Having a strictly subjective opinion about the book I’m going to talk about today, I am certain that not only my sensitivity to the abuses committed by Hitler during World War II have filled my soul with admiration and love for this book.

“Lilac Girls” written by Martha Hall Kelly reveals the real story of three female characters. Caroline, a beautiful woman from New York who fights for the rights of the French and beyond, Kasia, a brave and strong Polish woman whose future will be unexpected, and Herta, a German woman who practices medicine, forgetting all human emotions throughout her life and career. The destinies of these three characters will intersect throughout the book, but it’s only towards the end that you will understand the possibility of this, which made me ask myself many questions throughout the reading.

Although at first, the book may seem a little uninteresting, starting with the description of the lives of these three women, after reading a few chapters, it will immerse you in the atmosphere of the story. I read a few pages of it online over a year ago, then I tried to find it in the library but couldn’t, so I gave up looking for it, but its story stayed in my mind and I constantly had the desire to read it, until I recently purchased it online.

“Inspired by real events and people, Martha Hall Kelly tells the story of three women, set during World War II, which reveals the courage, cowardice, and cruelty of those days. This is part of history – women’s history – and should not be forgotten.” – Lisa See. As this author says, the book is indeed a true life story that we should reflect on at least once. Thinking about life today and all the possibilities we have, this book will make you see things differently that you are lucky enough to have, to see, to touch.

If I were to compare this book to another that moved me in almost the same measure, it would be “Homework” by Nicolae Dabija. Although it’s a fiction where two characters end up in a gulag because of the change of a painting from Stalin to Eminescu, both present the sufferings of that period, sufferings that I am sure existed because of Stalin, not just Hitler. In my opinion, both books are worth reading, without any importance to their order, but rather the importance that we, as readers, give to them and the personal conclusions we draw from them. Looking from that perspective, maybe we can become better versions of ourselves.

You can find my previous article by clicking on this.

Thank you and happy reading!