Maddie Lock's new memoir, ILLEGITIMATE, coming March 10th, 2026!
Exploring the impact of the Second World War, Hitler's terrifying reign, and self-identity, Lock's memoir delves into family bonds, biological ancestry, and the lingering effects of childhood abandonment. She centers her writing on the details surrounding her grandmother's history and repairing her own relationship with her mother after she returns—when Lock is just six years old—engaged to an American soldier and determined to take Lock to the United States. Though she builds a relationship with her stepfather, Lock always feels that something is missing, and when she returns to Germany in search of that absent piece, she reunites with her father—learning hidden family truths about her mother, her parents’ romance, and both sides of her family history.
- Booklife Reviews
“Reminds us that even when memories fail, the heart remembers.”
Angela Findlay, author of In My Grandfather’s Shadow
Born out of wedlock in post-war Germany, a child enters the world between two people seeking escape and renewal—Susi, a young woman desperate to break free from the drudgery of her life, and a POW yearning to start over. When Susi refuses his offer of marriage, a court order severs him from his daughter forever.
Determined to chase her dreams, Susi joins a dance troupe, leaving her infant daughter, Maddie, in the care of her mother, Katharina—a resilient woman who has already raised six children, three with different fathers. Six years later, Susi returns, now engaged to an American Army officer. Maddie is taken from her grandmother and adopted to be raised in America.
As Maddie grows, she wrestles with her fractured identity and, decades later, finds her way back to her German roots. Just before her 60th birthday, a shocking confession from her Aunt Sieglinde shatters everything she thought she knew: her beloved grandmother once participated in a Nazi eugenics program that encouraged “racially correct” unions to produce children for Hitler’s vision.
That revelation ignites Maddie’s quest to uncover the truth about her own father—a journey that intertwines generations, secrets, and the unyielding need to belong.
ILLEGITIMATE is the true story of two women who had to uncover the identities of their fathers in order to truly understand themselves.
Pub date: 10-Mar-2026
Page count: 262
ISBN: 978-3-98832-222-7
"Every family keeps secrets, yet few are as extraordinary or as intrinsically tied to an explosive moment in history, connecting three generations in ways that feel almost improbable. But this is real. Lock's writing is simple and assured, attentive to what she researched and the conversations that filled in the rest."
Asher Syad, Readers' Favorite reviewer
- "An utterly compelling journey into a family’s past and the secrets hidden there. A Wishing Shelf Recommended Read!"
Billy Buttons, Author
"...All families have secrets. Author Maddie Lock put it this way: 'We are not unique in tragedy and happenstance. All families have stories with far-reaching consequences. We are fortunate that ours has brought us closer together, created a larger understanding of what it means to be human and decide that it’s okay.' If we delve into our own family history we may encounter our own whispered secrets."
Ronald Schultz, Author
"...Uncovers the beauty and potential of human resilience."
Jen Knox, Author of We Came Uninvited
- "In Lock’s compelling memoir she documents her family’s hidden and complicated history including participation in the Lebensborn program. Her historical memoir traces her effort to locate and connect with lost family members. It is a beautifully crafted story that highlights the yearning and dislocation one feels when truth resides just beyond our grasp."
Wendy Swift, Author of A Dream Life
