Cradles of the Reich

Just before the beginning of World War II, three women’s lives intersect in a way that will change all of them. Gundi, Hilde, and Irma are all involved in the Lebensborn Society, a breeding program set up by the Nazis to produce “racially pure” babies. Though the three women are radically different, the bonds they form will alter their lives forever.

Cradles of the Reich brings light to a part of history that few are aware of and it tells a story of women surviving circumstances they are put in solely because of their sex, which is a type of story that always appeals to me. The one thing keeping me from giving this book five stars is that each of the main characters felt flat and too open to the audience. With all of their thoughts on display, they didn’t feel so much like three-dimensional characters as like presentations of three-dimensional characters. I found I was most interested in them when I saw them through the eyes of the other women.

Overall, Cradles of the Reich is an intriguing book, and I know many will enjoy it. Hopefully, it also encourages them to learn more about this little segment of German history.