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A review by kelly_e
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
emotional
slow-paced
- 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
Title: Lilac Girls
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."
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."
Content Warnings
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), PTSD