Waiting on Wednesday: Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post to showcase upcoming releases that I am anxious to get my hands on.

Kindle Edition, 448 pages 

Expected publication: April 9th 2019

 by Ballantine Books

The runaway bestseller Lilac Girls introduced the world to the real-life heroine Caroline Ferriday. Now, a generation earlier, this sweeping new novel featuring Caroline's mother, Eliza, follows three equally indomitable women from St. Petersburg to Paris under the shadow of World War I.

It is 1914 and the world has been on the brink of war so many times, many New Yorkers treat the subject with only passing interest. Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. Petersburg with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanovs. The two met years ago one summer in Paris and became close confidantes. Now Eliza embarks on the trip of a lifetime, home with Sofya to see the splendors of Russia: the church with the interior covered in jeweled mosaics, the Rembrandts at the Tsar's Winter Palace, the famous ballet. But when Austria declares war on Serbia and Russia's Imperial dynasty begins to fall, Eliza escapes back to America, while Sofya and her family flee to their estate outside the city. In need of domestic help, they hire the local fortuneteller's daughter, Varinka, unknowingly bringing intense danger into their home. On the other side of the Atlantic, Eliza is doing her part to help the White Russian families find safety as they escape the revolution. But when Sofya's letters suddenly stop coming she fears the worst for her best friend.

From the turbulent streets of St. Petersburg and aristocratic estates of the countryside to the avenues of Paris and the society of fallen Russian émigrés there to the mansions of Long Island, the lives of Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka will intersect in profound ways, taking readers on a breathtaking ride through a momentous time in history.

What are you waiting for?

Review: Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

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

On the eve of a fateful war, 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 sinks deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspect neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.

For ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. But, once hired, 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 female-only Nazi concentration camp. The tragedy and triumph of their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, and Germany to Poland—capturing the indomitable pull of compassion to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.

In Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly has crafted a remarkable novel of unsung women and their quest for love, happiness, and second chances. It is a story that will keep readers bonded with the characters, searching for the truth, until the final pages.

Published April 5th, 2016

by Ballantine Books

Kindle edition, 497 pages

*****

I know that I have said this many times in various reviews but I'll say it again.  When reading HF I love to be educated and entertained at the same time.  I've read many books focusing on World War II and the atrocities Hitler and the Nazis inflicted on innocent souls.  Having never heard of Ravensbruck before I wasn't prepared for what I read in this book at all and it wasn't until I read the author's notes that this had actually occurred.  At times it was hard to take in, but we are talking about WW II here.

As you can read above Caroline, Herta and Kasia are the 3 women this story revolves around.  The author has woven an intricate story, there were times I wondering what the connection this women would have and it was great to see the direction this story went.  Beginning in 1939 and continuing through to 1957 it isn't always that we stay with characters this long after the war has ended and that was a nice change.  Even when the war ended it didn't end (emotionally) for everyone.

"we were like flies stuck in honey, alive but not really living."

This is a story of survival and courage, of heartache and secrets, of not knowing and left wondering, it pulls at the heartstrings and a reminder of this horrible period in history.

This is the author debuts and she did a great job, with her meticulous research and layered plot I will definitely be on the lookout for more in the future.  The author's notes were wonderful and very much appreciated, great details and I loved reading about her trips to locations mentioned in Lilac Girls.  It was quite obvious she had a story to tell and was passionate about it.

Thank you to Random House for reaching out and providing a complimentary copy (via netgalley) for review.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week.  This weekly gathering is hosted by Mailbox Monday.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy,

toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.




My first Mailbox Monday post, a little late to the party but I am here.  So being late this post will include the past 3 weeks hopefully future mail boxes won't be this full.

Kindle deals

Netgalley

Book Tours

Purchases