"Lilac Girls, by Martha Hall Kelly"

"Lilac Girls, by Martha Hall Kelly"

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.
 
This is not my normal book I would read as I don't want to have nightmares about what was done to those poor people interned in the concentration camps; however I thought I would give it a go and I am glad I did.  This book is inspired by actual events and real people and is set in World War Two.  

You'll understand the character's of Herta and Kasia right away, but will be probably left wondering why Caroline is involved in all of this when she is in America; but the more you get into the book the clearer it will become.  I didn't figure out why the title of the book was "Lilac Girls," until very close to the end when I picked up the connection.

This book has a lot of depth and detail in it that makes it a book that I couldn't read for long periods of time.  I read this book over a few days, to let the story sink in.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5 Glad I read it, I learned a number of things I didn't know about.  As always read the author's notes at the end; very interesting.  I have requested Martha's other book "Lost Roses" which is set in World War One and involves Caroline's mother.  Looking forward to reading that as well.

This is my own review; I borrowed the book from my local library.