Description
For three women living through World War II, the threat of war poses very separate issues – that is, until their lives become intertwined in the most tragic of circumstances.
New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate. But the privileged life to which she is accustomed is turned upside down when her lover suddenly and suspiciously disappears.
An ocean away in Germany, indoctrinated young Herta Oberheuser is desperate to begin working as a doctor. She replies to an advert for a government medical position, yet only upon arrival does she discover the true extent of her horrifying new role.
As the war advances, Polish teenager Kasia Kuzmerick is drawn deeper into the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbours, one false move can have dire consequences.
Then the unthinkable happens: Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women where Herta now works, and her life is transformed into a desperate attempt to survive.
As the women’s stories coincide and span decades and continents – from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland – the devastation of Ravensbrück is ever-present, as Kasia and Caroline strive to bring justice to those history has forgotten . . .
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‘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
‘This is the kind of book I wish I had the courage to write–a profound, unsettling, and thoroughly captivating look at sisterhood through the dark lens of the Holocaust. Lilac Girls is the best book I’ve read all year. It will haunt you.’ Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
‘Rich with historical detail and riveting to the end, Lilac Girls weaves the lives of three astonishing women into a story of extraordinary moral power set against the harrowing backdrop of Europe in thrall to Nazi Germany. Martha Hall Kelly moves effortlessly across physical and ethical battlegrounds, across the trajectory of a doomed wartime romance, across the territory of the soul. I can’t remember the last time I read a novel that moved me so deeply.’ Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Hundred Summers and The Secret Life of Violet Grant
