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Lost Roses cover art

Lost Roses

Written by: Martha Hall Kelly
Narrated by: Kathleen Gati, Tavia Gilbert, Karissa Vacker, Catherine Taber
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Publisher's Summary

The million-copy best seller Lilac Girls introduced the real-life heroine Caroline Ferriday. Now, Lost Roses, set a generation earlier and also inspired by true events, features Caroline’s mother, Eliza, and follows three equally indomitable women from St. Petersburg to Paris under the shadow of World War I.

“A nuanced tale that speaks to the strength of women.” (Kirkus Reviews)

It is 1914, and the world has been on the brink of war so often, many New Yorkers treat the subject with only passing interest. Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. Petersburg with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanovs. The two met years ago one summer in Paris and became close confidantes. Now, Eliza embarks on the trip of a lifetime, home with Sofya to see the splendors of Russia: the church with the interior covered in jeweled mosaics, the Rembrandts at the tsar’s Winter Palace, the famous ballet.

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. In need of domestic help, they hire the local fortune-teller’s daughter, Varinka, unknowingly bringing intense danger into their household.

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. But when Sofya’s letters suddenly stop coming, she fears the worst for her best friend. 

From the turbulent streets of St. Petersburg and aristocratic countryside estates to the avenues of Paris where a society of fallen Russian émigrés live to the mansions of Long Island, the lives of Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka will intersect in profound ways. In her newest powerful tale told through female-driven perspectives, Martha Hall Kelly celebrates the unbreakable bonds of women’s friendship, especially during the darkest days of history.

Audiobook cast of narrators: 

  • Sofya, read by Kathleen Gati
  • Eliza, read by Tavia Gilbert
  • Varinka, read by Karissa Vacker
  • Luba, read by Catherine Taber
  • The author's note read by the author 
©2019 Martha Hall Kelly (P)2019 Random House Audio

What the critics say

“Epic.... [Martha Hall] Kelly’s gift is bringing to life and to light the untold stories of women and families far away from the war front yet deeply affected by the decisions of leaders and the efforts of fighters. Fans of historical fiction...and viewers of period dramas will want to clear their calendars when Lost Roses comes out.” (Booklist, starred review) 

“The writing is rich and vivid with detail about the period.... A nuanced tale that speaks to the strength of women.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“In an era crumbling under the weight of war, hatred, and devastation, the bonds of women not only endure but offer sustenance and hope in Martha Hall Kelly’s stunning depiction of the lives of Eliza Ferriday and the women she fought to save. Lost Roses is not only a brilliant historical tale, but a love song to all the ways our friendships carry us through the worst of times.” (Lisa Wingate, New York Times best-selling author of Before We Were Yours)

What listeners say about Lost Roses

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Pleasant read.

Interesting book, but pales in comparison to The Lilac Girls. I found it hurried and somewhat 'exploitive' in nature.

Still, very well written and a great introduction to the upheaval in Europe and Russia in the early 1900s and the impact it had on world politics to this date.

It's wonderful to see the characters, all genuine and very likeable people, struggling and surviving with their humanity intact.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

slow starting, but great

I loved lilac girls and was a little disappointed at first. I found Sofyia's narrator a little hard to listen at first, but once it got going I loved all the characters and narrators!

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love this series

love this series. love the writing. the voice acting is phenomenal. can't wait for the next one

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  • 2022-04-10

Odd Narrative Interpretation of The Protagonist Eliza.

I fully expected to enjoy this book and may have done had I purchased the print copy. This audio version was disappointing. The narration of Eliza was oddly manic, melodramatic and shrill - to the extent that I found myself tapping the mute function each time these sections began. I encourage you to purchase the print copy.

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