On April 5, Ballantine Books released Martha Hall Kelly’s debut novel, Lilac Girls. While the story covers difficult and depressing material, it is beautifully written and leaves you with a feeling of hope.
The book follows three female narrators through World War II and over a decade beyond. Caroline Ferriday works for the French consulate in New York City. Kasia Kuzmerick is a Polish teenager who works for the resistance and is ultimately taken to Ravensbruck, a concentration camp for women, with her mother and sister. Herta Oberheuser is a female doctor who works for the camp with no remorse. What will happen when the lives of all three women intersect?
This novel shows us all the different angles of war. It also tackles an important topic we don’t usually see by taking us to the healing process that has to happen afterwards. The beauty of the book is watching the characters rebuild their lives while making the world a better place in the process. Kelly’s writing haunts you and pushes you to finish the novel quickly. While the topics within are dark, watching the characters’ lives brings you hope.
This book was eerie and absolutely beautiful. It works romance, violence, and the aftermaths of war into one unique story. If you can handle the deranged depictions of the concentration camp, this is a novel you should read. It covers important subject matter that we should all remember, lest the past repeat itself. In this modern age of prejudice and hate, this book is especially poignant.
I received this book in the Once Upon a Book Club subscription box. To check out my review of their service, click here.