Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Cradles of the Reich” by Jennifer Coburn, Sourcebooks Landmark, October 11, 2022. On Tour With Suzy Approved Book Tours

Jennifer Coburn, Author of “Cradles of the Reich” has written an intense and memorable novel that depicts the dark, turbulent and disturbing reality that occurred during Adolf Hitler’s leadership. The genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, World War Two Historical Fiction, and Women’s Literature and Fiction. I appreciate the amount of research that Jennifer Coburn has investigated to give this story such insightful and intense meaning. The story mostly takes place inside the LEBENSBORN Society Maternity Home at Heim Hochland in Bavaria. This was part of Hitler’s mad scheme to create a master race, and there were several homes that were maternity and “breeding homes.” Pregnant German single and married girls with Aryian features were encouraged to birth their babies there. Other German girls would entertain Gestapo and German soldiers with the hope of getting pregnant. The story takes place during this time period and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events.

Jennifer Coburn has vividly describes the conditions, the characters, the scenery, and the plot. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex and complicated. Although there were so many evil characters, there were characters that helped one another, and wanted the world to be a better place.Three different protagonists help to navigate the story. Gundi is the perfect looking Ayrian woman, who gets pregnant from her Jewish lover that she has been helping in the Resistance. Hilde is constantly using obsequious behavior and flattery in order to become an important part of the German party. Irma is a 44 year old nurse works at this home to escape a heartbreaking situation and start a new beginning. Irma just stands by and absorbs what goes on.

There are many heartbreaking moments in this story, and I would highly recommend this moving, emotional, thought-provoking and memorable novel to others.