Historical fiction at it’s best! This is the tale of two women, one American and one Russian, whose lives are forever changed by the turmoil created by the Russian Revolution and the Great War, World War I. Prior to reading this novel, I had never considered the consequences of the juxtaposition of these two world events. Kelly takes you from the affluent areas of New York to the palaces and hovels of Russia to the streets of Paris approximately 100 years ago.

This is excellent historical fiction. It finds the right balance of story, fact, and education. The author’s note at the end describing what was real made everything come alive more.

I finished Martha Hall Kelly’s, “Lilac Girls” a couple days ago and immediately started “Lost Roses.” At first, I was a little disappointed because whereas “Lilac Girls” had more of WWII detailed, “Lost Girls” seemingly did not portray as much of WWI. And it’s set in Russia, which I feel like I don’t enjoy as much of that history. However, once I became immersed in these women’s stories, I could not put “Lost Roses” down! Told in a similar format to “Lilac Girls,” “Lost Roses” alternates between Eliza Ferriday, the American who works to aid the “White Russian” emigre’s; Varinka, the Russian Serb who is forced to serve her guardian, a revolutionary; and Sofya, a Russian aristocrat. This story was heartbreaking and uplifting, sad but joyful, and dark yet enlightening. Ms. Hall Kelly can tell a story. She crafts each chapter with just enough detail and ends it just when you want more. I was satisfied at the end of this story, and felt that even while I didn’t get some of the resolution I wanted, I got the resolution that was needed for these characters. And I learned some things about WWI, the Russian Revolution, and even my own American history along the way. I look forward to the next book by Martha Hall Kelly.

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly is a fantastic novel that is a prequel to Kelly's bestselling Lilac Girls. Once again Kelly's novel features the fascinating Ferriday women, but this plot begins in 1912. American Socialite Eliza Ferriday's generous spirit is as big as her bank account. Eliza has taken in Russian sisters Luba and Eliza for a week at her Paris apartment. Luba and Sofya are cousins to the tsar and they were forced from their St. Petersburg home. Eliza comes to their rescue and forms a tight connection with Sofya. The plot moves between New York and Russia as all the women face remarkable challenges. Lost Roses is a remarkable story of strength, courage and love.

Lost Roses is a prequel to The Lilac Girls. It is a stand-alone story of Caroline Ferriday’s mother, Eliza, a cousin to the Russian czar, Sofya, and a young Russian peasant, Varinka. Sofya visited Eliza in the U.S. and Eliza returned with Sofya to Russia on the brink of WWI. I was swept away by their stories. I also see where Caroline learned from her mom the importance of using her position in society to help others.

I cannot say enough about Martha Hall Kelly’s writing and the research she did to write Lost Roses. I will definitely be reading this beautiful story a second time. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lost Roses is a “prequel” to The Lilac Girls in that it is Caroline’s mother’s story. However, the two don’t have to be reading a certain order or in tandem.

There are three main protagonists who each have their own storyline in Lost Roses: Eliza (Caroline’s mother), a New England socialite and social justice warrior, if you want to use today’s term; Sofya, a Russian aristocrat, who is cousins with the Romanovs; and Varinka, a Russian peasant who ends up working at Sofya’s estate. The book takes place between 1916-1920, with an emphasis on the Russian Revolution, but Paris and New England are also major settings.

Briefly, Lost Roses is the story of Sofya’s family demise at the hands of the Bolsheviks, how Varinka saves/steals Sofya’s son Max, Sofya’s search for Max and safety, and Eliza’s search for her bosom friend Sofya in the wake of the Russian Revolution. There is a little bit of romance, but not nearly enough to have me invested in the relationships. Indeed, none of the three characters are sympathetic or interesting enough for me to fully latch on to. Usually, I enjoy and even prefer multiple timelines/narrators, but in Lost Roses, it is actually a detractor.

The only thing I really enjoyed about Lost Roses is the attention to cultural detail. Kelly continues to excel at the provincial details, which typical breathe life into historical fiction.

This is a story that takes place mostly between 1914-1916 with settings in the US, Russia, and France, with three very strong, resilient and courageous female characters. It did start off a bit slow for me and took me awhile to really get into it, but I'm happy to have continued reading. And as always with historical fiction, I also enjoy reading the Author's Note at end. This book had some extensive research done by the author. I learned quite a lot about the Russian Revolution, which is another reason I love reading historical fiction. After reading Lost Roses, I now must pull Lilac Girls from my TBR stack to read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Three Strong Women Experience the Horrors of WWI in Russia and the US

The world is teetering on the edge of WWI in 1914, but in the US and Russia life goes on as usual. Eliza Ferriday, from a prominent New York family, travels with her friend Sofya Streshnayva to Russia. It’s a thrilling experience for Eliza who loves to travel. When she reaches St Petersburg it is as exotic as she imagined, but under the surface bitter hatred and danger rage.

While Eliza is enjoying the sights of St. Petersburg, Austria declares war on Serbia. Russia, too, is about to explode. Eliza escapes to America while Sofya and her family retreat to their country estate in the hope they will be safe, but the countryside is filled with angry peasants waiting for a chance to take down the aristocracy. Servants are hard to come by. Sofya hires Varinka, a peasant girl, to care for her son, Max. Varinka is devoted to Max, but she has a link to the revolutionary forces that will lead to danger for the family.

This is the story of three women caught up in an international struggle. The author has done excellent research. Her descriptions of South Hampton, NY, Paris, and St Petersburg bring the places and the era to life. The book starts slowly, but I found it enjoyable giving me time to absorb the people and places that would populate the story.

This is Eliza’s story, but her daughter Caroline is a prominent character. Caroline was featured in Lilac
Girls. I loved that book, but I think Lost Roses has become my favorite. Eliza, Sofya and Varinka are strong well defined characters. Although much of the action takes place in the wealthy settings where Eliza and Sofya live, Varinka gives the story a picture of how the peasants lived and how their lives were equally disrupted by the revolution.

I highly recommend this book. It features many of the characters in Lilac Girls, but can be read as a standalone. However, once you meet Eliza, Caroline, and Eliza’s mother, you’ll want more of their story.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls was my favorite historical fiction book up until now. Lost Roses is her new prequel. When that first novel is such a hit, it makes you wonder…can the next one be as big? Is it possible to wow us as much as the first time?

The answer is absolutely yes. With Lost Roses, Ms, Kelly has written yet another extraordinary tale. This novel is also inspired by real events. This novel is set a generation earlier during the brink of the First World War. As with her first, there are 3 sides to the story. There is Eliza, (Caroline from Lilac Girl’s, mother), her best friend from Russia, Sofya, and a servant girl, Varinka. Eliza and Sofya are the best of friends, but as troubled times come to St. Petersburg, Russia, the world as all three of them know it has come to an abrupt end. There is violence in the streets and the very wealthy including the Romanovs are falling. The proletariat are rising up, taking everything they feel they deserve and so much. The proletariat feels it is their due. All three woman struggle in ways we could never imagine.

Kelly’s novel is heartwarming, heart-stopping, and riveting from the very beginning. She draws you in and introduces you to these characters, weaving you into their lives. Whether you come to adore or despise them, you have no other choice but to be a part of it all. Lost Roses is an epic ride. Martha Hall Kelly has done it again. I can’t wait for the next novel from Martha Hall Kelly which will I heard is part of this storyline. Well done!

I would like to thank the publisher, the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What can I add to the reviews? Well, I can tell you that this is wonderful historical fiction, with a sweep and strength that will carry through the despair faced by Sofya and Varinka. Eliza and Sofya are both privileged young women- they meet at school in Switzerland. While Eliza is an American and is able to go back the US when all goes upside down in Russian, Sofya does not and Varinka, a peasant can not. This is told in the voices of all three women and Kelly is to be commended for making each distinct. As much as we might be familiar with the bigger picture of the Russian Revolution and WWI, this portrait of three women shows its intimate impact. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Beautifully written and plotted this is a terrific read for fans of the genre. Also, its a perfect read if one has not read Lilac Girls, as Eliza is the mother of Caroline Farraday, the heroine of that terrific read set during WWII.

I was so happy to get the chance to read this book before its publication date from Netgalley. I loved Lilac Girls so much and I had a feeling this one wouldn't let me down.

Similar to Lilac Girls, this follows three different women. It's the early 1900's and WWI is in full effect. I love reading historical fiction because not only are the stories amazing, but I get to learn about history in a way that actually makes it interesting to me.

Eliza Ferriday is one of the women that we follow. She is actually the mother of Caroline Ferriday, who is a main character in Lilac Girls. Eliza lives in America and is well-off.

Sofya Streshnayva is a member of a wealthy family in Russia, but as the tides turn politically, her life is turned completely upside down.

Varinka is a peasant girl living in Russia. Her father is dead and her stepbrother "takes care of" her and her mother.

I hate to say more than that because I don't want to give away any plot points, or how their stories end up intertwining. But I assure you that the story is beautiful, complex, heartbreaking, frustrating, and just overall amazing. I felt myself getting really invested in the characters and having a lot of different emotions towards them at different times, all the way from disgust to utter heartbreak and sadness.

Martha Hall Kelly never ceases to astound me with the amount of work and research that she puts into her writing. She gives so many references for readers if they'd like to explore other works that inspired the characters in her books. She even went to Russia to research this book and really embrace the culture and the places where these things happened.

The information section at the back of the book mentions her next book being set during the Civil War and I absolutely cannot wait to pick it up!!! I'm sure it will be just as, if not more amazing, than her other two books have been.

Historical fiction at its best told in three voices: Caroline Ferriday - American socialite (and a real person), Sofya - Russian cousin to the tsarina, and Varinka- Russian peasant in the same village. Caroline and Sofya are friends before the breakout of the Russian revolution. The three perspectives layer this story with insights- the Russian royals’ oblivious attitudes, the peasants’ repression and fight for rights which included their own cruelty, and the Americans’ naïveté (for the most part) and struggle to get others to take the Russian dangers seriously. The longer I read, the harder it was to put this book down.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC and the chance to review this excellent title.

Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly is honestly the best novel I have read so far this year. It is the prequel to Lilac Girls focussing on Caroline’s mother Eliza.
The narrative switches between Eliza, Sofya a friend and relative of the last Tsar Nicholas II, and Varinka - a younger peasant female. Their lives are interwoven in the most delightfully fullfilling and harrowing ways.

This book kept me engaged, brought tears to my eyes, and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I will not give out any more, as the plot is too amazing to risk giving away.

Ms. Kelly is an amazing author. Lilac Girls is a winner, and so is this piece of art. You have to read this, please!

I give this 5/5.

Thank you NetGalley for this early read. This review is comprised of only my thoughts and opinions. Thank you again!

I was a huge fan of Martha Hall Kelly’s debut novel Lilac Girls, so I was thrilled to hear she has a new book, Lost Roses, coming out this year and that it actually ties in with Lilac Girls. Where Lilac Girls featured American socialite Caroline Ferriday and was set during WWII, Lost Roses takes us back a generation and features Caroline’s mother Eliza and is set during WWI and the Russian Revolution. While Caroline does make an appearance as a little girl in this latest novel, it is definitely Eliza’s story and can be read as a standalone.

As she did in Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly chooses to focus the narrative of Lost Roses on three very different women and show not only how their lives are impacted by the harsh reality of war, but also how their lives become intertwined with one another. Eliza lives in America and is a socialite, while Sofya, who is Eliza’s best friend, is a Russian aristocrat who is related to the reigning Czar. Varinka, the third character who is a central figure in the story, is also Russian, but she is lower class, living in poverty.

I loved the focus on these women and how the novel showcased how strong and resilient each of them could be in the face of adversity. Eliza was especially easy to love because she’s such a loyal friend to Sofya and because she’s just so kind-hearted in general. As she’s trying to get news about Sofya, whose letters from Russia have suddenly stopped coming, she also fully dedicates herself to helping all the Russian women who are arriving in New York. These women have managed to escape war torn Russia, but they have nothing except the clothes on their backs. She devotes herself to finding them shelter and employment. I just adored her determination and her compassion.

Sofya is also easy to love because even though she’s an aristocrat, she’s clearly in an underdog role once the Revolution begins. The aristocracy is under fire, and Sofya is just trying to survive and be the best mom she can to her young son, Max, something that’s hard to do when you fear for your life every moment of the day. I admired Sofya’s inner strength so much while reading her chapters. As the Revolution presses on, she endures tragic losses that would have made many people give up, but instead of giving up, she manages to dig deep and find an inner strength that she didn’t think she had. It was clear Sofya would do whatever she had to do to make sure Max was safe.

Varinka was the character I was probably the most conflicted about. I sympathized with her so much in her earlier chapters because she is really living in dire straits. Varinka’s life becomes entwined with Sofya and her family when they flee to their country estate, hoping they’ll be safer there, and decide they need a nanny for Max. Varinka manages to secure the job for herself, but in doing so, unknowingly brings danger right to Sofya’s doorstep. My sympathy for Varinka wavered because she makes some very questionable decisions at times that bring harm to others, but ultimately, even though her actions frustrated me, I could understand why she made the choices she did, based on her circumstances, and because we get a very clear picture of what’s going through her head and the moral dilemmas she is facing. Her struggles felt very authentic and human, so in the end, I still felt sympathy towards her.

In addition to these three characters and their moving stories, I was also impressed by how well-researched the story is. It’s historical fiction based on the real-life Eliza Woolsey, and it’s clear that the author knows her subjects well. She brings Eliza to life beautifully, and she does a tremendous job of capturing the atmosphere of lawlessness and anarchy that came with the Russian Revolution. And finally, she does an equally brilliant job of showing how badly the aristocracy treated the poor, thus contributing to the onset of the Revolution in the first place.

My love for Martha Hall Kelly’s style of storytelling has only grown with my reading of Lost Roses. The writing is exquisite, and I’m just constantly fascinated by the way she shows war from the perspective of women, which in most cases, is very different from what we’re used to seeing. In addition to being about war, Lost Roses is also a well-crafted, moving story of strength, determination, and friendship. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Lilac Girls, enjoys historical fiction in general, and especially to anyone who would like to know more about the Russian Revolution and the beginnings of WWI.

I loved The Lilac Girls
this is a generation earlier
also inspired by true events in 1914

2 friends who met in Paris 2 years ago travel from NY to St Petersburg
then Austria declares war on Serbia; Russia's imperial dynasty falling
Eliza quickly returns to NY and Sofya escapes to the country estate
where she needs domestic help so she hires the fortune-teller's daughter.

The story switches between these three ladies
2 friends are separated but still close through letters
one in Russia where upset and upheaval abound
other in NY where her own life has some upset and sadness

This book got harder to read the more I read; unlike Lilac Girls where I could not stop reading.
I am looking forward to the next story, I hope it is more like Lilac Girls.

Lost Roses is a beautiful story set during WWI about friendship, determination, hope, love and loss.

Lost Roses is a prequel to Lilac Girls but don't feel like you have to wait to read this one. I honestly haven't read Lilac Girls yet and I adored the journey this book took me on. Lost Roses is the story of Caroline's (Caroline is the main character of LG) mother and is set during the First World War.

They story is told from three perspectives:
- Eliza (Caroline's mom) an American with a privileged background and is best friends with Sofya. Eliza begins to worry about Sofya once the war starts and she loses touch with her friend. She does everything she can to try and find out news about Sofya and help other Russian women escaping the war.
- Sofya (my favorite of the three) is a relative of the Romonav family. Her husband is a solider and she experiences so much during this war.
- Varinka is a young peasant girl that doesn't really have much going for her. She belongs to a poor family in Russia until Sofya's family takes her in as a nanny.

This story is absolutely beautiful and I can't believe I had the privilege of reading an advanced reader's copy of this book. Thank you Netgalley and Random House for letting me have a copy.

I highly recommend this prequel to Lilac Girls. Both books are very well written. I read them fairly quickly because they were so rich with plot and character.

Martha Hall Kelly comes through with another blockbuster of a historical fiction novel. This one, the prequel to The Lilac Girls, is set in WWI, and follows the characters of Eliza Ferriday, Sofya Streshnayva, her Romanov cousin and good friend, and Varinka, a young peasant girl hired by Sofya.

Character development is again wonderful, and it's interesting to view the overthrow of Tsarist Russia from viewpoints within the family, through the eyes of an American concerned for her good friend, and through the eyes of a peasant girl with ties to both Sofya and the revolution.

Kelly's descriptive skills make the reader feel equally a part of the Russian royal social life before the war, the impacts of the war on Russia's people, and the response of Americans.

War takes its toll on the world, and Kelly once again weaves a story with people we come to care about who show us the price paid on several fronts.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I had high hopes for The Lost Roses because I loved The Lilac Girls. This book took me longer to get entrenched but I was not able to put it down once I knew all of the characters. The history of the tsar and the Bolsheviks is not something I am very familiar with so I loved learning more about this period of time. What is sad is that I feel history is repeating itself, especially the mistreatment of the lower class. Eliza and Sofya were amazing characters. Hopefully more people will learn to treat others with as much kindness as these women did.

This novel, written by the author of The Lilac Girls, does not disappoint.
It tells the story of the Russian Revolution, and the immigration to the USA of many displaced White Russians.
Loosely based on historical fact, the very difficult lives of those forced out of Russia are told.
Engaging characters, and interesting storyline alternating between their lives makes an engaging read.