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The Lebensborn Boy
Long after the end of Hitler’s Reich, many are still traumatised by one of its projects – the chain of homes known as Lebensborn (wellspring of life) for unwanted children of German soldiers and women of the occupied countries.
In a Europe divided by the Cold War, the East German intelligence service, the Stasi, is using selected former Lebensborn inmates for its own sinister purposes. In this compelling narrative a Danish family is caught up in a cruel conspiracy.
From the Orwellian world of East Berlin to the fetish clubs of Hamburg’s St Pauli district, and from the death traps of the East-West border to Denmark’s wind-blown Baltic islands, this many-layered story of deception, betrayal and love moves to a shattering climax, which only reaches its astonishing dénouement in the re-united Berlin of 1990.
In a Europe divided by the Cold War, the East German intelligence service, the Stasi, is using selected former Lebensborn inmates for its own sinister purposes. In this compelling narrative a Danish family is caught up in a cruel conspiracy.
From the Orwellian world of East Berlin to the fetish clubs of Hamburg’s St Pauli district, and from the death traps of the East-West border to Denmark’s wind-blown Baltic islands, this many-layered story of deception, betrayal and love moves to a shattering climax, which only reaches its astonishing dénouement in the re-united Berlin of 1990.
- GenresHistorical
330 pages, Paperback
First published June 21, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 21, 2016
A good read for Goodreads members. Anyone will enjoy will book, but a book connoisseur will like it better --- a reader's read. It has all the elements: interesting characters and character studies, atmospheric descriptions of a wide variety of settings, an engaging plot, and a surprising ending.
The story ranges from the Germany's National Socialist era and the war, takes us through the bleakness and police state air of communist East Germany, and through to the postwar age, the reunification of Germany and the reuniting of West and East Europe. It is a story set in a trajectory of history, in the political tensions between East and West, communism and democracy, and it deals with the hold of rulers and ideologies that take prisoner both the mind and body of persons. The characters of the story --- among them Henrik Erdmann, Hinnerk and Sonia Warrington --- are individuals, small units, in the grip of these rulers and ideologies, and their humanity triumphs over the masters and political systems. It is a message of both warning and hope for today's world and indeed for eternity.
And it is gripping good entertainment. Havelland has spun a fine mystery novel and a spy thriller in a single book. I was 'hooked' by the prologue, of a little boy in danger of being euthanized, in the cold winter of 1943, in the Harz mountains. But then, in 1990 a mysterious woman wishes to speak to Erdmann of "the past." What was that past, what lay in between? The fall of the Berlin Wall, for one thing. And many other things. I took my time reading the book, as I wanted to savor the story in quiet moments, and follow the well-paced, absorbing plot and the surprises.
I cannot agree with the comments by a prior reviewer, and indeed after reading the novel I find them inexplicable. She mentions that one character is hard to distinguish from another. But Henrik and Hinnerk must have similar names, in order to satisfy the plot (and the plotters), and the attentive reader will see them as distinct, dissimilar characters. She mentions that the "plot is very complex to the point of confusion." However, the deliberate confusion created by the Stasi spymasters by way of their Doppelganger strategy becomes clear in the chapter that relates their discussions at Stasi headquarters. As for the comments about the "flat dialogue" and poor writing style, the fluent and expressive prose of the novel is the best refutation for those comments.
A nice read for a rainy afternoon, for it has a bit of everything: history, politics, human nature, a plot that keeps one engaged and surprised, complex and realistic characters, mystery and excitement, and one hell of a conclusion. Enjoy this spy novel that is also a very human story about ordinary people, people like you and me.
The story ranges from the Germany's National Socialist era and the war, takes us through the bleakness and police state air of communist East Germany, and through to the postwar age, the reunification of Germany and the reuniting of West and East Europe. It is a story set in a trajectory of history, in the political tensions between East and West, communism and democracy, and it deals with the hold of rulers and ideologies that take prisoner both the mind and body of persons. The characters of the story --- among them Henrik Erdmann, Hinnerk and Sonia Warrington --- are individuals, small units, in the grip of these rulers and ideologies, and their humanity triumphs over the masters and political systems. It is a message of both warning and hope for today's world and indeed for eternity.
And it is gripping good entertainment. Havelland has spun a fine mystery novel and a spy thriller in a single book. I was 'hooked' by the prologue, of a little boy in danger of being euthanized, in the cold winter of 1943, in the Harz mountains. But then, in 1990 a mysterious woman wishes to speak to Erdmann of "the past." What was that past, what lay in between? The fall of the Berlin Wall, for one thing. And many other things. I took my time reading the book, as I wanted to savor the story in quiet moments, and follow the well-paced, absorbing plot and the surprises.
I cannot agree with the comments by a prior reviewer, and indeed after reading the novel I find them inexplicable. She mentions that one character is hard to distinguish from another. But Henrik and Hinnerk must have similar names, in order to satisfy the plot (and the plotters), and the attentive reader will see them as distinct, dissimilar characters. She mentions that the "plot is very complex to the point of confusion." However, the deliberate confusion created by the Stasi spymasters by way of their Doppelganger strategy becomes clear in the chapter that relates their discussions at Stasi headquarters. As for the comments about the "flat dialogue" and poor writing style, the fluent and expressive prose of the novel is the best refutation for those comments.
A nice read for a rainy afternoon, for it has a bit of everything: history, politics, human nature, a plot that keeps one engaged and surprised, complex and realistic characters, mystery and excitement, and one hell of a conclusion. Enjoy this spy novel that is also a very human story about ordinary people, people like you and me.
February 13, 2015
Review
Roy Havelland
THE LEBENSBORN BOY
Vanadis Texts
2014
As the spate of literature about the two world wars and their various participants shows no sign of abating, it is a relief to turn to a novel dealing with a little known Nazi programme and its repercussions for a country whose role in WWII and the Cold War is equally little-known – Denmark.
Those of us who are well past their first youth are occasionally disconcerted to find the Cold War treated as history by a generation which has no first-hand knowledge of it and is often at the mercy of unscrupulous promoters of more contemporary agen-das. However, the present novel is clearly addressed to a more sophisticated reader-ship, as is indicated by the presence of the word “Lebensborn” in the title, a term that may not be familiar outside the circle of WWII/Third Reich history buffs. For the benefit of those readers that only have vague memories of reading something about it without recalling the actual name, it is worth recapitulating what Lebensborn (“Well-spring of Life”) was all about.
Lebensborn was a Nazi programme launched in 1935 and designed to mobilize and promote German racial resources by taking suitable chldren from orphanages and foster parents and finding good Nazi homes for them (originally only SS, as their racial purity and physical fitness would already have been verified). Later the programme was extended to include non-German wives of German soldiers who had been killed in action, so that the childʼs share of German blood should not be wasted. Young women who inadvertently became pregnant and would normally have resorted to abortion could have their babies in the safe seclusion of a Lebensborn home, the only stipulation being that the children be brought up in the spirit of National Socialism. There were always more applicants to join Lebensborn than there were places to fill. The postwar consequences of this were twofold: on the one hand many of the children remained with their Nazi parents, with whom they identified, refusing to return to their real parents even when those could be found. On the other hand, the progeny of such unions were often subjected to ostracism or discrimination after the war. This was particulaly the case in Denmark and Norway, whose citizens were high on the list of desirable nationalities for non-German spouses, as being of Nordic (i.e. Germanic) stock, despite the fact that these countries᾽ liberal traditions inclined their societies to be more anti-Nazi than most. It will be recalled how the Danes in a daring night rescue operation evacuated their Jews to Sweden, and that, when the German occupation authorities in Denmark decreed half way through the war that Jews must wear the Star of David, King Christian X of Denmark appeared in public wearing the Star of David too.
This, therefore, is the WWII background to the Cold War saga that forms the body of the book. It was only a matter of time before Lebensborn documents found their way into the hands of the KGB who naturally passed them on to their East German col-leagues, who were not long in finding a use for them. In the 1960s the Stasi decided to recruit former Lebensborn boys – now in early manhood – and use them as spies. Or sometimes an East German agent would masquerade as an ex-Lebensborn inmate and make contact with his supposed family. The aim was always to secretly influence events in the countries concerned.
The book claims to be based on fact, and this reviewer sees no reason to doubt this. In his memoirs Kim Philby states that he was never involved in a case as complicated as those described in John Le Carréʼs novels, and this story – while unusual – does not strain credulity – with one glaring exception – the way JLC does. It is written in a sober style which keeps the reader guessing enough to keep turning the page, but not so much as to make him him feel that he is being led up the garden path. Places and characters are well evoked, and the whole is garnished by occasional touches of poetic nostalgia, sparingly used but all the more welcome for that. The not always flattering revelations about the Danish underground may come as a surprise to some readers.
I mentioned that places and people are well evoked, and as long as the scene is set in West Berlin, post-GDR East Berlin, Hamburg or Denmark it all seems very authentic and based on personal observation. However, one did not need to have visited East Berlin to discover that it was “drab” and “bleak”. But it was downright unconvincing to have homicidal Stasi officers in full uniform (!) striding about pistol in hand and threatening to blow people᾿s brains out at the drop of a hat.
These anomalies are all the more disappointing in that the portrait of the main protagonist is sympathetic and well-rounded, the plot is ingenious, and the dénouement – I hope I am not giving too much away here – deeply satisfying. All in all a book to be recommended.
Roy Havelland
THE LEBENSBORN BOY
Vanadis Texts
2014
As the spate of literature about the two world wars and their various participants shows no sign of abating, it is a relief to turn to a novel dealing with a little known Nazi programme and its repercussions for a country whose role in WWII and the Cold War is equally little-known – Denmark.
Those of us who are well past their first youth are occasionally disconcerted to find the Cold War treated as history by a generation which has no first-hand knowledge of it and is often at the mercy of unscrupulous promoters of more contemporary agen-das. However, the present novel is clearly addressed to a more sophisticated reader-ship, as is indicated by the presence of the word “Lebensborn” in the title, a term that may not be familiar outside the circle of WWII/Third Reich history buffs. For the benefit of those readers that only have vague memories of reading something about it without recalling the actual name, it is worth recapitulating what Lebensborn (“Well-spring of Life”) was all about.
Lebensborn was a Nazi programme launched in 1935 and designed to mobilize and promote German racial resources by taking suitable chldren from orphanages and foster parents and finding good Nazi homes for them (originally only SS, as their racial purity and physical fitness would already have been verified). Later the programme was extended to include non-German wives of German soldiers who had been killed in action, so that the childʼs share of German blood should not be wasted. Young women who inadvertently became pregnant and would normally have resorted to abortion could have their babies in the safe seclusion of a Lebensborn home, the only stipulation being that the children be brought up in the spirit of National Socialism. There were always more applicants to join Lebensborn than there were places to fill. The postwar consequences of this were twofold: on the one hand many of the children remained with their Nazi parents, with whom they identified, refusing to return to their real parents even when those could be found. On the other hand, the progeny of such unions were often subjected to ostracism or discrimination after the war. This was particulaly the case in Denmark and Norway, whose citizens were high on the list of desirable nationalities for non-German spouses, as being of Nordic (i.e. Germanic) stock, despite the fact that these countries᾽ liberal traditions inclined their societies to be more anti-Nazi than most. It will be recalled how the Danes in a daring night rescue operation evacuated their Jews to Sweden, and that, when the German occupation authorities in Denmark decreed half way through the war that Jews must wear the Star of David, King Christian X of Denmark appeared in public wearing the Star of David too.
This, therefore, is the WWII background to the Cold War saga that forms the body of the book. It was only a matter of time before Lebensborn documents found their way into the hands of the KGB who naturally passed them on to their East German col-leagues, who were not long in finding a use for them. In the 1960s the Stasi decided to recruit former Lebensborn boys – now in early manhood – and use them as spies. Or sometimes an East German agent would masquerade as an ex-Lebensborn inmate and make contact with his supposed family. The aim was always to secretly influence events in the countries concerned.
The book claims to be based on fact, and this reviewer sees no reason to doubt this. In his memoirs Kim Philby states that he was never involved in a case as complicated as those described in John Le Carréʼs novels, and this story – while unusual – does not strain credulity – with one glaring exception – the way JLC does. It is written in a sober style which keeps the reader guessing enough to keep turning the page, but not so much as to make him him feel that he is being led up the garden path. Places and characters are well evoked, and the whole is garnished by occasional touches of poetic nostalgia, sparingly used but all the more welcome for that. The not always flattering revelations about the Danish underground may come as a surprise to some readers.
I mentioned that places and people are well evoked, and as long as the scene is set in West Berlin, post-GDR East Berlin, Hamburg or Denmark it all seems very authentic and based on personal observation. However, one did not need to have visited East Berlin to discover that it was “drab” and “bleak”. But it was downright unconvincing to have homicidal Stasi officers in full uniform (!) striding about pistol in hand and threatening to blow people᾿s brains out at the drop of a hat.
These anomalies are all the more disappointing in that the portrait of the main protagonist is sympathetic and well-rounded, the plot is ingenious, and the dénouement – I hope I am not giving too much away here – deeply satisfying. All in all a book to be recommended.
March 10, 2016
I picked up the book after visiting Germany, and hearing about the Lebensborn program at the Documentation Center in Nuremberg. I was curious about children who had been conceived / born / raised in a state-run program to increase the birth rate of those with so-called superior genes.
This book is only very tangentially about Lebensborn children. It's a 60s-era spy tale set in East and West Germany with a very complex--to the point of confusion--plot, little to distinguish one character from the next, lots of weird plot holes, and flat dialogue. It feels like a book that was translated from another language to English, although there's no evidence of that on the book jacket.
It's not fair to be disappointed in a book because it isn't about what you'd hoped. This book, however, put me in mind of formulaic 1950s Cold War spy thrillers, all menacing men and danger with a capital d.
This book is only very tangentially about Lebensborn children. It's a 60s-era spy tale set in East and West Germany with a very complex--to the point of confusion--plot, little to distinguish one character from the next, lots of weird plot holes, and flat dialogue. It feels like a book that was translated from another language to English, although there's no evidence of that on the book jacket.
It's not fair to be disappointed in a book because it isn't about what you'd hoped. This book, however, put me in mind of formulaic 1950s Cold War spy thrillers, all menacing men and danger with a capital d.
November 14, 2014
George Orwell meets John le Carré
If anyone is looking for a great spy thriller for Christmas reading I can highly recommend The Lebensborn Boy by Roy Havelland. It’s a gripping espionage novel as well as a highly original love story, set in East and West Germany and Denmark during the Cold War, with a great dénouement in Berlin after the fall of the Wall. A blurb on the jacket says “George Orwell meets John le Carré” and that’s a good description. I wondered why I hadn’t heard of Roy Havelland before, until I discovered that he is in fact two British authors writing under a joint pen name, and that this is their first collaboration. Well done, Roy! Give us another book soon, please.
If anyone is looking for a great spy thriller for Christmas reading I can highly recommend The Lebensborn Boy by Roy Havelland. It’s a gripping espionage novel as well as a highly original love story, set in East and West Germany and Denmark during the Cold War, with a great dénouement in Berlin after the fall of the Wall. A blurb on the jacket says “George Orwell meets John le Carré” and that’s a good description. I wondered why I hadn’t heard of Roy Havelland before, until I discovered that he is in fact two British authors writing under a joint pen name, and that this is their first collaboration. Well done, Roy! Give us another book soon, please.
November 1, 2016
The premise of this story is a very good one and I did enjoy the plot. Sadly it was poorly executed. The writing isn't brilliant, the protagonists are paper-thin, dialogue is wooden. The book also needs a good editor.
5 stars for the plot, 1,5 - 2 for the writing: 3 stars.
5 stars for the plot, 1,5 - 2 for the writing: 3 stars.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews