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
more
In a time when World War II fiction seems to be everywhere, The Lilac Girls stands out as one of the best of the genre. This story takes us to Ravensbruck, the camp where Nazi doctors performed horrific experiments on Jewish women. It also includes the real-life character of Caroline Ferriday, who worked to bring healing to the survivors. I knew nothing of Ferriday before reading this book. I found her to be incredibly inspiring. Author, Martha Hall Kelley’s prequel to The Lilac Girls, Lost Roses is due out in the spring. I’ve already pre-ordered by copy.
Great historical fiction about the Holocaust. We must never forget!
Very hard to read about the horrors in the concentration camps and just the Nazi era in general. But this book was hard to put down .
Wonderful historical fiction. This book made you care about the characters, cry, and sometimes laugh. It made my generation realize the horrors of war.
Excellent read.
Historically based and reflective of the social times in both America and war-torn Europe. Heroic characters on both sides of the ocean, and despicable ones as well. A good read and a better book club pick!
I thought that I was fairly well informed regarding the history of WWII and the
atrocities of that war. I learned so much in reading this book, many of those
I was totally unaware of. It isn’t an easy book to read, but well worth it. Maybe
if everyone read it, this could be a more peaceful world. Just a thought.
Hard to read about the atrocities of war, especially the experiments performed on female prisoners/victims at Ravensbruck!
Lilac Girls is one of my all time favorite books. I’ll be keeping this book, and I’m hoping it will be turned into a movie.
Oh, you say , ANOTHER WWII book. Well, yes, it is, but I found it a unique story I was totally unfamiliar with. There are three main characters that the plot revolves around, from three different countries. Caroline, a NY socialite, Kasia, a Polish teenager, and Herta, a German doctor. The story is based on real characters fictionalized and is very well written, it is a story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
The Germans in WWII set up Ravensbruck concentration camp, their only all female center. Anyone who was not for the Nazis that they wanted to punish was sent there, Jews, Poles, and more. Kasia is caught helping in the Polish Resistance and sent to Ravensbruck. Herta is a young doctor living in a small German town with little prospect of finding a decent job, facing sexual discrimination until she is offered work at the camp.
Everyone faces moral dilemmas, the horrors of war, and questions of right and wrong versus survival at all cost. Herta performs unnecessary surgeries on the Polish girls, implanting germs and objects into their legs to see how German soldiers might survive under these conditions. Their legs are so painful they hop around like rabbits afterwards, never given pain medicine or antibiotics.
I don’t want to give the whole story away, so read it for yourself, and learn from history.
This is based on a true story about three women. A woman in New York helping resettle people who had left Europe because of WII, Polish woman in a German Prison camp, and a woman who was a German doctor in the camp.
Have read many books set during the Holocaust, but Lilac Girls takes a different approach, bridging characters from three distinct circumstances and experiences. Well written.
A fictionalized account of a real-life situation involving harrowing treatment of women in WW II concentration camps, this book reveals the range of human behavior from horrendous cruelty to heroic survival and heart-deep compassion. It creates a window into the thoughts and actions of both the cruelest zealot and her victims. It also reflects the power of hope and resiliency, and exhibits the impact of active and determined kindness.
I loved this book.i can remember at the end I turned the page and it was the end.i thought this is it I wanted more. It was sad,inspiring,
True to the history of World War 2. Sad but true!
Loved this book
Amazing book! Ms. Kelly has taken a horrifying subject and woven good and evil together to create an endearing story of triumphant hope. This book is both heartbreaking and heartening as it recounts stories of the Holocaust, its perpertrators, and its survivors. I highly recommend it!
This fictional account of the lives of three women spanning from pre-WWII to post-war offered the reader 3 different perspectives of living through Hitler’s barrage through Europe. I liked that there were real-life characters drawn into this. I am drawn to stories of this era and the incredible strength and resiliency of those who survived or worked on behalf of those suffering.
This book is for everyone who wants to remember those who have suffered and those who have worked tirelessly to help. The characters are very real and they pull at you and your sympathies or your condemnation.
Such an amazingly beautiful book. The history of WWII has always fascinated me and reading about this awesome women and what they lived thru was heartbreaking. Thank you to the author for the words she used to bring this story of hope to us all.