The Sunflower House

The Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri 336 pages

 

I’m always surprised by the topics or slant writers use when I pick up a new World War II novel. There are so many stories left to be told, and so many atrocities that need to be brought to light, even all these years later.

 

The Sunflower House tackles the baby factories. I have not come across a book about this aspect of the Nazi debauchery before but found it fascinating, sweet and horrific. I learned a bit about the factories and the experiments Himmler enjoyed conducting on adults in Martha Hall Kelly’s fabulous novel, The Lilac Girls. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it.

 

Katrine is the contemporary voice (2006-2010) who is caring for, or trying to care for, her mother after she fell and wound up in the hospital. Katrine discovers a wooden box beneath her mother’s closet floorboards. Pulling it to light, Katrine is shocked to see that is marked with a swastika.

 

Now let’s time travel back to a sleepy German village in 1938. Allina Strauss lives with aunt and uncle after the parents are murdered. They are hiding a secret; a secret no one can ever, ever, ever uncover. All three of their lives depend on it. After her uncle dies from cancer, the Nazis brutally murder her aunt. They arrest Allina, but her Aaryn features and blond hair save her from beatings and a bullet.

 

Allina is sent to Hochland Home to serve the Führer as a nurse. Hochland is one of the “Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of perpetuating the Aryan population…The women of “pure” blood stayed in Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of perpetuating the Aryan population, giving birth to thousands of babies who were adopted out to “good” Nazi families.” 

 

Allina is shocked at what she learns, but even more shocked when a high-ranking SS Officer, Karl, wants to become her patron. However, he has secrets of his own that must never be revealed. Eventually Allina and Karl have a sweet romance.

 

This novel at times repulsed me with the mere thought of the baby factories and made me smile when Allina and Karl fell in love.

 

The Sunflower House receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

Sunflower Sisters

Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly  528 pages

This is the final book in the Lilac Girls or the Woolsey-Ferriday Trilogies

I fell in love with Martha Hall Kelly’s writing when her first book, “Lilac Girls” debuted. The second book, working backwards in time, was “Lost Roses.” And now this, the final story, has come along, which takes place during the American Civil War.

One thing I like about these novels is that they are truly standalones. They are about one family across history and other than the blood connection, there is no mention of the other relatives or protagonists in the other two books. Maybe that’s why author Hall-Kelly wrote them in reverse.

The book is told from three points of view. First is the main protagonist, Georgeanna “Georgy” Woolsey, a great-aunt to “Lilac Girls” Caroline Ferriday. Georgy ultimately becomes a nurse, serving during the Civil War. Hall Kelly takes readers right to the battle front without romanticizing the events or the war. Sometimes it was hard to read. Georgy believes her destiny is to open a nursing school for women.

The second point of view is from Jemma, a slave on the Peeler Plantation. She is brutalized and beaten, often to the breaking point. As life and white people conspire to make her life as hard as possible, Jemma pulls herself up and continues.

The third point of view is from Anne-May Wilson, mistress of the Peeler Plantation. She is meaner than any man could ever be to her slaves. Anne-May is in charge of running the tobacco fields until, and if, her husband and brother, fighting on opposite sides, return home. It’s no wonder that the slaves are constantly running away. Her brutality is legendary.

The story flows well and the characters are well-developed. From reading the Author’s Notes, I learned that most of the research was done through the Woolsey family letters. Georgy had six sisters and one brother. I highly recommend reading that last section as it provides some insight into the Woolsey family.

At first I was confused about the sunflowers; I wasn’t sure what they meant. Sunflowers were used to warn runaway slave of places that weren’t safe. They pop up in the book in several places.

At 528 pages, this is a massive book to undertake. I read it in a little over a week, it was that good. It’s been a couple of weeks since I finished “Sunflower Sisters” and I find myself missing these characters.

“Sunflower Sisters” receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. 

 

Inheritance

 

 Inheritance  by Evelyn Toynton   272 pages

"Inheritance" in this novel is not what readers may assume it is; there’r nothing to do with physical assets.

When Annie Devereaux’s husband suddenly dies she then has the opportunity to follow her wildest dreams.  She leaves New York and moves to London with no plan but to live like the Brits do.

Shortly after her arrival, she meets Julian and moves in with him. As their relationship drags on, he becomes more and more abusive.

Then the narrative shifts. Annie has made friends with Julian’s sister, Isabel. While this section is mostly about Isabel, reads get to learn more about what makes Julian Julian.

The narrative shifts again, but I didn’t get it.  I’m not sure where the author was going, or even what she was talking about. Section Three did not tie into Sections One and Two, leaving me lost and dazed. Therefore, “Inheritance” receives 2 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.