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Lilac Girls

By: Martha Hall Kelly
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Kathleen Gati, Kathrin Kana, Martha Hall Kelly
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Publisher's summary

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.

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 is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.

For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, 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 Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland—as Caroline and Kasia strive 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, freedom, and second chances. It is a story that will keep listeners bonded with the characters, searching for the truth, until the final chapters.

Narrator List:
CAROLINE, read by Cassandra Campbell
KASIA, read by Kathleen Gati
HERTA, read by Kathrin Kana
With the Author's Note read by the author.

©2016 Martha Hall Kelly (P)2016 Random House Audio
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Critic reviews

“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

What listeners say about Lilac Girls

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  • Overall
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Exceptional book!

Couldn't stop listening to this book. Excellent character development. Loved how the three women's lives came full circle.

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23 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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The best audible ever!!

Martha Kelly is an amazing story teller. Who better to tell the story of the rabbits of ravens brook then this first time author. The readers were first rate. Looking forward to all things Martha hall Kelly.

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20 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding book!

A fine example of historical fiction written with precision and accuracy. Truly riveting. This is one of the best books I've listened to on audible. There is something more riveting about historical fiction when it is so well researched that "based on true events" is an actuality not just a loosely thrown term.

I highly recommend this well- written book with language that is delightful and description vivid.

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5 people found this helpful

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Excellent story! Well done!

Where does Lilac Girls rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Easily top ten!

What did you like best about this story?

A view of Nazi Germany from the inside. Amazing depth of characters. And a story that delves into the difficulties of returning to "normal"!

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not sure.

If you could take any character from Lilac Girls out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Herta- I still would like to know how people did what they did!!

Any additional comments?

Excellent read!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Phenomenal read

What a deeply expressive writing of the many cruel and amazing humanitarian qualities thru war time.

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2 people found this helpful

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love this book

I found this book to be very interesting and factual. A must-read, especially for women.

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1 person found this helpful

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Excellent

The women were so real and u could relate to Kasha and Caroline unlike the doctor she was almost alien in her coldness except when in relation to Kasha’s mother. I recognized several of Germans as actual historic figures but to find out Caroline was also real and Kasha and Susanna were based on real women also made the book much more poignant Thank you

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Love the history!

Loved the book and learning about a part of WWII that I had never heard of. The voices, however, are very distracting.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautifully written!

I couldn’t wait to listen every day! Lots of twists and turns for each character making it a great read!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Historical fiction

Enjoyed learning about the rabbits and Caroline’s assistance. Difficult to listen to the torture. Important to know the horrors to avoid repeating.

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