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kiwi2745's review
3.25
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Death, Death of parent, Rape, and Genocide
Minor: Animal death, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm
emeister3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The second half of the book is much better than the first. The first 50% of the book alternates between 3 different female POVs and, as a result, I kept pinging between 3 different feelings - boredom, sadness, and shock. It had me feeling so downtrodden that I didn’t want to finish it. However…these atrocities are a part of history. They happened to real humans and, tragically, were committed by real humans. And their stories deserve to be heard, then to never happen again. As Norman Cousins wrote, “…what is told here is not a glimpse into the bowels of an imaginary hell but part of our world.”
Graphic: Confinement, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Cursing, War, Death of parent, Death, and Genocide
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Rape, Torture, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Car accident, Rape, Medical content, Child abuse, Alcohol, Child death, Animal death, Cancer, Infidelity, Racism, Infertility, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Incest, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abortion
thereadingwells's review against another edition
Graphic: Murder, Animal death, and Rape
I knew it would include some tragedy, being a book based at the beginning of WWII, but I’m less than 20% in and there’s already been a very descriptive rape and a beloved pet murdered with a shovel. For now this is a DNF for me.saliwali's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Deportation, Genocide, Police brutality, War, Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Antisemitism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Torture, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Murder, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Animal death, Hate crime, and Self harm
Moderate: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Blood, Rape, Sexual assault, and Infidelity
mnatale100's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, and Deportation
Moderate: Antisemitism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Self harm, Infertility, Murder, Gore, Violence, Torture, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Animal death, Lesbophobia, Slavery, Alcohol, Ableism, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Xenophobia
may_alyse's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Genocide
Moderate: Medical trauma and War
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Rape, and War
beabates's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Torture, Child death, Death of parent, Animal death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Hate crime, Infertility, War, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Death, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Antisemitism, Grief, and Genocide
lisbethleftwich's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
Minor: Cancer, Pregnancy, and Panic attacks/disorders
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Author: Martha Hall Kelly
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Pub Date: April 5 2016
T H R E E • W O R D S
Slow-paced • Educational • Memorable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Inspired by actual events and people, and spanning continents, Lilac Girls tells the story of three vastly different women, whose fates converge during and in the aftermath of WWII. Caroline Ferriday is a real-life New York socialite volunteering for the French consulate at the outset of war, and who undertakes philanthropic engagements to help orphaned French children in France. Kasia, a Polish teenager actively participating in the underground resistance, is arrested and sent to Ravensbrück, the only all female concentration camp in Nazi Germany. Herta Oberheuser is hired as a doctor at Ravensbrück, and performs unthinkable experimental surgeries on the prisoners. Spanning several decades, this is a powerful story of friendship and love, or bravery and survival, of forgiveness and redemption.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As a fan of historical fiction, particularly WWII stories, Lilac Girls was an anticipated read for me from its release date. Martha Hall Kelly has crafted a carefully researched and poignant debut. Written in alternating, parallel perspectives offering glimpses into both the dark and light sides of human nature, and exploring a number of interpersonal themes, including female friendship, mother-daughter relationships, love, infidelity, and mental health, is what makes this an important story. It's another beautiful tale which shines a light on women in WWII, this time from the often overlooked polish perspective, and educates the reader about the horrific sulfonamide experiments that took place at Ravensbrück, and tells the story of the women known as "the rabbits". Kasia's strength in the face of adversity and unthinkable loss is inspiring, her story so compelling.
The fact this novel included parts of the aftermath of war, a part often left out, is one of the reasons I liked it. However, the novel spans so many years it needs to pack so much story into one book, and from my perspective hurt it, finding it long and at times disjointed. At times it felt as though I was reading three books, and I anticipated the three women would be interconnected more than they were. When I got to the Author's Note and learned Paul was fictional, I felt this invented romance was not needed, and took away from the power of the stories.
I did enjoy this book, but not as much as I'd anticipated. It is painful and horrific, yet also filled with love and hope. For me there were so many unfinished aspects; the relationship between Herta and Kasia's mother, Caroline and Paul's story, among others, and it felt so much could have been expanded on, certain scenes bring rushed. For that reason, I couldn't classify it among my favourite WWII historical fiction novels. With all of that said, I will be reading the second installment in this series Lost Roses and following the story of Caroline's mother.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Historical fiction readers
• WWII aficionados
• fans of The Alice Network
• Bookclubs
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
" 'I'd walk with my head high and on the way hand this bouquet to the guards and tell them not to blame themselves for what they did.' "
"How easy it is to get tangled up in your own fishing net."
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Torture
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Minor: Cancer
strangulation (hanging), execution (lethal injection), PTSDjamiejanae_6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Genocide, Grief, and Violence