Martha Hall Kelly

Cuando la autora tropezó por casualidad con un artículo sobre Caroline Ferriday, actriz y filántropa, supo que tenía que contar su historia y la de las mujeres que pudieron recomponer sus vidas gracias a ella. Septiembre de 1939. Tres mujeres en tres lugares del mundo viven el comienzo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial de manera muy diferente. Estados Unidos: Caroline Ferriday, pertenece a una familia acomodada y trabaja como voluntaria para la embajada francesa en Nueva York. Polonia: la joven Kasia Kuzmerick debe madurar de golpe después de que las SS detengan a su padre y ella se convierta en correo para la resistencia polaca. Alemania: Herta Oberheuser, una ambiciosa doctora, acepta tra-bajar para el régimen nazi sin sospechar que se adentra en un territorio cruel dominado por los hombres. Sus historias acabarán uniéndose cuando Caroline y Kasia se decidan a buscar justicia para las mujeres olvidadas del campo de concentración de Ravensbrück.

Septembre 1939 : les hordes nazies déferlent sur la Pologne. Commence alors, pour trois femmes que tout oppose, un terrible et rigoureux hiver… Il y a Caroline, d’abord. L’ancienne actrice américaine vit dans l’opulence, mais la guerre en Europe va bouleverser tout son quotidien… Kasia ensuite, cette jeune Polonaise qui rentre en Résistance, au péril de sa vie et de celles des siens. Herta, enfin, que son ambition dévorante jettera parmi les monstres – au point de s’y conformer. Toutes trois l’ignorent encore mais elles ont rendez-vous, au plus noir de l’hiver : au camp de Ravensbrück… Un premier roman remarquable sur le pouvoir méconnu des femmes à changer l'Histoire à travers la quête de l'amour, de la liberté et des deuxièmes chances.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • One million copies sold! Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this remarkable debut novel reveals the power of unsung women to change history in their quest for love, freedom, and second chances. “Extremely moving and memorable . . . This impressive debut should appeal strongly to historical fiction readers and to book clubs that adored Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See .”— Library Journal (starred review) 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. USA Today “New and Noteworthy” Book • LibraryReads Top Ten Pick

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. On the eve of a fateful war, 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 sinks deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspect neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences. For ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. But, once hired, 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 female-only Nazi concentration camp. The tragedy and triumph of their stories cross continents—from New York to Paris, and Germany to Poland—capturing the indomitable pull of compassion 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, happiness, and second chances. It is a story that will keep readers bonded with the characters, searching for the truth, until the final pages.

The runaway bestseller Lilac Girls introduced the real-life heroine Caroline Ferriday. This sweeping new novel, set a generation earlier and also inspired by true events, features Caroline's mother, Eliza, and follows three equally indomitable women from St. Petersburg to Paris under the shadow of World War I. It is 1914 and the world has been on the brink of war so many times, many New Yorkers treat the subject with only passing interest. Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. Petersburg with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanov's. The two met years ago one summer in Paris and became close confidantes. Now Eliza embarks on the trip of a lifetime, home with Sofya to see the splendors of Russia. But when Austria declares war on Serbia and Russia's Imperial dynasty begins to fall, Eliza escapes back to America, while Sofya and her family flee to their country estate. In need of domestic help, they hire the local fortuneteller's daughter, Varinka, unknowingly bringing intense danger into their household. On the other side of the Atlantic, Eliza is doing her part to help the White Russian families find safety as they escape the revolution. But when Sofya's letters suddenly stop coming she fears the worst for her best friend. From the turbulent streets of St. Petersburg to the avenues of Paris and the society of fallen Russian emigre's who live there, the lives of Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka will intersect in profound ways, taking readers on a breathtaking ride through a momentous time in history.

A woman’s life-altering discovery after her mother’s death sheds light on the best and worst of humanity in this haunting short story by New York Times bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly. After her mother’s passing, Aldona finds a tin filled with old letters from a prisoner at Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp in northern Germany. Amid the descriptions of daily deprivations and humiliations at the camp, she uncovers the heart-wrenching story of a small circle of women who risked their lives to hide a baby girl from the guards. Aldona is rocked to the core by this record of courage and sisterhood during one of the grimmest chapters of human history. Martha Hall Kelly’s Naomi’s Gift is part of A Point in Time, a transporting collection of stories about the pivotal moments, past and present, that change lives. Read or listen to each immersive story in a single sitting.

New York, 1914. Eliza Ferriday helpt Russische families die vanwege de oorlogsdreiging naar Amerika zijn gekomen. In Rusland vlucht haar vriendin Sofia, een nicht van de tsaar, naar het platteland. Ze huurt een huishoudelijke hulp in, onbewust van het gevaar dat ze met deze vrouw binnenlaat. Wanneer Eliza geen brieven uit Rusland meer ontvangt van Sofia, vreest ze het ergste…

Listening Length: 17 hours and 50 minutes Martha Hall Kelly's million-copy best seller 'Lilac Girls' introduced listeners to Caroline Ferriday, an American philanthropist who helped young girls released from Ravensbruck concentration camp. Now, in 'SUNFLOWER SISTERS', Kelly tells the story of her ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse who joins the war effort during the Civil War, and how her calling leads her to cross paths with Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Ann-May Wilson, a southern plantation mistress whose husband enlists. Gerorgeanna "Georgey" Woolsey isn't meant for the world of lavish parties and the demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women on the battlefront a bother. In proving hem wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York o Washington, DC, to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort. In the South, Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, where she lives with her mother and father. Her sister, Patience, is enslaved on the plantation next door, and both live in fear of LeBaron, an abusive overseer who tracks their every move. When Jemma is sold by the cruel plantation mistress Anne-May at the same time the Union army comes through, she sees a chance to finally escape - but only by abandoning the family she loves. Anne-May is left behind to run Peeler Plantation when her husband joins the Union army and her cherished brother enlists with the Confederates. In charge of the household, she uses the opportunity to follow her own ambitions and is drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves. Inspired by true accounts, 'SUNFLOWER SISTERS' provides a vivid, detailed look at the Civil War experience, from the barbaric and inhumane plantations, to a war-torn New York City, to the horrors of the battlefield. It's a sweeping story of women caught in a country on the brink of collapse, in a society grappling with nationalism and unthinkable racial cruelty, a story still so relevant today.

Sosietetskvinnen Caroline Ferriday jobber på det franske konsulatet i New York, og hennes verden blir snudd på hodet når Hitlers hær invaderer Polen i september 1939 - og siden retter blikket mot Frankrike. I Polen møter vi Kasia Kuzmerick, en tenåringsjente som etter hvert trekkes stadig dypere inn i rollen som kurer for undergrunnsbevegelsen. I denne spente atmosfæren kan én feilvurdering få fryktelige konsekvenser. For den unge og ambisiøse tyske legen Herta Oberheuser blir en stilling i regjeringen muligheten for å komme bort fra et ensomt liv. Men når hun får jobben, blir hun fanget inn i en mannsdominert verden bestående av hemmeligheter og maktkamp. Disse tre kvinnenes liv blir koblet sammen når Kasia blir sendt til Ravensbrück, den beryktede konsentrasjonsleiren for kvinner.

Two former female spies, bound by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II--an extraordinary, propulsive historical novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls The year is 1952. It's been over a decade since American Josie Anderson and Frechwoman Arlette LaRue were imprisoned at the Ravensbrück concentration camp. As a pair of spies known as the Golden Doves, they were arrested for working with the Resistance and bound forever when they lost everything--including Arlette's son, Willie. It was here, in the darkest of places, that they created a makeshift family to endure: Josie, Arlette and a little orphan they took in as their own, Fleur. Now thirty and supposedly working for the U.S. Army to bring Nazi scientists to America in a quest to outpace the Russians, Sofie nurtures an undying ember of anger in her heart. She is searching for Dr. Snow: The infamous, enigmatic doctor who did unspeakable things to her mother. Arlette is trying to make ends meet in Paris. She's exhausted all her finances to find her stolen son and works tirelessly to care for shellshocked Fleur. Then, the charming Luc Bouchard arrives in her café. The son of a famous philanthropic family, he invites her to their compound in French Guiana with the promised hope she might find Willie at the orphanage. And yet . . . rumor is it's also filled with absconding Nazis. When Arlette arrives at the secluded Cove House, she finds herself barred from the outside. Soon, she has to rely on her old techniques as a spy to uncover a deep deception that hits close to home. In the meantime, Josie's quest for Dr. Snow leads her from Strasbourg to the Vatican to Brazil, and finally back to Arlette in French Guiana, where the two discover that their lives, and the ones they love, are in grave danger. Martha Hall Kelly has garnered acclaim for her stunning combination of empathy and research into terrors of Ravensbrück. With The Golden Doves, she has once again crafted an unforgettable story about the fates of the Nazi doctors in the wake of WWII, and the unsung females spies who risked it all to fight for justice.

For three women living through World War II, the threat of war poses very separate issues - that is, until their lives become intertwined in the most tragic of circumstances. New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate. But the privileged life to which she is accustomed is turned upside down when her lover suddenly and suspiciously disappears. An ocean away in Germany, indoctrinated young Herta Oberheuser is desperate to begin working as a doctor. She replies to an advert for a government medical position, yet only upon arrival does she discover the true extent of her horrifying new role. As the war advances, Polish teenager Kasia Kuzmerick is drawn deeper into the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbours, one false move can have dire consequences. Then the unthinkable Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women where Herta now works, and her life is transformed into a desperate attempt to survive. As the women's stories coincide and span decades and continents - from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland - the devastation of Ravensbrück is ever-present, as Kasia and Caroline strive to bring justice to those history has forgotten . . . __________ '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 '[A] compelling first novel . . . This is a page-turner demonstrating the tests and triumphs civilians faced during war, complemented by Kelly's vivid depiction of history and excellent characters.' Publishers Weekly 'Kelly vividly re-creates the world of Ravensbrück.' Kirkus Reviews 'Inspired by actual events and real people, Martha Hall Kelly has woven together the stories of three women during World War II that reveal the bravery, cowardice, and cruelty of those days. This is a part of history--women's history--that should never be forgotten.' Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author of China Dolls 'This is the kind of book I wish I had the courage to write--a profound, unsettling, and thoroughly captivating look at sisterhood through the dark lens of the Holocaust. Lilac Girls is the best book I've read all year. It will haunt you.' Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet 'Rich with historical detail and riveting to the end, Lilac Girls weaves the lives of three astonishing women into a story of extraordinary moral power set against the harrowing backdrop of Europe in thrall to Nazi Germany. Martha Hall Kelly moves effortlessly across physical and ethical battlegrounds, across the trajectory of a doomed wartime romance, across the territory of the soul. I can't remember the last time I read a novel that moved me so deeply.' Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Hundred Summers and The Secret Life of Violet Grant

Two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women in this spectacular novel inspired by true events, from the New York Timesbestselling author of Lilac Girls. “A dreamy beach book that also sizzles with tension . . . another winner by one of the best historical fiction writers around.”—Fiona Davis, author of The Stolen Queen 2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible. 1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?

Two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women in this spectacular novel inspired by true events, from the New York Timesbestselling author of Lilac Girls. “A dreamy beach book that also sizzles with tension . . . another winner by one of the best historical fiction writers around.”—Fiona Davis, author of The Stolen Queen 2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible. 1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?

From New York Times best-selling author of Lilac Girls Martha Hall Kelly and co-author Kathy Murray comes a novella based on Murray's true underdog story, following her time coaching a German cheerleading squad and ultimately inspiring a group of young women to reach new heights in their sport. It’s 1997, and Kathy Murray, desperate to leave her medical sales job and pursue her passion, accepts an offer to teach aerobics in Germany - as a former elite athlete, she’s confident she can handle whatever comes her way. She quickly realizes, though, that her leap of faith may be more challenging than she thought, struggling with the German language and the overt racism she constantly faces as one of the only Black people in her new community. But that doesn’t stop her from taking on her biggest challenge yet: coaching a cheerleading squad of disengaged teenagers with only weeks to prepare for their championship competition. Meanwhile, 17-year-old Annika Jensen is a gifted gymnast, but when she arrives in Munich, she’s still haunted by the troubling memories of her previous cheer squad and has no interest in revisiting the sport. Can the Munich Cowboys Cheerleaders and their fearless new coach reignite Annika’s passion and rebuild her confidence? Told from Kathy and Annika’s perspectives, The Munich Cowboys Cheerleaders is an uplifting story of friendship and conviction in the face of adversity. Listening Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins

Este 1914, iar lumea s-a aflat atât de des pe marginea prăpastiei războiului, încât mulți newyorkezi sunt prea puțin interesați de subiect. Eliza Ferriday este încântată să călătorească la Sankt-Petersburg cu Sofia Streșnaiva, o verișoară a Romanovilor. Cele două s-au întâlnit cu câțiva ani în urmă la Paris și au devenit prietene apropiate. Acum, Eliza pleacă într-o călătorie cu Sofia, pentru a vedea splendorile Rusiei: bisericile pline de aur și pietre prețioase, picturile de Rembrandt de la Palatul de Iarnă al țarului, faimosul balet rus. Când Austria declară război Serbiei, iar dinastia imperială a Rusiei începe să se prăbușească, Eliza se întoarce în America, în timp ce Sofia și familia ei se refugiază pe proprietatea lor aflată la țară. Atunci când au nevoie de ajutor, o angajează pe fiica ghicitoarei din sat, Varinka, punându-și în pericol, fără să știe, viețile. De cealaltă parte a Atlanticului, Eliza face tot posibilul ca să ajute familiile rusești cu sânge albastru care fug din calea revoluției. Când scrisorile Sofiei încetează brusc să mai vină, se teme că ceva teribil i s-a întâmplat celei mai bune prietene a ei... „Un roman istoric fermecător și plin de viață... Inspirat din evenimente reale, acest prequel la Când înflorește liliacul își va entuziasma cititorii.“ People „Nu doar o poveste istorică sclipitoare, ci și un cântec de iubire pentru felul în care prietenia ne ajută în cele mai grele vremuri.“ Lisa Wingate „Inspirat de evenimente reale, la fel ca romanul anterior, și la fel de bine documentat, Trandafirii pierduți este o poveste remarcabilă și o dovadă în plus a forței feminine. Această epopee grandioasă îi va cutremura și îi va încânta pe fanii romanului Când înflorește liliacul și pe cititorii de ficțiune istorică deopotrivă.“ PopSugar

קרוליין פרידיי היא אשת חברה ניו יורקית שעובדת בקונסוליה הצרפתית וחוגגת אהבה חדשה, אבל כשצבאו של היטלר פולש לפולין עולמה מתהפך. קאשה קוזמריק היא נערה פולנייה שנעוריה חסרי הדאגה הסתיימו בבת אחת כשהיא מצטרפת למחתרת הפולנית. תחת מבטם הבוחן של שכניה, היא יודעת שמהלך מוטעה אחד שלה עלול להוביל לאסון. הרטה אוברהויזר היא רופאה גרמנייה שאפתנית שבסך הכול ענתה למודעת דרושים. אבל במקום לזכות במשרת החלומות שלה, היא מוצאת את עצמה כלואה בלב לבה של תעשיית המוות הנאצית. שלוש נשים מקצוות שונים של העולם. שלושה סיפורים שמתלכדים לכדי סיפור אחד של גבורה ומאבק. בהשראת דמויות ואירועים אמיתיים מן העבר משרטטת מרתה הול קלי את חייהן של נשים אמיצות ונחושות שמצטלבים במשימה אחת – לעשות צדק עם אלה שההיסטוריה שכחה. מרתה הול קלי נולדה בניו אינגלנד ומתגוררת כיום באטלנטה, ג'ורג'יה. זהו ספרה הראשון.