Listen free for 30 days
-
Lilac Girls
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Kathleen Gati, Kathrin Kana, Martha Hall Kelly
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $42.34
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this powerful debut novel reveals an incredible story of love, redemption, and terrible 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.
In Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly has crafted a remarkable novel of unsung women and their quest for love, freedom, and second chances. It is a story that will keep listeners bonded with the characters, searching for the truth, until the final chapters.
Narrator List:
CAROLINE, read by Cassandra Campbell
KASIA, read by Kathleen Gati
HERTA, read by Kathrin Kana
With the Author's Note read by the author.
You may also enjoy...
-
Sunflower Sisters
- A Novel
- Written by: Martha Hall Kelly
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Shayna Small, Jenna Lamia, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Georgeanna “Georgey” Woolsey isn’t meant for the world of lavish parties and the demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women on the battlefront a bother. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, DC, to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort.
-
-
Loved it!
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-11-12
Written by: Martha Hall Kelly
-
The Golden Doves
- A Novel
- Written by: Martha Hall Kelly
- Narrated by: Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Saskia Maarleveld, Martha Hall Kelly
- Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Paula Stein on 2023-10-26
Written by: Martha Hall Kelly
-
The School for German Brides
- A Novel of World War II
- Written by: Aimie K. Runyan
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Kathleen Gati
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the war begins, Hanna Rombauer, a young German woman, is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother’s death. Thrown into a life of luxury she never expected, Hanna soon finds herself unwillingly matched with an SS officer twenty years her senior. The independence that her mother lovingly fostered in her is considered highly inappropriate as the future wife of an up-and-coming officer and she is sent to a “bride school.” There, in a posh villa on the outskirts of town, Hanna is taught how to be a “proper” German wife.
-
-
interesting book
- By Jessica on 2024-09-28
Written by: Aimie K. Runyan
-
Resistance Women
- A Novel
- Written by: Jennifer Chiaverini
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 20 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the New York Times best-selling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, an enthralling historical saga that recreates the danger, romance, and sacrifice of an era and brings to life one courageous, passionate American - Mildred Fish Harnack - and her circle of women friends who waged a clandestine battle against Hitler in Nazi Berlin.
-
-
Valuable historical fiction…
- By Carolyn Ledwell on 2022-08-25
Written by: Jennifer Chiaverini
-
The Things We Cannot Say
- Written by: Kelly Rimmer
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon, Nancy Peterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now 15 and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate. Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears.
-
-
A well written, beautiful story about love, sacrifice and family
- By BriM on 2019-07-10
Written by: Kelly Rimmer
-
The Warsaw Orphan
- Written by: Kelly Rimmer
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson, Charlie Thurston
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors. She knows all too well about German brutality - and that it's the reason she must conceal her true identity. But in befriending Sara, Elzbieta makes a discovery that propels her into a dangerous world of deception and heroism.
-
-
great book
- By Shannon on 2021-08-10
Written by: Kelly Rimmer
-
Sunflower Sisters
- A Novel
- Written by: Martha Hall Kelly
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Shayna Small, Jenna Lamia, and others
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Georgeanna “Georgey” Woolsey isn’t meant for the world of lavish parties and the demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women on the battlefront a bother. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, DC, to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort.
-
-
Loved it!
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-11-12
Written by: Martha Hall Kelly
-
The Golden Doves
- A Novel
- Written by: Martha Hall Kelly
- Narrated by: Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Saskia Maarleveld, Martha Hall Kelly
- Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Paula Stein on 2023-10-26
Written by: Martha Hall Kelly
-
The School for German Brides
- A Novel of World War II
- Written by: Aimie K. Runyan
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Kathleen Gati
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the war begins, Hanna Rombauer, a young German woman, is sent to live with her aunt and uncle after her mother’s death. Thrown into a life of luxury she never expected, Hanna soon finds herself unwillingly matched with an SS officer twenty years her senior. The independence that her mother lovingly fostered in her is considered highly inappropriate as the future wife of an up-and-coming officer and she is sent to a “bride school.” There, in a posh villa on the outskirts of town, Hanna is taught how to be a “proper” German wife.
-
-
interesting book
- By Jessica on 2024-09-28
Written by: Aimie K. Runyan
-
Resistance Women
- A Novel
- Written by: Jennifer Chiaverini
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 20 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the New York Times best-selling author of Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker, an enthralling historical saga that recreates the danger, romance, and sacrifice of an era and brings to life one courageous, passionate American - Mildred Fish Harnack - and her circle of women friends who waged a clandestine battle against Hitler in Nazi Berlin.
-
-
Valuable historical fiction…
- By Carolyn Ledwell on 2022-08-25
Written by: Jennifer Chiaverini
-
The Things We Cannot Say
- Written by: Kelly Rimmer
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon, Nancy Peterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since she was nine years old, Alina Dziak knew she would marry her best friend, Tomasz. Now 15 and engaged, Alina is unconcerned by reports of Nazi soldiers at the Polish border, believing her neighbors that they pose no real threat, and dreams instead of the day Tomasz returns from college in Warsaw so they can be married. But little by little, injustice by brutal injustice, the Nazi occupation takes hold, and Alina’s tiny rural village, its families, are divided by fear and hate. Then, as the fabric of their lives is slowly picked apart, Tomasz disappears.
-
-
A well written, beautiful story about love, sacrifice and family
- By BriM on 2019-07-10
Written by: Kelly Rimmer
-
The Warsaw Orphan
- Written by: Kelly Rimmer
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson, Charlie Thurston
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors. She knows all too well about German brutality - and that it's the reason she must conceal her true identity. But in befriending Sara, Elzbieta makes a discovery that propels her into a dangerous world of deception and heroism.
-
-
great book
- By Shannon on 2021-08-10
Written by: Kelly Rimmer
-
Truths I Never Told You
- Written by: Kelly Rimmer
- Narrated by: Sarah Mollo-Christensen, Piper Goodeve, Jean Ann Douglass
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling author of The Things We Cannot Say, Before I Let You Go, and the upcoming The Warsaw Orphan, comes a poignant post-WWII novel that explores the expectations society places on women set within an engrossing family mystery that may unravel everything once believed to be true.
-
-
Amazing read!
- By Felicity on 2022-12-18
Written by: Kelly Rimmer
-
The Huntress
- A Novel
- Written by: Kate Quinn
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 19 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bold and fearless, Nina Markova always dreamed of flying. When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina's bravery and cunning will keep her alive.
-
-
Narrator kills it, decent story
- By E.V. Ritchie on 2019-03-18
Written by: Kate Quinn
-
The Paris Daughter
- Written by: Kristin Harmel
- Narrated by: Madeleine Maby, Kristin Harmel
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change. When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life—her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves.
-
-
Great story
- By Keeshond007 on 2023-07-03
Written by: Kristin Harmel
-
Switchboard Soldiers
- A Novel
- Written by: Jennifer Chiaverini
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini, a bold, revelatory novel about one of the great untold stories of World War I—the women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, who broke down gender barriers in the military and battled a pandemic as they helped lead the Allies to victory.
-
-
History Told
- By Anonymous User on 2024-01-31
Written by: Jennifer Chiaverini
-
The Paris Agent
- Written by: Kelly Rimmer
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Knowelden, Fiona Hardingham, Emma Fenney
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty-five years after the end of the war, Noah Ainsworth is still preoccupied with those perilous, exhilarating years as a British SOE operative in France. A head injury sustained on his final operation has caused frustrating gaps in his memory—in particular about the agent who saved his life during that mission gone wrong, whose real name he never knew, nor whether she even survived the war.
-
-
Haunting story
- By Lynn on 2024-10-11
Written by: Kelly Rimmer
-
The Kitchen House
- A Novel
- Written by: Kathleen Grissom
- Narrated by: Orlagh Cassidy, Bahni Turpin
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Orphaned during her passage from Ireland, young, white Lavinia arrives on the steps of the kitchen house and is placed, as an indentured servant, under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate slave daughter. Lavinia learns to cook, clean, and serve food while guided by the quiet strength and love of her new family. In time Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, caring for the master's opium-addicted wife and befriending his dangerous yet protective son. She attempts to straddle the worlds of the kitchen and big house, but her skin color will forever set her apart.
-
-
Impressive
- By JAG on 2021-11-13
Written by: Kathleen Grissom
-
The Librarian Spy
- A Novel of World War II
- Written by: Madeline Martin
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence. Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.
-
-
A compelling story.
- By Jen C. on 2022-10-16
Written by: Madeline Martin
-
The Ambassador's Daughter
- Written by: Pam Jenoff
- Narrated by: Joanna Daniel
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Brought to the peace conference by her father, a German diplomat, Margot Rosenthal initially resents being trapped in the congested French capital, where she is still looked upon as the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life with Stefan, the wounded fiancé she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all. Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and a secret to protect; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who gives Margot a job.
Written by: Pam Jenoff
-
Daughter of the Reich
- A Novel
- Written by: Louise Fein
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the dutiful daughter of a high-ranking Nazi officer, Hetty Heinrich is keen to play her part in the glorious new Thousand Year Reich. But she never imagines that all she believes and knows about her world will come into stark conflict when she encounters Walter, a Jewish friend from the past, who stirs dangerous feelings in her. Confused and conflicted, Hetty doesn’t know whom she can trust and where she can turn to, especially when she discovers that someone has been watching her.
-
-
Daughter of the Reich
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-08-16
Written by: Louise Fein
-
Code Name Sapphire
- Written by: Pam Jenoff
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind.
-
-
Gripping
- By Pam D on 2023-12-15
Written by: Pam Jenoff
-
Sisters of the Resistance
- A Novel of Catherine Dior's Paris Spy Network
- Written by: Christine Wells
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paris, 1944: The war is nearly over, but for members of the Resistance in occupied France, it is more dangerous than ever before. Twenty-five-year-old Gabby Foucher loathes the Nazis, though as the concierge of 10 rue Royale, she does her best to avoid conflict - unlike her bolder sister Yvette, who finds trouble at every turn.
-
-
Awesome
- By Michelle Preyde on 2021-10-19
Written by: Christine Wells
-
The Book Woman's Daughter
- A Novel
- Written by: Kim Michele Richardson
- Narrated by: Katie Schorr
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned Troublesome Creek packhorse librarian, Honey and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.
-
-
Great read!
- By Melany C. on 2023-01-10
Written by: Kim Michele Richardson
What the critics say
“Harrowing . . . Lilac illuminates.”—People
“A compelling, page-turning narrative . . . Lilac Girls falls squarely into the groundbreaking category of fiction that re-examines history from a fresh, female point of view. It’s smart, thoughtful and also just an old-fashioned good read.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“A powerful story for readers everywhere . . . Martha Hall Kelly has brought readers a firsthand glimpse into one of history’s most frightening memories. A novel that brings to life what these women and many others suffered. . . . I was moved to tears.”—San Francisco Book Review
What listeners say about Lilac Girls
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M. Wood
- 2021-10-23
Amazing! Couldn't put it down!!!
I LOVED this book!! Enthralling story and captivating characters!!! The fact that it is based on a true story was incredible!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- WarmSunshine
- 2018-05-29
Absolutely magnificent. Loved it.
An amazing journey into the events of that time. Excellent reading. I felt i knew each character personally.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2023-07-31
slow start but so worth it
amazing! couldn't stop listening. I just about didn't see what all the fuss was about when I started. I found it kind of slow to get into but once you get into it you realize why it was so slow from the beginning! You had to have contact of their prior life before you understand the full story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- TMH
- 2018-01-13
Love and Kindness are always relevant
Deeply moving, horrific, frightening, but awash with love, kindness, and bravery! What an amazing gift Martha Hall Kelly has in turning words into images. The milk maids in the field looking up at the silver bellied plane firing on them. I was there, I could see it!
War of course leaves utter destruction, broken hearts, and broken families in it's wake. Despite the extremities the characters found themselves in, we see the human ability to love, care, to put others before themselves, and to sacrifice, even to death.
Lilac Girls is a testament of the human spirit, of love, kindness, and generosity in the worst of conditions.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jen
- 2018-09-13
Very good
well written and narrated... beautiful & painful story. Loved the authors manner of unfolding the story through the different characters. #Audible1
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Candace Schnier
- 2021-11-30
Interesting historical novel.
I really enjoyed this book. Impressed that the author researched the premise for the story with such accuracy. I look forward to reading the next book involving the historical ancestors of Carolyn Faraday. Great story and well performed. Recommend highly. Story takes place during World War Two. It focuses on three women and their struggles at the hands of the Germans. An American who makes enormous efforts to help the victims of the Germans. A feisty polish women who is a victim and prisoner and a German doctor who abuses without feeling or guilt prisoners of the only all women’s camp and is eventually punished for her crimes.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Carol Pegura
- 2020-04-02
loved it
this was interesting and I did not want to put it down, narrators also great.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Owen Enstrom
- 2020-10-23
Really enjoyed despite it being a heavy topic
I loved the authors notes after the book was done. I was pleased to hear about all the research she did and that actual characters from real life were included.
Thank you A+
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Karla
- 2019-03-15
Beautiful
Such a beautifully written story. The author created a great realistic connection with the characters for the readers.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2021-01-26
Hard to read - Impossible to put down!
Through historically researched characters in this story the veil is removed and an up close and personal witness to lives lived in the concentration camps is revealed.
Through the eyes of victims and perpetrators the story weaves its way through the darkest hours of humanity. At times so difficult to read and yet impossible to put down.
The narration of the audio book is English spoken through the characters French, Polish and German accents which adds a rich depth to the storyline.
It leaves you begging for the next story. Brilliant!
AAA+
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful