My Enemy's Cradle by Sarah Young

My Enemy's Cradle by Sarah Young - 365 pages

My Enemy's Cradle tells the story of Cyrla Van der Berg, a young half-Dutch, half-Jewish woman living with her aunt, uncle, and cousin, Anneke, in Holland during the beginning of World War II.  While initially Cyrla's Jewish background is not known, someone eventually turns her in.  After this and a tragedy occur within hours, Cyrla takes her cousin's identity and place in a Lebensborn, a maternity home for women who became pregnant by German soldiers.  The book then details the struggle Cyrla had to ensure she was safe and the relationships she had with Anneke' solider.

At times heart-wrenching, this novel opens a whole new can-of-worms not often addressed in literature or non-fiction, as the existence of the Lebensborns is something many in Europe wish to forget.  In essence, it fills a gap while providing an eye-opening experience to an often forgotten horror of World War II.