(4.2 / 5)
Lilac Girls will test your nerve, break your heart, and replenish your spirit. It is a thoughtful book that deserves high praise and a place on your bookshelf.
I haven’t been this wrapped up in a book for a long time. You know a book is good when from the moment the kids go to bed until your own bedtime four hours later all you want to do is read.
This was a compelling yet difficult book to read. I almost abandoned it because some of the holocaust content was so hard for me, but I’m very glad I read and finished it.
Lilac girls has a lot of strong points, and chief among them are sympathetic female protagonists and an important WWII story you haven’t heard before. Lilac girls tells the story of three women from three different countries and backgrounds whose lives all intersect at some point and who all have a profound effect (for better or worse) on each other. Their strengths, dreams, and drive lend them unique voices that I won’t soon forget.
Our three protagonist all shine in their respective elements. Dr. Oberhouser may not have been a heroine (by any stretch!) but she was important to the story and really added a new dimension to the concentration camp experience. Caroline was an intelligent, brave, and compassionate woman who I was glad to see get the recognition she deserved. And Kasia, while completely fictional, was a strong representation of the many Polish women who suffered at the hands of the Nazis at Ravensbruck.
Only under close scrutiny does this book miss the 5 star threshold even though it was an utterly captivating read. I could have avoided real disappointment had I done a little more advance research but I read this entire book thinking it was mostly fact and that the author just shaded in a few details and took the liberty to put in dialogue. Not so. This book was inspired by strong and detailed research but each of the protagonists stories are steeped in fiction. As mentioned before Kasia is not a real person at all but a conglomeration of many Polish women and their experiences. Caroline has a dominant love story that is complete fiction. Herta Oberhouser has the smallest part of the three ladies but what is actually known about her by the world today could fit into a single paragraph. The author took many liberties with creating a back story and personality for her that have no factual basis whatsoever. Had I known these things before I read the book I may have given it a higher rating but I was very let down when I read the author note at the end.
Also, I was a little frustrated that the author shied away from really delving into what makes people change (for better and for worse) when confronted with emotional and/or physical trauma. I was sorry to see the author gloss over the emotional change both for Herta and Kasia. I can’t be too hard on Kelly, this is a wonderful first novel and I was glad I read it. Conveying a believable strong emotional change is difficult for even a seasoned writer to pull off.
Lilac girls is an original WWII novel that will unnerve and move you. It has been a while since I have experienced a book this compelling. Do yourself a favor and make sure this one gets on your to-read list.
Violence: Medium/High Language: Low/Medium Adult Content: Medium