Customer Reviews

My Enemy's Cradle - A Novel

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In 1941 Rotterdam, Cyrla has spent the last five years with her cousin's family, to better get to know "her mother's people", sent away from a Poland threatened by the gathering storm of war and Hitler's determined decimation of the Jewish population. Cyrla suspects she is a painful reminder to her father after her mother's death; yet even in her cousin's home, the girl is uncomfortable, her half-Jewish background a shadow on the others. Cousins Anneke and Cyrla are close, but Anneke's father is increasingly impatient and hostile to the extra person at the table. As ominous news reaches the family of the closing of the Polish ghettoes, paranoia increases in Schiedam, the family increasingly anxious about Cyrla's vulnerability.

Although her soldier boyfriend is suddenly unavailable, Anneke's announcement of pregnancy is not greeted kindly by an intolerant father, who arranges for his daughter to be sent to a Lebensborn, one of the German maternity homes where acceptable young women bear the babies of the pure blooded German race. Suddenly Cyrla must choose between an uncertain future and a chance to take her cousin's place at the Lebensborn. With barely time to prepare for living as Anneke, Cyrla is thrust into a foreign environment where every word and false move breeds danger. Keeping her own counsel, the mother-to-be is desperately lonely, torn with guilt over her transformation into her cousin, dreading discovery as her own baby grows. Benefiting from a monstrous enterprise to repopulate the world with pure-blooded Aryans, Cyrla is an intruder with a terrible secret.

Describing Cyrla's predicament with chilling accuracy, from the paranoia of Schiedam to the insular world of the Lebensborn, Anneke's soldier's fate unknown, Cyrla's beloved Isaak at risk of death in the camps and a world at war, the author reveals the ugly details of those caught in Hitler's dream of a Master Race, whether by choice or circumstance and the infinite dangers of hiding in plain sight. The once-naïve protagonist is forced to confront the terrible realities of her position and limited choices at the Lebensborn. That she might find love in such a place is extraordinary, for there are monstrosities at the heart of this novel, evil born of an ideology that flourishes while Cyrla navigates a treacherous path. Shocking and painful, the author injects hope into the hopeless, love into the unlovable. Luan Gaines/ 2008.

Searing. Shocking. Unthinkable. Yes, all of these words apply to this story of the Nazi Lebensborn program. It is a wrenching true tale that has been seldom told. As related in a first-person narrative by Cyrla, a young half Jewish woman, it is heartbreaking. Her experience is unforgettable as author Young traces a story of innocents betrayed, neighbors who become enemies, and enemies who become friends.

The Lebensborn was a maternity home for girls carrying the babies of German soldiers. In actuality, it was a series of homes scattered through Germany and other countries. There the girls went after passing stringent tests to make sure their bloodlines were pure. They also had to authenticate the father's identity and he, too, had to exhibit similar acceptable criteria. This was Hitler's way of perpetuating the Aryan race, and it was overseen by Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS.

Once in a home the girls were well fed and cared for, brain washed if possible, and forced to swear loyalty to Hitler. An excellent way to prove such loyalty was to have another child as soon possible. What most of the girls did not realize was that their babies would be taken from them to be adopted by SS families. Of course, if the baby was born with even the slightest defect it simply disappeared.

Cyrla was born in Poland. The child of a Jewish father and a Dutch mother. She lived with her father, his second wife, and two half-brothers. As the world darkened in Poland prior to World War II, her father thought it best to send her to Holland to live with her late mother's aunt. She had her mother's blond hair, and would be safe.

Upon arriving in Holland she was not allowed to observe the Jewish holy days but kept track of them in her head. She and her cousin, Anneke, became as sisters, often mistaken for one another.

Then in September of 1941 the Germans began posting restrictions for Jews. At that point, Cyrla's uncle did not want her in their home, after all, as he said to his wife, `She's your family. Not our family, yours." Unbeknownst to anyone Anneke has fallen in love with a young German soldier, Karl, and soon becomes pregnant. But, when Karl leaves Holland without a goodbye and her father becomes enraged, threatening to send her away, she become distraught and dies in an attempt to abort her baby.

It soon becomes clear that Cyrla cannot remain in Holland, and she is urged by a friend to try to reach England. However, she has another idea, a very dangerous one.

Sara Young has crafted a harrowing story of one of the most tragic aspects of World War II. It is both haunting and unforgettable.

- Gail Cooke

Sara Young makes her debut with her first adult novel, My Enemy's Cradle. Penning the celebrated children's books, the Clementine series, Young proves that she can make the transformation from light and gay to heartfelt, tragic, and solid fiction.

Set in WW II Europe, a time of horror and strength, this is a story of the Nazi Lebensborn program. For Cyrla, a young half Jewish woman, it is a painful and heartbreaking journey. Cyrla lives with her cousin's family in Rotterdam. Her father sent her there for protection when the threat of war loomed on the horizon. After five years, Cyrla and her cousin Anneke are closer than ever. In fact, many people mistake them for one another, their resemblance to one another uncanny.

Anneke is in love with a German soldier, and soon discovers she is pregnant. When he refuses to acknowledge the child, Anneke grows desperate as her intolerant father threatens to send her to the nearby Lebensborn, a maternity home run by the Nazis. At Lebensborn, the children are tested to make sure they are of true blood. Those that pass the test are given to German families to raise as the next generation of soldiers. If they are not true blood, the child just disappears.

Cyrla is in a relationship with a prominent Jewish lawyer. Knowing the future to be uncertain, afraid she and her lover will be exposed, she and her aunt decide for Cyrla to use Anneke's identity and escape to the Lebensborn. There, Cyrla finds love in the most unexpected place, as well as the knowledge of the near impossibility of her own escape as she faces the true dangers and horrors of war.

Rich, realistic characters and a solid, historical plot make this adult debut a compelling and emotional read. Sara Young has done a masterful job bringing forth a story that lays forgotten beneath the horrors of Hitler.

Armchair Interviews says: Sara Young did herself proud with this wonderful storytelling of a hard subject.

I have read a lot of books on the Holocaust. So far I have enjoyed every one of them. Some more than others. This book is not on that list. I couldn't even finish it and I almost never leave a book unfinished! My complaint was the way it was written. I felt it was very "child-like". The main character, Cyrla, when I started reading this book seemed like she was around 12 years old. Turns out she is nineteen. Yet she had a very childish mind. To be a 19 year old whose mother had died and whose father has sent her away to live with other relatives in the midst of war makes a child grow up very quickly. This was not the sense that I received from reading this book. I wanted to like her and the other characters but there was nothing there to pull me to them. The only reason I stuck with this book as long as I did was the story behind it (thus the 2 star rating). The Lebonsborn Project is a horrifying account that took place between 1935-1945. It is not a subject that I have been able to find a lot of books on. So with this book (even with it being fictitious)I was so eager to read it. I tried to stick with it, even flipping near the end of the book to see if it got better but to no avail. I would have to say to pass this one up or at least glance through it at a bookstore and see if you can handle the writing style before you purchase it.

In "My Enemy's Cradle," Sara Young weaves a twisted story based on historical facts. The result is captivating. Cyrla's life is turned on it's side over and over again in this shocking story of love lost, the holocaust and the innocence lost during the nazi propoganda campaign.

I'd HIGHLY recommend this story, I picked it up and couldn't put it down until it had been read straight through. I was on the edge of my seat for this nail biter to see if Cyrla could lie in the lion's den and remain unscathed, yet found the twists and turns of the book to be somewhat bittersweet.

If you want a great read, BUY THIS BOOK!

Part love story, part tragedy, part nail-biting hidden-amongst-the-enemy drama, Young's absorbing narrative has twists and turns, heaps of jeopardy, and strong storytelling. A young Jewish woman living in the Netherlands hides amongst her enemy in a Lebensborn, where young woman of provable Aryan descent who'd been impregnated by German soldiers could come to term eating luxurious food, have their baby, and give it up for adoption to an upstanding Nazi couple. It's a seductive, touching story long on character and plot and good writing.

This book is a really well-written look into an aspect of World War II most people are unfamiliar with. Kept me interested until the very last page!

I thought this book was quite entertaining. It kept me enthralled and turning the page so I was pleased. I do however feel that it almost fits better into the young adult category - even considering its dark subject matter. The narrative voice felt a little like something I'd read as a teenager, but I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to curl up with an entertaining read.

I've admired Sara Young for years. Under the name Sara Pennypacker, she has written numerous whimsical, touching books for young children. With her first novel for adults, Young proves that her facility for writing heartfelt, realistic characters extends to general fiction as well. The result is a remarkable debut, MY ENEMY'S CRADLE, which introduces readers to both a memorable heroine and one of the lesser-known --- but most shocking --- aspects of the Nazi regime.

Cyrla and her cousin Anneke have always been the closest friends. Ever since half-Jewish Cyrla moved from Poland to Anneke's small Dutch city at the very beginning of the Nazi campaign, the two girls have been as close as sisters. Many casual acquaintances even confuse them, as they look so much alike. But those who know and love them could never mistake Anneke --- with her lively personality, flair for fashion, and flamboyant nail polish and makeup --- for quiet, thoughtful Cyrla, who translates her observations and frustrations into poetry.

Under the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, nothing is easy for either girl. As the Germans crack down on the freedoms of Jews in occupied countries, Cyrla lives in constant fear that her neighbors will expose her family history to the authorities. As for Anneke, she's in love with a German soldier --- and soon discovers she's carrying his baby.

Outraged by his daughter's indiscretions, Anneke's father threatens to send her to a nearby Lebensborn, a maternity home run by the Nazis, where children fathered by good Aryan soldiers are born and then given to German families to raise as the next generation of Nazi soldiers.

Meanwhile, Cyrla's own relationship with a prominent Jewish lawyer threatens to expose both her and her lover. When Anneke's boyfriend refuses to acknowledge his child, the normally effervescent young woman grows increasingly desperate. Finally, in a tragic turn of events, Cyrla and her aunt decide that the only safe course of action is for Cyrla herself to "escape" to the Lebensborn --- using Anneke's papers and her name.

At the Lebensborn, Cyrla uncovers the true horrors of the Nazis' plans for furnishing future generations. Through her relationships with pregnant young women (both Nazi sympathizers and simply unlikely casualties of war) and the Lebensborn staff, Cyrla discovers the complexities of war --- as well as the near-impossibility of her own escape. Most importantly for Cyrla, however, she finds love, with the most unlikely candidate imaginable.

If MY ENEMY'S CRADLE has a fault, it is that Young drops a few too many clues early in the novel, leaving some later revelations and ironies less than surprising for careful readers. That being said, however, there are few other weaknesses in this utterly powerful book.

With MY ENEMY'S CRADLE, Sara Young shows herself more than capable of constructing a compelling novel for adults. The true story of the Nazi Lebensborn program is one that has rarely been told, and in her fictional account, Young does a masterful job of both exposing its brutal realities and placing it within an equally captivating narrative. Cyrla is a determined, introspective but compassionate protagonist, and readers will share Cyrla's hesitation, reluctance and finally delight as she allows herself to fall into a most unexpected love affair. Young draws readers simultaneously into the horrors of Nazi Germany, the heart of a strong woman, and a love that transcends loyalties, logic and national boundaries.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

**spoilers***

When I started to read this book I thought Cyrla was a bit silly but continued to read and her replacing Anneke at the Lebensborn was where the plot thickens. That part I was hooked to the story. And when Karl shows up as the father thinking it was Anneke only to discover it was Cyrla made it more so. But then the story falls apart shortly thereafter when Karl reveals he is in love with her (ok that part I understand) but they have sex in a haystack in a barn with her big and pregnant??? And then outside again and nobody discovers them??? I mean really??? I hate it when they try to stick romance like that in a story that is supposed to be a drama type book. It cheapens the charactors and I found myself reading faster to "get to the good parts" but there were none after that. I was disappointed at the ending. It was kind of sad and corny. The Holocaust was a very sad time in history and to put a silly romance in it was unrealistic. Now if it would have been that Karl loved her and she started having feelings for him and married him to escape the Nazis and then they were both on the run together that would have made more sense than the way it did. It was like Harlequin Romance mixed in where it shouldn't be. I think the author had a good story concept but didn't quite deliver.