Lilac Girls: A Novel (Woolsey-Ferriday)

It’s been a while. After three Nor’easter’s, two minor snow storms, a nasty sinus infection, struggling with writing yet another novel, and a recently devasting death in the family later… I still hadn’t whittled down my “Books-to-Be-Read-this-Month” stack. It wasn’t until this past holiday weekend when I finally said, “To hell with it all!” and picked out a novel at random, tuned out this world, and entered the saner literary one…A world that, both unfortunately and unfortunately, turned out to be not so much sane, but more disturbingly bizarre with its stark realities than, and reflective of, the actual one I had left.To paraphrase the character Sophia in The Golden Girls: Picture this. Nazi Germany. 1939.In Lilac Girls, a compelling first novel by Martha Hall Kelly, Kasia, a teenager from Lublin, Poland, is rounded up, along with Helina, her mother, and Zuzanna, her sister, by German soldiers. Within minutes, they are imprisoned in the bowels of Lublin Castle. Three days later, the women find themselves being shipped by train to Furstenberg where they are incarcerated in Ravensbrück, the largest concentration camp for women in Germany. Kasia and her sister become part of a group known as “Rabbits”. One, because they are experimental lupin (French for rabbits) in a heinous plan devised by Hitler’s henchmen– Herring, Himmler, and Goebbels to find a “cure” for war injuries – and two, because after undergoing grotesquely cruel, inhuman operations, they could do nothing more than hop and hobble around the camp.A little-known figure in history, Caroline Ferriday, a former Broadway actress and member of the elite New York City society, works as an attaché in the French embassy. As the author relates in the first person, Ferriday’s multi-faceted story is fascinating; steeped in the guts and glory of the war era coupled with the difficulties and uncertainties of finding -- and keeping – true love and friendship. Richly written and crafted in true documentary fictional style, Ferriday’s narration unfolds throughout the course of the war until her life entwines with that of Kasia and Zuzanna. And, eventually, comes to grips with Herta Oberheuser, the only woman physician actually allowed on Ravensbrück’s medical staff. And, truth be told, one of the most cruelly insensitive historic fictional characters I have met in a long time.The author, as related in her endnotes, spent more then three years immersed in ferreting out and writing about details of Ferriday’s life and, now, because of this historical novel, her enduring legacy. Character descriptions, both imagined and real based upon letters, diaries, and archival records, as well as personal journeys to Poland, Paris, and German – not to mention Ferriday’s now historical home (“The Hay”) in Bethlehem, Connecticut – are more than true-to-life. They are real in the narration because Kelly has brought them back to life with considerable skill and consummate empathy. Which made reading about them not only enjoyable, but elucidating, enlightening and, more importantly, in the face-paced, exciting – and quite satisfactory – denouement, uplifting.Perhaps Lilac Girls was the wrong novel choice to read when lone and forlorn (still am, a bit, I guess) from coping through the trials and tribulations of March. But Kelly, who has found her exceptionally gifted literally talent and voice, offers a powerful anecdote by relating, through fiction, not only the boundless bravery and fortitude of the Rabbits, but the kindness of Caroline Ferriday who through her hard work, generosity, and gentle compassion, helped them recover from what could have been devastatingly lasting effects of their own trials and tribulations.Which proves just about anything in real-life, however disturbingly horrific – albeit couched in fiction – can be overcome. And that, as April finally bounds into Spring, is giving me and, hopefully, you, renewed hope.Enjoy the read!

You know those books that everyone seems to rave about and when you finally read them, just don’t seem to hold up to what everyone was talking about? That’s what this book was for me. So why the four-star rating? Because part three brought everything together quite beautifully and I finally, *finally,* loved it.The book’s narrative is divided between three characters and into three parts. The first character, Caroline Ferriday, was a New York City socialite and former broadway star. She is also a real person from history who worked tirelessly as a humanitarian for French orphans and the “Ravensbruck Rabbits.” Her story was interesting but was honestly the most confusing to me throughout the first two parts of the book. I could not figure out how this woman, so far removed from everything happening in Europe, had anything to do with the other stories of the book. Also, how she handled Paul’s wife was a bit disappointing considering what his wife had gone through, but that could be a harsh judgement on my part.The second character is a Polish teenager, Kasia Kuzmerick, who was arrested and sent to Ravensbruck. She became one of the prisoners who suffered through experimental surgeries on her leg at the hands of German doctors. These women who went through these degrading and gruesome surgeries became known as the “Rabbits,” partially because they were forced to hop around camp to be able to get around, and also because they were the German’s “experimental rabbits.” She and her sister were based on two sisters who were prisoners at Ravensbruck. Her character was by far the most heart rending. She went through so much and to watch her go from being a carefree, sometimes thoughtless young teen, to the survivor in camp, to the bitter woman she became, and then to watch her transform and begin to heal was really quite remarkable. Her’s was my favorite of the stories, though hers is also the most difficult to read.Herta Oberheuser was the third character and a German doctor. The only woman doctor who worked at Ravensbruck, as it would turn out. This account was the fictional telling of the true Herta who worked in Ravensbruck and helped perform countless surgeries on the women prisoners there, all in the name of the Reich and the “greater good” of Germany. While Kasia’s story was difficult to read because of the atrocities and PTSD she had to live and suffer through, Herta’s was difficult because of the inhumanity. There was so much justification, so much personal brainwashing. And what happened to her after her war crimes trial really made me angry! It was definitely disturbing to read how someone could feel justified and right in doing such cruel things to other human beings.Parts 1 and 2 of the book are good, but again, I was confused how any of the three women would come together. Herta and Kasia do, obviously, because they were both at Ravensbruck. But Caroline was an utter mystery. It all becomes clear in Part 3 and the back stories of all three from the previous two sections do help play a crucial role in making Part 3 a success. I think Part 3 is the shining glory of the whole book and would have loved more of what was there. Overall, it’s a good book, just know going in that the disjointed stories of the three women will not make sense until you’re closer to the end than the beginning or even the middle. Parts 1 & 2 get three stars from me but Part 3 is worth five.Note: contains disturbing content—remember, one of the primary characters was a prisoner/patient at Ravensbrück, where female prisoners were subjected to terrible experimental surgeries. Though the details are not overly graphic, there are still some details of those surgeries and the future effects of them upon the women there. Another main character was one of the doctors at Ravensbrück, and she has a very apathetic attitude about her part in the atrocities committed there. Also in the book: other treatments and murders of German prisoners in their concentration camps. What happened to orphaned/abandoned children, including children with German fathers and French mothers (so sad!). There is also talk of sex/sexual relations, and one steamy kissing scene that doesn’t progress to anything more (though it is on it’s way to more before getting interrupted).AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Read by: Cassandra Campbell, Kathleen Gati, and Kathrin Kana. Each of these women did a marvelous job with their readings. I really loved that there was a different voice for each character. I think it brought the story more alive. The accents were very well done and the reading was excellent.

Entertaining ...will read the sequel. Although based on true events it still reads like pure fiction. Good Summer read

A master piece of a novel

This book I found to be masterfully written, three diverse women's stories that alternative and interweave so that the reader cannot put down the book for want of finding out what happens next for each of them. Given the subject matter, I couldn't imagine how the author could ever find the words to describe such extremes of torture and cruelty. I think it is extremely important for people to become aware of this horrible and gruesome Nazi practice and also of the kindness of those who helped victims however they could.

This seemed a well researched book. The writing was very good, but at times it was a difficult book to read because of the subject. At one point I had to take a breather. These poor women were so brave and endured such atrocities it was an important book to read.

Recommend this author.