Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. Ballantine
Books (Random House), 2016. Historical fiction.
Ready for a
captivating WWII tale about three young women? Caroline Ferriday is a
wealthy socialite with a heart of gold. After a successful acting career, she
works now to send clothing and food to French orphans. Handsome French actor
Paul Rodierre is married, but sets her heart beating more quickly.
Kasia Kuzmerick is a Polish teenager who takes
chances working with the resistance. Her sister, Suzanna, works for the
ambulance corps. Kasia dreams of a life with her friend’s brother, Pietrik.
They all dream of a free Poland without Nazis.
Young German
doctor Herta Oberheuser jumps at an
opportunity to advance her medical career in a spa/camp atmosphere. How could
she know it would become the only concentration camp for women, Ravensbruck?
The stories
of these three young women merge, weave in and out, and finally are brought
up-to-date in Lilac Girls. The stories begin in 1939 and the book ends in 1959. This is Kelly's first novel.
