Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “Lost Roses” by Martha Hall Kelly

Martha Hall Kelly, Author of “Lost Roses” has written an eloquent, poignant, intriguing, intense and captivating novel. In this prequel to
“Lilac Girls” where we met the heroine Carolyn Ferriday, we step back in time to be introduced to her mother Eliza. “Lost Roses” follows some of the characters from St, Petersburg to Paris and New York, around World War One. The timeline for this story is around 1914 and goes to the past and future when it pertains to the events or characters in the story. The Genre for this story is Historical Fiction. The author describes her colorful cast of characters as resourceful, complex and complicated.

Eliza Ferreday gets the opportunity to travel to St. Petersburg with a good friend Sofya Steshnayva, a cousin of the Romonavs. The two women met in Paris years ago, and have become good friends. Sophia is hoping to show Eliza all the glorious sights of Russia.
When World War One breaks out, and there is revolution in Russia for power, Eliza goes back home to New York, and Sofya and her family go to the family estate. Sofya’s family hires a seamstress/ fortune-teller’s daughter Varinka as domestic help. Varinka has some deep dark secrets, and brings danger with her.

Eliza Ferreday, Sofya Steshnayva and Varinka are three strong willed determined women, especially during this time in history.

Eliza Ferreday helps the Russian women, some once royalty as they escape to America. They are known as the “White Russian Families.”They now are in poverty, having lost everything. Eliza becomes troubled when letters stop coming from Sofya. Varinka sees certain opportunity as devastation and troubling times set upon them.

I appreciate the author’s diligent research into this time period. I highly recommend this amazing and intriguing novel to those readers who appreciate Historical Fiction. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Lost Roses was incredible. It is the prequel to the best selling WWll novel, Lilac Girls, but can be read as a stand alone. Fans of the first book will enjoy learning a little more about Caroline as a child and all about her mother, Eliza, who is featured in the book. It is told through 3 alternating perspectives and gives a multifaceted view of the turmoil in Russia during the first World War. When done well, I believe that Historical Fiction is one of the most powerful genres and this story definitely exhibited this. I love reading about strong women who are full of grace and courage despite their circumstances. This book was profound and felt dear to my heart.

My head still hurts from crying! What a great way to end the reading year. I was fortunate to obtain an ARC from Net Galley since I was anxious to read this prequel to The Lilac Girls. In terms of being swept up in the story emotionally, I believe I enjoyed this book even more. Both books portray incredibly strong women, at the center of which are two generations of real life heroines, all of whom overcome incredible challenges and heartbreaks. How that happens is fantastical at times, but this is, after all, fiction. It is sad though to realize that the most horrific events depicted are most accurate, so maybe the incredible is just as likely. It was wonderfully engaging, and so exciting to read at the end that Kelly next will take us back another generation to the Civil War to continue the tale of the wonderful Woolsey women! Hats off to her for finding a thread of not very well known history and spinning it into this wonderful fabric of compassion and triumph over adversity. Your hard work is appreciated!

I loved Martha Hall Kelly's first novel, Lilac Girls and was extremely eager to read Lost Roses. I was not disappointed. One thing I really loved about Lost Roses were the simple nods back to Lilac Girls! They were subtle, yet had you read the first book you got them right away! Like little Easter eggs...
Lost Roses follows the stories of several Russian women in the early 1900's. I will say at times it was a little challenging to keep up with who was related to who, but not so much that it took anything away from the story.
You grow to love Sofya and Eliza as you progress through the story and root for them! There is then the character of Varinka. When we first meet Inka, you do take a liking to her, even if it is in a more pitied manner. Without giving any spoilers away, that like goes away pretty quickly...as we realize her intentions are not for the best.
One of the things that Martha does best is truly research her stories. While this is a fictional historical novel, the premise behind it is based on nonfiction which helps truly bring the characters to life. She is also such a descriptive writer so you do feel like you have been encapsulated in the story and become part of it.
Lost Roses is a story about love, friendship sisterhood, family, loss, struggle....you just about name it and it is in there. There will be pages that will make you want to scream and tear the page right out of the book, and there will be pages you may need that torn out page to dry tears with. It is a wonderful story and very well worth the read! Looking forward to her next novel.

I had a hard time getting into this story unlike The Lilac Girls. I don't know if it is the period it is set in it something else but it just never kept my interest. I had problems feeling any sort of empathy for the characters.

I loved Martha Hall Kelly's first novel, Lilac Girls, and was so excited when I heard she was writing a prequel to it. Lost Roses lived up to all my expectations. Once I began reading Lost Roses, I found it difficult to put it down.

In Lost Roses, Martha Hall Kelly told Caroline's mother, Eliza Woolsey Mitchell's story.. It followed Eliza's life and how she first became involved with her tireless charitable help she offered the "White Russian" immigrants who were escaping the horrors of the Russian Revolution. Eliza devoted much of her life to helping these women find safety in both housing and work..Caroline Ferriday was just a young girl when the story began. It was nice to discover how Caroline's mother's charitable endeavors influenced and shaped Caroline's life. Eliza's and Caroline's relationship evolved into a close and nurturing one over the course of the story.

Lost Roses alternated between the stories of Eliza, Sofya, Eliza's childhood friend and a cousin to the Tsar and Tsarina of Russia and Varinka, a Russian peasant girl. It was told over the course of World War I and the Russian Revolution. Through the voices of these three strong women one learns how their lives were inter-connected and influenced one another. Transported back to the Bolsheviks uprising in Russia, Paris where many "White Russians" escaped to for safety, Southhampton and Connecticut, the descriptions and details make you feel as if you are actually there.

I fell in love with Lost Roses as soon as I began reading it. It was quite different from Lilac Girls but every bit as good. Hinted at that another book is in the planning stages, I can't wait for its debut. I highly recommend Lost Roses. It was amazing!

I feel so fortunate to have received a complimentary copy of Lost Roses from Random House LLC through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Historical Fiction is my favorite genre and nobody writes it better than Martha Kelly Hall. She stole my heart with her first novel The Lilac Girls and has me feeling all of the same feels with her new novel The Lost Roses.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced readers copy of The Lost Roses in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this story quickly within a couple of sittings. Sadly my time had been broken up by holiday obligations and adulting or I would have not put this novel down.

Things I loved-

The way Hall portrays strong women in every social class.

The story is told from multiple points of view. Allowing the author to show the war from all sides.

The timeline spans the years before during and after the First World War. I appreciate that the author in both of her novels didn’t just end the story with the end of the war.

All of her characters, even the side characters are well developed. And I was invested in every single one.

The Ferriday women are fascinating. Always strong and willing to lend that strength to those less fortunate. I find myself wanting to know all I can about them. I can’t wait for Hall’s next novel about this same family set during the civil war.

Things I didn’t love-

That the book ended. How I didn’t want it to end lol

I urge you to pick this up. You will not be disappointed. You don’t need to read The Lilac Girls in order to enjoy this book but they are better together =)

Also, please read the authors note at the end of this book. It’s so important to the story in my opinion. I appreciate all the time and research that Hall has put into this novel to help with the storytelling and historical accuracy. Although many of the characters are fictional they are drawn from real life people.

Lost Roses is a prequel to the Lilac Girls....but I enjoyed it way more. Once I started to read it I couldn't put it down. Part of the idea for this book came about while the author was researching the Lilac Girls.

Set in the early 1900's it tells the story of the dark side of Russia. The struggle between the "whites" and the "reds" and what times were like. It was tough being a peasant during this time frame and with the revolt of the reds it sure took its toll on the aristocrats who were either killed or fled the country.

Many of the characters in this book were inspired by autobiographies the author read of former aristocrats from that period. And many of the places and buildings from the story can still be visited today. A well done book!

I thoroughly devoured this book - staying up late at night to finish it. I bought a signed hard copy edition of Lilac Girls but never read it because everyone told me it would make me cry. Now I have to go find that book and read it immediately. Lost Roses is the prequel to Lilac Girls and focuses on Eliza Woolsey Mitchell, the mother of Caroline Ferriday (from Lilac Girls), and her efforts to help the "White Russian" emigres after World War I. It also tells a story of two Russian women, Sofya Streshayva and her sister Luba who are composites of real aristocrats who experienced the Russian Revolution and Varinka a peasant girl who is trapped between the two colliding worlds. Each of these women face the hardships of revolution and war along with the day to day struggles of life, family and friendships. This book depicts other strong women, including Eliza's mother Caroline Carson Woolsey Mitchell and to a lesser extent the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II. Each storyline was compelling and the characters were well developed and because many of them were real people I was drawn in and wanted to findi out what happened to them.

I loved the writing style because it provided just the right amount of detail to help paint the picture but did not get caught up in describing every tree and blade of grass. This book was a perfect historical fiction, it educated me about events and background, introduced real characters that made me curious to learn more about them and created characters and dialogue that were interesting. I would recommend this to all my friends even if they are not fans of historical fiction because it is such a compelling story. In the Author's Note she says her next book will tell the story of Caroline Ferriday's great-grandmother and "...her family's fight against slavery and their struggle to establish the first nursing services in America". Looking forward to reading that one also.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Books/Ballantine, and Martha Hall Kelly for allowing me early access to read this excellent book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a prequel to Lilac Girls. The book follows Eliza, a U.S. socialite, Sofya, a cousin to the Russian Tsar, and Varinka, a Russian peasant. The Russia revolution threatens Sofya's way of life, as red soldiers overrun their home and hold them prisoner. Varinka, once a nanny for Sofya, steals the baby, claiming it as her own. Back home, Eliza does everything she can to help the white Russian's who have fled to the United States, all the while searching for news of Sofya.

This was a well written, well paced and engaging book. I thought it was fascinating to read about the fall of Russia from both the red and white perspective. I haven't read many books, outside of those focusing on the Tsar and his family, about how the revolution impacted the noble class. Overall, well worth picking up.

Absolutely amazing book. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. I loved it more than Lilac Girls, not because Lilac Girls was bad, it is a great book as well, but I love Imperial Russian history and the characters in Lost Roses were fantastic. Their development, friendship, tragedy, and happiness, I could not put it down!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
A prequel to Lilac Girls, this is a story about WWI and the Russian Revolution. It took me a few chapters to really get into the book but it was worth finishing.
White Russians immigrate to the United States after the Russian Revolution. The Tsar and his family plus his political friends are murdered and the peasants and other poor people of Russia revolt. A truly sad time in the history of their country; however, the country needed to change.
Looking forward to more books my Martha Hall Kelly.

A fictionalized account of Eliza Ferraday, an American woman who forms a relief agency for Russians fleeing the Bolsheviks in the time of World War I, this novel is a prequel to The Lilac Girls. I don’t think this novel packed the same punch, but the story of Eliza and her Russian friend Sofya is well told in alternating chapters. Sofya and her family are relatives of the overthrown Tsar, a privileged life ending as the Bolsheviks raid the homes of the wealthy and kill many of the “White Russians”. The heartbreak as Sofya becomes separated from her son creates an additional tension in the story, as each chapter leaves you anxious to find out Sonya’s fate. Recommended.

A fine follow up to the dazzling Lilac Girls, Lost Roses follows three women during the Russian Revolution. The format is quite similar to Lilac Girl, using three female protagonists to tell the story of how the revolution affected both the rich and poor.

For fans of Lilac Girls, you'll be happy to see Caroline in her youth, and come to love her mother even more.

I found the descriptions of life in Russia locked in the throws of revolution to be fascinating and terrifying. This book does one of the better jobs of making such a turbulent time feel real to the reader.

I commend the author on a lovely second book, and look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

Another great book by Martha Hall Kelly, this one takes place before Lilac Girls and Caroline Ferriday is just a child. Although it's the same family, there is really nothing else that connects this book to Lilac Girls other than the 3 women perspective plot. Sofya Streshnayva is Russian nobility, a cousin of the Romanovs who are losing their power over Russia. Varinka is a Russian peasant who has seen the cruelties of the Russian guards. Eliza Ferriday is an American socialite whose family is close to the Steshnayva family. Varinka is hired to nanny Sofya's son just as the revolution is starting to grow stronger, and her entry into the Streshnayva family's life causes turmoil no one could have imagined. When Bolsheviks take over the imperial palace and Russian, Eliza is frantic to find out what has happened to the Streshnayvas after Sofya's letter suddenly stop arriving. It's a story of grief, survival, and friendship.

Martha Hall Kelly has done it again. Lost Roses is the stunningly beautiful, intricate and well woven sequel (well, actually prequel) to Lilac Girls. Set a generation before Lilac Girls, Lost Roses reunites readers with Ms. Caroline Ferriday as a child and her mother Eliza Ferriday. I must say, it was lovely seeing the growth of the Caroline we all know and love, following in her mother’s footsteps.

The Lost Roses tells the stories of three women during WWI and The Bolshevik Revolution. Mrs. Eliza Ferriday a wealthy New Yorker who befriends Russian royal Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Tsar’s and well established in the royal circle who has been driven from the city to her families country estate, due to unrest and uprising of the Romanov empire. As the story unfolds we meet village peasant Varinka who through turn of events becomes close to the Streshnayva family caring for Sofya’s young son Max at their country estate.

The story of Lost Roses is captivating and enlightening. Shedding light on the trials and tribulations of The Bolshevik Revolution and the effects on the lives of men, women and children living through this tragic time of history. I wholeheartedly give Lost Roses 5 stars.

Many thanks for the ARC provided by NetGalley, and hope you enjoy my honest review.

I enjoyed this book a great deal and found myself anxious to read on and find out what would happen next. This a story of close friends, Eliza, part of the upper class society of New York, and Sophia, a cousin of the Tsar in Russia,, as well as Varinka, a peasant woman who is hired to care for Sopia's son. It is set during World War I and into the Bolshevik revolution and Eliza is based on a real person. The three women narrate the story in alternating chapters, with a first and last chapter by Sophia's sister Luba. The characters are well drawn and interesting, providing insight into the daily lives and struggles of each one.

This was a time of great chaos and struggle between the war and the Russian revolution. I enjoyed all the historical details the characters' lives in St. Petersburg, Paris, and New York. I felt sympathetic for all three of the women and their circumstances.

I'm anxious to read Lilac Girls, which follows Caroline, the daughter of Eliza.

I received this book for free on NetGalley.

This fantastic new book is a prequel to The Lilac Girls. It features Caroline's mother, Eliza during the time period of WWI and the Russian revolution. As with the Lilac Girls, this book features strong women who are working and sacrificing to make the world a better place during a difficult time in world history. (Note - you don't need to read The Lilac Girls before you read Lost Roses. However, Lilac Girls is such a fantastic book that you need to make sure that you read it soon.)

Eliza is a happily married very wealthy woman who lives with her husband Henry and her daughter in Caroline in New York. She loves to travel and as the book begins is planning a trip to St. Petersburg to accompany her best friend Sofya home from her visit to the US. The year is 1914 and when WWI escalates and the Romanov empire in Russia is beginning to collapse, Eliza returns safely home. Sofya and her family think that they will remain safe in Russia because they are cousins of the Romanov's but the uprising of the poor in Russia also includes the end of the rich upper class - no matter who they are. When Eiza quits getting mail from Sofya, she fears the worst for her friend.

These two women started their lives as very rich and pampered people but still have empathy for what is going on in the world. Both of them are put into difficult situations and change their lives to work for those who have less than they do. At a time in history that is very difficult, they both show their strength in the decisions they make and the battles they fight. I loved and admired both of these strong women and highly recommend this novel.

Thanks to net galley for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own

It was a good story that takes the indomitable Ferriday women back a generation to help another set of refugees, this time some White Russians from the storied Russian Revolution. Ms. Hall's first book, The Lilac Girls, set amidst the Holocaust, was unforgettable and stayed with me long after I had finished. Lost Roses again follows the women in the picture, all coming together around socialite Eliza Ferriday, mother of the heroine of the first story. These women really lived, which makes the story more compelling, and it is always fun to read stories set against the collapse of the fabled Russian empire and to imagine what happened to all those mysterious Russian nobles who washed up in Paris and elsewhere in Europe in the early days of the 20th century.

I believe there will be a second sequel that will take us back even further to a grandmother's adventures during the American Civil War. I'll be looking for it.

I just tore through this book, which returned me to the pleasures of reading a book late into the night, when I really should turn out the light. Following the superbly written and nuanced stories of these three fascinating women was an intriguing journey into these complicated and interwoven lives during the Great War. I felt the pace and details were perfect, the characters well developed and the plot entrancing. I will definitely be giving this book high recommendations for our readers and can't wait for the next book!!