Book Bloomer

Lilac Girls(paid link) is a must read. Whatever is next on your reading list, put this one first. It is truly a work of art. It is so well-written and beautifully crafted. Yes, it’s a novel that requires your full attention, but it is so, SO worth it. This novel is what reading is all about.

It follows the narratives of three different women before, during, and after WWII; Caroline, Herta, and Kasia. Caroline is a wealthy woman who lives in New York and works to provide aid to France during the war, while Kasia is a Polish girl taken to a concentration camp in Germany. Lastly, Herta is a German doctor who kills and operates on these poor girls, known as “The Rabbits,” (a group which really existed), one in which is Kasia. You will be shocked at how all three of their lives become intertwined.

Each narrative does such an amazing job of giving a great depiction of each of these very different lives. The diction and sentence structure is beautiful, the research is exquisitely done, and the emotions are real. I’d recommend this novel to anyone and everyone, regardless of your preferred genre.

I’ve read my fair share of WWII and holocaust novels, but this one did something special that none of the previous ones have. It showed the “afterward” as well. Often times, we read about the horror done to others, that we forget the horror and pain continued even after the war was declared “over.” Pain doesn’t simply go away. Lives must be rebuilt, family’s must be relocated and reconnected. This novel is thought-provoking and not only gives you insight into humanity, but it will teach you things about WWII as well that most novel’s fail to recognize.