Goodreads Monday is hosted by Lauren’s Page Turners. It’s a great way to talk about a book from your TBR list and just kind of show it off. It’s supposed to be every Monday but I tend to do this post just once a month. My last Goodreads Monday was a picture book I still haven’t read and in fact, most have been children’s books of some kind, however, today is different. Today I am talking about an adult book, historical fiction to be exact.
Back in 2015, I began reading War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy. As expected it’s a tough read and it was easy to put down. I began taking breaks and reading other books. This caused me to really slow down my progress. About two years in I decided to stick with only children’s books between Tolstoy’s “chapters” and this way I wouldn’t get stuck on anything too long. Hence, it has been a long while since I have read a book not for children and not Russian Literature. I am excited to move on.
Not only is this on my TBR list, but it’s actually at my library right now, on hold waiting for me to pick it up. I choose historical fiction because that seems to be one of my favorite genres. Probably why I was able to enjoy more than half of War & Peace; I’m a history nerd and love learning while reading stories.
Without further ado, here is this month’s Goodreads selection:
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly.
Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this debut novel reveals a story of love, redemption, and secrets that were hidden for decades.
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.
I have heard mixed reviews about this book but I am very excited to get my hands on it and start a new adventure.
INGRID E FABER 