The Sunflower House
Sunflower House by Adriana Allegri
336 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: November 12, 2024
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance, World War II, Rape, Children’s Home
Karin received a call that her elderly mother, Allina, had fallen. She rushed to the hospital to get her and take her home. Once there, she saw her mother had been using a step stool in the closet before losing her balance and falling. Karin was removing the stool when she saw a lacquered box with a swastika on it. Her mother said she could explain.
The story jumps back in time to 1938 Germany. Allina was a young woman engaged to be married the following year. Shortly after her uncle’s passing, disaster shook her town. She is beaten and left for dead. A German officer finds her and takes her to Hochland Home, a breeding home for the master race. There she works as a nurse to the pregnant mothers and the unborn children. While working there, she met Karl Von Strassberg, a high-ranking German officer. He began showing interest in her, but she does not trust him or anyone who wore the uniform. He began to entrust her with his secrets and slowly she began to share her own.
The book has a steady pace, the characters are very developed, and it is written in third person point of view. The story is beautifully written although it is a difficult topic. It also shows the relationship between a mother and daughter and how strong the bond can be. If you like historical fiction, you will enjoy reading this book.
