Lilac Girls

As a fan of historical fiction about World War II, I was very excited to read this book. I am glad that I did. From this well-written, engaging story, I learned about a group of women in history about whom I did not previously know, and I saw an interesting side of a Nazi doctor (fictionalized, but intriguing nonetheless).

The story follows three women during WWII and the years following the end of the war. Caroline is a New York socialite who uses her resources to assist families in France during the war. Kasia is a Polish girl working for the resistance who ends up in a Nazi concentration camp. Herta is a German doctor who takes a job at the same concentration camp and participates in experiments on young Polish prisoners. These three women's lives intersect in the book in both positive and negative ways.

The story of the Rabbits, a group of female Polish prisoners at Ravensbruck concentration camp, is upsetting yet very interesting to read. The abuse these young women suffered is inexcusable, and the author presents it in such a way that the reader can sympathize with the characters. The strength the women exhibit in the face of such atrocity is inspiring.

There is a romance in the book between Caroline and a French actor that I feel is unnecessary to the book. It does not seem to connect with the other characters' story lines, so it feels a little bit like fluff to me. It adds some drama to Caroline's story line, but that drama is just not cohesive with the rest of the book in my opinion. I kept waiting for it to tie in to the rest of the plot, but it just never did.

Overall, this was an educational and engaging book that sustained my interest throughout. I am very interested in reading more by this author.