👶👶👶👶 Lilac Girls, by Martha Hall Kelly

Good historical fiction is such a joy to read. What a unique perspective this novel offered. I knew absolutely nothing about Caroline Ferriday, and the author certainly motivated me to further research this New York socialite’s work. I was absolutely intrigued by the kaleidoscope of viewpoints offered in this novel; it was fascinating to see the same event from such different perspectives. The author did a tremendous job of interweaving the three characters’ stories together.

Though I had read about the Ravensbrück Rabbits in Rose Under Fire, this novel delved even deeper into the atrocities that these unsuspecting women lived through. What happened to these poor souls during World War II is absolutely unfathomable.

The character that experienced the most transformation throughout the novel was the real-life Herta Oberheuser, and I cringed as she transformed from a somewhat unlikeable person, into an absolutely abhorrent individual with no shame or conscience. This transformation offered insight into how the Reich was able to brainwash individuals into believing that what they were doing, was somehow conscionable.

Although somewhat disjointed, this novel was exceptional, and the author’s painstaking research was very evident.

Read 7/17