Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn; Sourcebooks, Naperville, Illinois; © 2022; ISBN 9781728-269832; 376 pages with author’s notes, reading group guide, and acknowledgments; $16.99.
By CeCe Acosta in La Mesa, California
This historical fiction novel is based on the little-known Nazi breeding program during World War II, although the names in the story are fictionalized.
The novel takes place at Heim Hochland, a Nazi breeding home in Bavaria during the 1940s.
Readers meet Gundi Schiller, a pregnant college student from Berlin. While she appears to fit the Nazi ideal of an Aryan woman, she is secretly involved in a resistance group. Through the resistance, she met her boyfriend and the father of her child, Leo Solomon, who is Jewish. Because Leo has curly brown hair, brown eyes, and dark skin, Schiller fears that her baby may resemble him and expose the truth, putting herself and her loved ones in serious danger.
The main characters include Gundi Schiller, Hilde Kramer, Irma Binz, and Leo Solomon. Schiller is a strong and resilient young woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, but she constantly worries about the safety of her family. Kramer is an 18-year-old German girl who is devoted to helping Nazi Germany in any way she can. Binz is a former World War I nurse who is kind but mostly keeps to herself. Solomon is a Jewish college student who is willing to risk everything to help the resistance.
The main conflict in Cradles of the Reich centers on Schiller having a baby with a Jewish man during a time when such relationships were forbidden. If the truth is discovered, Schiller and everyone connected to her could face terrible consequences.
One quote that stood out to me was, “Brown eyes. This baby’s skin is nearly black.” Sister Marianne, the head nurse at the breeding home, says this after seeing Schiller’s newborn baby. This moment reveals that the nurses have discovered Schiller lied about the identity of the baby’s father.
Another powerful quote was, “They’ve all been sent to Dachau. Yosef Solomon and his son Leo Solomon.” Sister Marianne tells Schiller this after Jewish men came to her house and were taken to the labor camp. In this moment, Schiller realizes that Leo and his father may not survive.
The theme of this novel is the power of people to set aside differences and unite in solidarity against oppression.
I gave this book five stars because I enjoy historical fiction, especially stories connected to Jewish history. The plot moved quickly, and I was always excited to find out what would happen next.
I also liked that Coborn made Schiller the main character because her involvement in the resistance made her easy to root for throughout the story.
One part I did not enjoy as much was Binz’s character. I felt she lacked character development and mostly remained a bystander throughout the novel.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction, suspense, drama, and romance. However, some parts are emotional and sad, so readers should be prepared for darker moments in the story.
I am currently reading The Girls of the Glimmer Factory, also by Jennifer Coburn, and I was excited to see that Kramer returns as a character.
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CeCe Acosta is an 8th grade student attending La Mesa Arts Academy.