NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • One million copies sold! Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this remarkable debut novel reveals the power of unsung women to change history in their quest for love, freedom, and second chances. “Extremely moving and memorable . . . This impressive debut should appeal strongly to historical fiction readers and to book clubs that adored Kristin Hannah’s that adored Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See.” —Library Journal (starred review)
New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939—and then sets its sights on France.
An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.
For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.
The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.
USA Today “New and Noteworthy” Book • LibraryReads Top Ten Pick
“Harrowing . . . Lilac illuminates.”—People
“A compelling, page-turning narrative . . . Lilac Girls falls squarely into the groundbreaking category of fiction that re-examines history from a fresh, female point of view. It’s smart, thoughtful and also just an old-fashioned good read.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“A powerful story for readers everywhere . . . Martha Hall Kelly has brought readers a firsthand glimpse into one of history’s most frightening memories. A novel that brings to life what these women and many others suffered. . . . I was moved to tears.”—San Francisco Book Review
“[A] compelling first novel . . . This is a page-turner demonstrating the tests and triumphs civilians faced during war, complemented by Kelly’s vivid depiction of history and excellent characters.”—Publishers Weekly
“Kelly vividly re-creates the world of Ravensbrück.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Inspired by actual events and real people, Martha Hall Kelly has woven together the stories of three women during World War II that reveal the bravery, cowardice, and cruelty of those days. This is a part of history—women’s history—that should never be forgotten.”—Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author of China Dolls
“Profound, unsettling, and thoroughly . . . the best book I’ve read all year.”—Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
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What a stunning story, based on people who endured the years of the spread of Naziism. Written in first person from three points of view–through a woman in the US, another in Poland, and a doctor in Ravensbruck concentration camp for women. It begins in 1939, the episodes winding tighter and tighter during WWII, leaving devastating aftermath situations for decades afterwards. The Author’s Note is a treasure–telling of coming through letters and documents, the Nuremberg Doctors Trial, visited the main American character’s lilac gardens (which had been pictured in a 1999 Victoria magazine), and traveled to Poland with her own 17-year-old son. The precious Reader’s Guide includes not only a conversation of the author with another writer about the book, there are photos and maps, as well as Topics for Discussion. We must never forget.
If you love historical fiction, read this book !!
I loved the different women. So different, but very interesting.
Excellent
I’m fascinated with WWII books and this is a wonderful example of how they should be written. Great characters and stirring plot.
Poignant story with a different perspective on WWII.
I wish you had a category for historical, which this book is. Very good WWII era book.
Outstanding! It is so inspirational to read of a wealthy woman who used all of her resources, money, influence, time and talent to help holocaust victims. I didn’t know anything about Caroline Ferriday or the women known as the “Rabbits”. Great historical novel!
What a tragic time in history.
Holds your interest till the end
It was a good book. but a bit confusing switching back and forth among characters so much. I learned a bit about the many problems of the war.
This is a terrific book based on real events. When I bought it I thought it was fictional. I didn’t realize that most of the characters were historical. But its strength (interesting story based on real events) is also its one weakness. As the story progresses after the end of the War, the story loses focus. Up to that point, the author had been free to create. The reason she developed the story was the events that came afterward, so I think the factual events took over but lacked the coherense necessary to finish the tale she’d started. Even so, I highly recommend it. I enjoyed it immensely.
Captivating historical fiction about the power of female determination for helping others & survival in the most tulmotous of times.
…..and yet another aspect of the war that I had little knowledge of… so much evil during this time and every time I think I’ve heard it all…. there is still more and more and more.
You’ll love the characters and while heart breaking in many areas it is uplifting in others.
Another excellent book about WWII and people in different parts of Europe. Spellbinding.
Memorable characters based on real people. Loved Caroline and Kasia. But I thought it was especially interesting that the least sympathetic character, Gerta, lets her desire to practice medicine in a time when opportunities for women were very limited, overwrite any sense of right and wrong that might have otherwise guided her. I think most people wonder how someone could work in a concentration camp and live with themselves. This book does a insightful job of showing the rationalizations, selfishness, and other factors that Gerta uses to deceive herself she’s not doing anything wrong.
The characters came to life on each page. Each characters personality was defined by the events of the world. The hardships, the struggles and the necessity to survive was challenging to read about. In spite of the war and the ugliness that befell the lilac girls the story was intermingled with kindness and generosity of strangers in an effort to right the wrongs.
5 stars!!! Loved it!!!
Loved this book!
Well written historical fiction!
Compelling story