Lilac girls Review: Lilac Girls is the masterpiece of American writer Martha Hall Kelly. It is one of the best seller novels. Martha Hall Kelly decided to write a book on this universal topic when she, ultimately, grabbed a chance to visit Bellamy-Ferriday house and garden situated in Bethlehem, Conn.
The home got the importance of historic fame ‘the Bellamy’ by the performance of his vital, productive role during the revival of religion in American in the mid of 18th century.
Around 150 years later, Manhattan socialites Henry and Eliza Ferriday purchased the 100-acre farmstead, and they created an enchanting orchard that their daughter, Caroline, then sated with classical roses and specimen lilacs. The lilacs flowers enticed Kelly, but later on, she was inspired by something more significant.
Women’s Prison Camp In Germany
Kelly has explained, at the end of the novel, how she observes a photograph of the rabbit that day; Caroline collected money for a group of about seventy-four women in the aftermath of World War II. This group of female had actually been political prisoners at ravensbrück that was the only largest Nazi prison camp for women in German locality.
For ancient medical practice, the unfortunate women were taken as if they were not a human being. For the protection of human, a sudden action was taken, as the practice was made to transform healthy people to disable people. Their bones were fractured; muscles and nerves were severely damaged. Doctors treated inhumanly with the war returning survivors by making the diseased and disabled. They used various types of bacteria on their wounds just to enhance their practice.
Caroline’s Sympathy and Social Work
Thus Caroline raised her arms to help those affected, helpless and miserable ladies. For that, she used public resources and did a great job for them. She succeeded to bring them to America where they were well treated and cured.
Kelly’s research: Kelly started to research the story of Caroline and the Rabbits. The author has to pay to visit the place where Caroline lived also studied the work of Caroline in Paris and Washington, D.C. just to write a successful genuine story. She visited Poland, Germany and began to write. Lilac girls review shows that the whole story of Lilac Girls revolves around three characters. The story of Caroline initiates the novel and provides the primary structure for the plot.
At the beginning of the novel, a former young woman and Broadway actress Caroline was introduced. She tends firmly established in her volunteer position at the French Consulate in Manhattan in 1939, anticipating a charity known as “French Families Fund.” This brilliant, charming and courageous girl fell in love with a good-looking, handsome man named Paul Rodier. He was a French actor by profession. Unfortunately, he was already married; meanwhile, war broke out, and life became complicated.
Second Character of the Novel
In the Lilac girls review, it is seen that the second character of the novel is Kasia, a Polish teenager who works for the resistance movement when Germany begins its invasion. Kasia winds up in Ravensbrück as a Rabbit with a frightful experience to comprehend.
Thirdly and ultimately, Kelly introduces us with Herta, a German doctor who gets a job at Ravensbrück, which consists of carrying out the medical experiments. Their stories slowly meet together as time passes on. Caroline eventually ready to war-torn France to reconnect with Paul but wind up, after having discovered so much more.
Well, Lilac girls review explains according to a literary point of view that it seems unbalanced and intermittent. Here the story of Caroline has been displayed in detail, whereas the stories of two other characters have been described briefly. The story of Caroline drives the readers into upper-crust parties and ancient-money country homes where women casually carry Schiaparelli bags.
On the other hand, the story of Kasia is heart-touching and annoying. Even though the character of Kasia seems not as well woven as that of Caroline. The Herta’s story is the shortest of the three; Kelly has included her role in the novel just to show the readers more atrocities about the Ravensbruck camp. Her character has not been described in detail.
Though, it makes me quite strange that the novel starts with Caroline but ends with Kasia. If Caroline was the dominant character of the book, I think it would have been more useful to finish with her.
Final Thought
Hence, Lilac girls review has shown that it is an innovative historical fiction that re-examines history from a young and modern female’s point of view. It presents as a unique, thought-provoking, an old good read and bestseller novel. For more interesting book reviews (e.g., Gwendy’s Button Box Review), you can check out our book category.