Lilac Girls - The Library of the Uncommons

Published Nov. 14, 2016 by Ballantine Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-101-88307-5

(1 review)

Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this debut novel reveals a story of love, redemption, and secrets that were hidden for decades.

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 …

Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this debut novel reveals a story of love, redemption, and secrets that were hidden for decades.

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.

13 editions

Cheri reviewed Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Review of 'Lilac Girls' on 'Storygraph'

2 stars

I had high hopes for this book but was very disappointed in the execution. It's told from the points of view of three women experiencing WWII from very different stations. Two of the women were dealing with the rise of Nazism and concentration camps in Eastern Europe while the other was a spoiled socialite primarily concerned with how she's treated by her peers, her married, would-be boyfriend, and the situation in France. It isn't until the second half of the book that these two things finally begin to come together which left me feeling frustrated and disliking the American woman quite a lot.

Overall, I thought that the book tried to be too many things. The author seems to have wanted to write a biography of Caroline Ferriday and a fictional account of what it was like to be a political prisoner in a concentration camp and give insight into …

I had high hopes for this book but was very disappointed in the execution. It's told from the points of view of three women experiencing WWII from very different stations. Two of the women were dealing with the rise of Nazism and concentration camps in Eastern Europe while the other was a spoiled socialite primarily concerned with how she's treated by her peers, her married, would-be boyfriend, and the situation in France. It isn't until the second half of the book that these two things finally begin to come together which left me feeling frustrated and disliking the American woman quite a lot.

Overall, I thought that the book tried to be too many things. The author seems to have wanted to write a biography of Caroline Ferriday and a fictional account of what it was like to be a political prisoner in a concentration camp and give insight into how a doctor could do the things that were done to the Ravensbruck Rabbits. The result, for me, was that none of those things were done well enough to make it an enjoyable read.

Anyone interested in reading a book featuring engaging characters in Ravensbruck should check out Elizabeth Wein's [b:Rose Under Fire|17262236|Rose Under Fire (Code Name Verity, #2)|Elizabeth Wein|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1368219053s/17262236.jpg|23859036] instead.

I was provided with an ebook ARC from the publisher through NetGalley but bought the audiobook and listened to that instead.