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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I liked learning the history of the part regular people played in defeating the Nazis during WWII
Outstanding!
5 starts are not nearly enough! This is the most poignant WWII book I’ve read to date. Excellent portrayal of the powerful resistance of mind and spirit against the darkest evil.
For World War II buffs, this is a great read. The characters are well drawn, and their stories haunting.
Loved the book! I couldn’t put it down!
This is historical fiction at its best! I was totally enamored with everything, I had to know more, to see which parts were true. I love flying down that research hole!
Martha Hall Kelly’s pen was meant to write this story! She was so invested, you could feel her love for her characters. I had the sense that special care went into each detail.
This is a Series to get lost in.
Excellent read, very enjoyable and suspenseful.
I don’t think any of the above describe the book. But it is so worth reading!
This book was a look at what the Holocaust did to families and the agonies that Jews went through emotionally, spiritually, and physically. The horrors were described in detail and were heart wrenching. My heart ached with the trials and decisions the three women needed to make to survive. It gives one a realistic picture of World War II.
an all-around good read!
Shocking! I have read many books based on WWII and concentration camps, but this one pulled at my heart in a manner that most do not. The medical experiments at Hitler’s Ravensbrüch women’s concentration camp, were beyond horrid; I had not heard the term, “rabbits”, before. Told from three POV’s, it was amazing how the lives of these very different women intersected. A good read.
If you like WWII history, this is an awesome read.
A mission, lives and righting wrongs…
I picked up this book because I liked other books set around the same time and thought I might like this one. The premise caught my attention and I wanted to know more. I’m glad I did. The plot is interesting and the writing was good. This story has promise.
Caroline and Paul’s storyline was interesting and rooted for them to get a happy ending. That said, the characters were a bit flat. I liked Kasia enough, but Herta… it was hard to read her plot because it was hard to buy into what she stood for. There are mentions of rape, which might be a trigger to some. I wasn’t sure how to feel about her. I didn’t like Herta’s actions, even if she thought she had a purpose. Caroline’s character came across a bit snobby. She’s a socialite, but the descriptions were a bit much. This could be a light read at times and bogged down in details in others.
Still, this is an interesting take on the subject of three women from WWII. Herta and Caroline are based on real people, so once I got to the author’s note, it was neat to find out they were real.
If you’re looking for a book that’s a different take on the time period, then give this one a try.
A heartbreaking read but great characters and story.
I was surprised when the author developed the Nazi doctor’s character and then her story just stopped. I had read a lot of WWII books at the same time and it was not quite as good as most of the others which reflected on this book.
I learned more about the treatment of the women in the Ravensbruck concentration camp and what happened to them after the war.
You know those books that everyone seems to rave about and when you finally read them, just don’t seem to hold up to what everyone was talking about? That’s what this book was for me. So why the four-star rating? Because part three brought everything together quite beautifully and I finally, *finally,* loved it.
The book’s narrative is divided between three characters and into three parts. The first character, Caroline Ferriday, was a New York City socialite and former broadway star. She is also a real person from history who worked tirelessly as a humanitarian for French orphans and the “Ravensbruck Rabbits.” Her story was interesting but was honestly the most confusing to me throughout the first two parts of the book. I could not figure out how this woman, so far removed from everything happening in Europe, had anything to do with the other stories of the book. Also, how she handled Paul’s wife was a bit disappointing considering what his wife had gone through, but that could be a harsh judgement on my part.
The second character is a Polish teenager, Kasia Kuzmerick, who was arrested and sent to Ravensbruck. She became one of the prisoners who suffered through experimental surgeries on her leg at the hands of German doctors. These women who went through these degrading and gruesome surgeries became known as the “Rabbits,” partially because they were forced to hop around camp to be able to get around, and also because they were the German’s “experimental rabbits.” She and her sister were based on two sisters who were prisoners at Ravensbruck. Her character was by far the most heart rending. She went through so much and to watch her go from being a carefree, sometimes thoughtless young teen, to the survivor in camp, to the bitter woman she became, and then to watch her transform and begin to heal was really quite remarkable. Her’s was my favorite of the stories, though hers is also the most difficult to read.
Herta Oberheuser was the third character and a German doctor. The only woman doctor who worked at Ravensbruck, as it would turn out. This account was the fictional telling of the true Herta who worked in Ravensbruck and helped perform countless surgeries on the women prisoners there, all in the name of the Reich and the “greater good” of Germany. While Kasia’s story was difficult to read because of the atrocities and PTSD she had to live and suffer through, Herta’s was difficult because of the inhumanity. There was so much justification, so much personal brainwashing. And what happened to her after her war crimes trial really made me angry! It was definitely disturbing to read how someone could feel justified and right in doing such cruel things to other human beings.
Parts 1 and 2 of the book are good, but again, I was confused how any of the three women would come together. Herta and Kasia do, obviously, because they were both at Ravensbruck. But Caroline was an utter mystery. It all becomes clear in Part 3 and the back stories of all three from the previous two sections do help play a crucial role in making Part 3 a success. I think Part 3 is the shining glory of the whole book and would have loved more of what was there. Overall, it’s a good book, just know going in that the disjointed stories of the three women will not make sense until you’re closer to the end than the beginning or even the middle. Parts 1 & 2 get three stars from me but Part 3 is worth five.
Note: contains disturbing content—remember, one of the primary characters was a prisoner/patient at Ravensbrück, where female prisoners were subjected to terrible experimental surgeries. Though the details are not overly graphic, there are still some details of those surgeries and the future effects of them upon the women there. Another main character was one of the doctors at Ravensbrück, and she has a very apathetic attitude about her part in the atrocities committed there. Also in the book: other treatments and murders of German prisoners in their concentration camps. What happened to orphaned/abandoned children, including children with German fathers and French mothers (so sad!). There is also talk of sex/sexual relations, and one steamy kissing scene that doesn’t progress to anything more (though it is on it’s way to more before getting interrupted).
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Read by: Cassandra Campbell, Kathleen Gati, and Kathrin Kana. Each of these women did a marvelous job with their readings. I really loved that there was a different voice for each character. I think it brought the story more alive. The accents were very well done and the reading was excellent.
Very powerful story. I couldn’t put it down.
Like many, I was aware that the Nazis used prisoners in concentration camps for medical experimentation. But before I read this book, I don’t think I quite understood what that was like for those experimented on. And the book is based on true stories.
In LILAC girls, Martha Kelly brings this story to life using three parallel narratives:
Kasia – a Polish concentration camp survivor who is operated upon.
Caroline – a privileged America who works on behalf of orphans, refugees, and survivors
Herta – the only woman doctor to perform the experiments at the all-women’s concentration camp, Ravensbruck.
It’s these three women who make the story so personal, even helping to answer the question – “How could any trained physician convince herself that participating in this type of medical experimentation was acceptable.”
Moving back and forth between their stories, Kelly creates a suspenseful portrait for the World War II years. But I admit I was surprised when the war ends only about half way through the book.
The remainder moves into the 15 years following the war and what happens to the three women. This shift felt a bit abrupt to me — and slowed the pace of the book considerably for a time . But I’m glad I stayed with it. Because the pace picks up again and I ended the book more satisfied, after learning about the ways in which humans can indeed recover from the most unimaginable atrocities.
Historical fiction at it’s best!