an upper echelon Nazi. She’s thrilled, and she, too, is sent to Heim Hochland, but will this man keep her around afterwards? After all, he is already married with children.
Irma has had heartbreak of her own, and she is convinced by her friend, Marianne, to help at the maternity home since she’s a nurse. Once she sees what is going on with the mothers and babies, will she be able to live with herself?
Then there are the young girls who spend their days being pampered, just for the nights when they are introduced to young soldiers to create children, who would then be adopted by the right parents.
This is an engrossing read, based on true events which are fictionalized. There were several of these maternity homes in different countries. They were created and run to breed children who would be racially pure in the eyes of the Nazi leadership. It’s a highly recommended read, and it’s important that these stories be told so that events like these will never occur again.