With her thorough descriptions & well-researched writing, I envision all the places & characters so vividly.Īfter reading Lost Roses, I am desperate to read some additional historical fiction centering around World War I.

Martha Hall Kelly has a way of writing that I feel as though I am in the book with these characters. Whereas Lilac Girls taps deeply into my heart, Lost Roses grips my mind & takes me directly to Russia. So, read the books separately if you must, but I bet you’ll want to read them both! Get Ready to Be Enveloped in Russian History

Moments are all the more tender when you know someone’s past.

I will say I loved getting the additional backstory on how Caroline’s character develops. Eliza is the mother of Caroline, one of the main characters in Lilac Girls. In this novel, readers really get to know Eliza Ferriday. Although it is technically a prequel, I don’t think you’ll miss a beat if you read it before during or after Lilac Girls. Prequel or Stand-aloneįirst, Lost Roses can absolutely be read as a stand-alone. This time she gives readers a detailed look at a Russian family during World War I. Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly Book Reviewįans of Lilac Girls rejoice. 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. But when Sofya’s letters suddenly stop coming she fears the worst for her best friend.įrom the turbulent streets of St. 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. In need of domestic help, they hire the local fortuneteller’s daughter, Varinka, unknowingly bringing intense danger into their household. 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. Now Eliza embarks on the trip of a lifetime, home with Sofya to see the splendors of Russia. The two met years ago one summer in Paris and became close confidantes. Petersburg with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanov’s. Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. It is 1914 and the world has been on the brink of war so many times, many New Yorker’s treat the subject with only passing interest. Goodreads Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly Book Review

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