Book Group Guide
The author of Cradles of the Reich is Jewish and says she had never heard of the Lebensborn Society before she was 50 years old. Had you heard of the Nazi breeding program before? Why do you think so few people know about the program?
- Compare Hilde and Gundi’s experiences during the November pogroms the Nazis called Kristallnacht. Did either of them really understand the broader context of that night?
- Gundi discovers a deep connection with the Jewish faith and culture and wants to convert. What is it about Judaism that appeals to her so much?
- Why do you think Leo is so hostile toward Gundi at first? Why is she so surprised by this?
- What do you think happened to Leo and the Solomons? Why do you think the author choose to leave readers in the dark about their fate?
- There are many examples of the Reich’s coordinated effort to dehumanize Jews, from the board game Juden Raus to the picture book about poisonous mushrooms to the documentary, The Eternal Jew. How do these materials relate to Lotte’s insistence that “great things only happen when strong people make difficult choices”?
- Put yourself in Gundi’s shoes when she learns that the father of her child has been framed for a crime and sent to a labor camp. Would you be able to keep your secret? Would you look for a way to help Leo?
- If you had five minutes to speak with Hilde as a young child, what would you tell her?
- Gundi’s escape from Heim Hochland almost fails several times. Which close call made you the most nervous?
- Irma says that she doesn’t want to live in a world where helping people survive is remarkable. How can we make that more ordinary in the modern day?
