A review by chapita4
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

4.0

I've read quite a few books about the WWII and the truth of how brutal people are is always shocking. There was something about the way that the violence was described in this book that I found extremely disturbing. I think that it was the matter of fact acceptance of those that were committing such horrible acts, combined with the fact that it was women treating other women so terribly. I knew that medical experiments were performed on people but the story of the "Rabbits" was new to me. I liked learning about a real life American heroine and would love to learn more about her. Perhaps the most intriguing storyline was that of the female German doctor, I've often wondered how so many people were either quietly compliant or committed such cruelty and lived with themselves. I also liked that the author didn't feel the need to make her survivors "perfect" and allowed a glimpse into the aftermath of trauma. As always with these kinds of books I am left with a feeling of "lest we forget" and would recommend reading.