What would you expect from a Nordic fiction writer from Elk Mound? Probably not what G.R. Revelle’s sixth book, Stolen Genes-Stolen Children has in store. Published by Smultron, the book follows four printings in one year of Revelle’s previous publication, My Enemy’s Child, where he originally raised interest in the Lebensborn topic now focused on in Stolen Genes-Stolen Children.

Founded in 1935 by Heinrich Himmler, the Lebensborn project was intended to increase the Germanic/Nordic population of Germany.

One act of the policy was the kidnapping of children “racially good” in the eastern occupied countries after 1939 as well as “breeding programs” between young women and SS officers. Revelle’s book follows the fictional story of two nurses involved in opposing sides of the issue over several decades. The story raises questions of morality in the medical fields and encourages more current debate over genetic engineering.

Attempts are made to link the Lebensborn theme to current US government sponsored health care policies. While the legitimacy of this claim could be disputed, the book’s fiction/history story is intriguing.

Though he studied English and drama at the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, Revelle has worked in engineering, including the Apollo projects, and now resides in Elk Mound.

    For more information and to order the book, visit www.smultron-pub.com.