I have to admit, not growing up in the South but only living here the last few years, I did not know a lot about the American Civil War. So when I can find a book that covers some of the true historical parts and is still an easy to read, fast paced, enjoying novel I'm all over it!

I love that [author:Martha Hall Kelly|14160478] makes history palatable. It's not too dense or too wordy even though all of it is based in fact and she has the letters and research to prove it. They characters are all richly developed, you can picture their lives and their hardships. You feel every hunger, tear and smile.

Our three POV I wasn't so sure when I first started but I grew to love the choices. I loved Jemma's POV and really enjoyed and respected Georgy (what an amazing person she was!) but Anne-May was difficult to stomach at times. But all three POV were so necessary to see all sides of the war and what was going on at both the war fronts, plantations, and in New York.

I enjoyed this third installment so much. I'm so glad I read it!

Sunflower Sisters is the 3rd book following the Woolsey Women. You will be amazed by the details and research poured into this book. The book is inspiring and informative. A reminder that freedoms and opportunities we have today came at a price for our ancestors.

This was such a lovely read. The characters drew me in immediately and I continuously thought of them after I finished the book. I found myself wondering what they would have thought about situations both historical and current. I also truly appreciate the author's writing ability. She used many time period words and phrases that fit the character, making them feel that much more real to the reader. The story line was well laid out and although the book was quite long, I found that it kept moving. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story, especially historical fiction.

story takes place in a dark time in United States history. It's about slavery, the Civil War, and those who dared to challenge the system. There is Jemma an enslavedyoung woman on a plantation in Maryland. Ann May, the plantation owner will do anything to get her property back There are the Woolsey sisters from New York City. Dr. Frank Bacon who cared for soldiers, during the Civil War. And there is the plantation owner. She will do anything to get her property back when Jemma disappears.

Told from different points of viewthis story transports the reader from the plantation fields to the battlefields of Gettysburg to the streets of New York City.

This book is fascinating. The story is long, but it pulls the readerinto the lives of the characters. This is a book you will not want to put down once you start reading.

With each book she writes, Kelly goes back further in time to a different war. She’s now reached the Civil War. At the beginning, I wasn’t sure how she’d manage to bring all the characters together. We have the Wolsey sisters, Northern abolitionists trained as nurses, Jemma, a slave on a southern Maryland plantation and Anne-May Wilson, the owner of that plantation.
Once again, Kelly manages to effortlessly weave historical facts into her story. To me, the mark of a good historical fiction is the ability to teach me something new. This one does that in spades. It helps that she had the Ferriday family memorabilia to help her with the story. In fact, I was shocked to learn how much of the story is based on fact. The Woolsey family kept their letters from the Civil War and Hall had hundreds to use as the basis of the story.
The story moves at a quick pace and despite its length, I tore through it in two days. I was fully invested in both the story and the characters (even Anne-May, who I wanted to see get her full comeuppance. Kelly paints the scenes and they rolled in front of my eyes like a movie.
I’ve been a fan of Kelly, but I think this was my favorite of all her books.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

Thanks to Ballantine Books/Random House and Netgalley for an advanced copy of Sunflower Sisters.

I absolutely loved Martha Hall Kelly's first two books - Lilac Girls and Lost Roses, so was SO excited to read Sunflower Sisters. I love the research she's put into the Ferriday/Woolsey family through these books and know that I am reading an incredible historical fiction that is very heavily based on real people and their experiences.

So, first this is a long one, a little slower than her other two with heavy topics and descriptions especially from Jemma who is enslaved. This book is based on the letters the between the seven Woolsey sisters and their mother during the Civil War.

Told in 3 points of view
Georgey Woolsey: a Union nurse during the Civil War from a prominent New York family
Jemma: enslaved on Peeler plantation in Maryland who is sold off and conscripted into the Army and her paths cross with Georgey
Anne-May: Peeler Plantation mistress who is is a spoiled Southern Belle from Louisiana with Southern sympathies despite her husband fighting for the Union

As someone who has studied the Civil War a lot, I enjoyed the details and seeing the nursing side. How female nurses had to fight to be included and that they were often seen as an afterthought. I loved how the characters were written and the different experiences of the Civil War that we see.

As someone who loves history and historical fiction this is a 5* book for me!

In her spectacular writing fashion, Kelly takes you through a journey of civil war like no other story. In sticking with her theme of 3 varying perspectives you come to love Jemma’s character and perseverance while Georgey demonstrated courage and ideals ahead of her time. Meanwhile, Anne-May is the perfect antagonist. You feel a whirlwind of emotions while you journey with these 3 women as you develop an attachment to the characters that keep you needing to turn the page and know more.

Sunflower Sisters is a little bit of a slower read compared to Kelly’s first two novels but nonetheless poignant and intriguing. A great finale to the tribute to Caroline Ferriday and her Woosley ancestors.

I have read the two previous books in the series and thoroughly enjoyed them but unfortunately I found the Sunflower Sisters to be the weakest book in the trilogy. The story is told from three viewpoints but I only enjoyed one characters chapters and found the others quite tedious at times.I would be slow to recommend Sunflowers Sisters to a fellow reader.

When I requested this off NetGalley, it was based on the description alone. I admit I love a good historical fiction with badass women and this multi-POV story, set in the Civil War delivered. Narrators flip between a Union nurse from a prominent New York family, a young enslaved girl and a plantation mistress--you really get to "know" each one through their individual perspectives.

There are a lot of characters and places to keep up that could get confusing, but overall I think it was well done. I particularly enjoyed how much accuracy Martha Hall Kelly infused throughout the book, including almost a verbatim letter from the real-life matriarch of the Woosley family.

I wasn't aware this book was part of a series until after I requested it. However, since it's based on the ancestors of the Lilac Girls women, I don't think you're missing anything if the earlier titles are still on your TBR pile, like me.

Bit heavy and a longer read, but great character development and historical accuracy. Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

Sunflower Sisters is an honest look at the Civil War through the voices of three distinctly different women with their own points of view that reflect the effects of the war on society at that time. Georgeanna “Georgey” Woolsey along with her sister Eliza become Union nurses. The family is adamantly abolitionist and will do anything and everything to end slavery. Anne-May is a spoiled southern belle living with her husband on the Peeler Plantation until he leaves to join the Union army. At the same time her brother - possibly the only person she truly loves - joins the Confederacy. Jemma is enslaved on the plantation. She works in the house while her mother and father work in the fields. Her sister Patience is at the plantation next door. The family lives in fear of LeBaron, the overseer.

I applauded Georgey and Eliza as they broke male created barriers, cringed and raged at Anne-May’s blatant disregard for humanity, and cheered on Jemma as she planned her escape. That the story is based on real people makes it even more memorable. This is the third book in Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls series. Each book including this one could easily stand alone. I highly recommend all three.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was my least favourite book of the series. I found it difficult to get into the novel as it was told from three different points of view. It took me a while to know the characters. I found myself reading this quite slowly. It was longer than it needed to be with some unnecessary details. I really enjoyed the first two books of the series but wouldn't necessarily recommend picking up book 3.

Sunflower Sisters is the third in the Ferriday family trilogy. As sad as I am to see this series come to an end, this installment was a fitting and fantastic finale!

Sunflower Sisters was a pivot in this trilogy and focused on the Civil War. It’s told in 3 perspectives- plantation owner Anne-May, enslaved Jemma, and Union nurse Georgeanna. All three perspectives added insight into this time period and highlighted the struggles they all faced. This was a detailed look into the Civil War and puts on display the horrifying acts during that time in history. The story of slaves and their treatment never fails to horrify me and my heart broke time and time again.

This was a sweeping tale of courage and tenacity in the face of extreme adversity. The women were depicted in a fierce way that highlighted their strength. The resilience of Jemma and her fighting spirit was awe-inspiring. The author put in a meticulous amount of research into this and it shows! While some events were a little too convenient, and some things wrapped up a little too tidily, this was a fantastic read. Lilac Girls remains my number one in this series but Sunflower Sisters is a close second. This book was fascinating and I loved it! 4⭐️ My thanks to @randomhouse for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

This book concludes a trilogy. I rated the first two five stars, and this one as well. A story about the American civil war told in three voices - a young slave girl, a plantation owner, and a young female abolitionist from New York City. Wonderfully told, the three viewpoints cover much of what was happening at the time. Thank you Netgalley for that eARC.

Sunflower Sisters is the third book in the Lilac Girl's series by Martha Hall Kelly. I read Lilac Girls and loved the story of Caroline Ferriday. Unfortunately I have yet to read book 2 (Lost Roses) but I was so happy to receive a copy of Sunflower Sisters I couldn't wait!

The backdrop of this book is the Civil War and the story is told through the eyes of three very strong yet different women.

Georgy (Great Aunt of Caroline Ferriday) who comes from a privileged backround but still trains as a nurse (which up to now has been male dominated) to help the cause of the Civil War.

Jemma who is enslaved along with her family and owned by Ann Mae

Ann Mae who is a tabaco plantation owner

I loved this book, albeit a little long, and was really interested in the facts that surrounded the characters and their stories.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Georgeanna “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, D.C., to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort.
In the South, Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, where she lives with her mother and father. Her sister, Patience, is enslaved on the plantation next door, and both live in fear of LeBaron, an abusive overseer who tracks their every move. When Jemma is sold by the cruel plantation mistress Anne-May at the same time the Union army comes through, she sees a chance to finally escape—but only by abandoning the family she loves. Anne-May is left behind to run Peeler Plantation when her husband joins the Union army and her cherished brother enlists with the Confederates. In charge of the household, she uses the opportunity to follow her own ambitions and is drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves.

This is the third in the trilogy of Caroline Ferriday first started by Lilac Girls and Lost Roses. It basically follows the story of the three main characters with historical characters thrown into the mix. I loved the first two books so was excited when I was able to get the final book in the trilogy. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this excellent book.

This is a wonderful historical fiction set during the Civil War. I think that is why I enjoyed it so much as this is a time period not covered often in historical fiction. It is told from multiple points of view from strong women. This story deals with war and slavery and the bravery of strong women. I enjoyed this book and its characters. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

The third book in a series about the Woolsey women was a great way to end. I loved that each new book was about the earlier generation of the family and took place during significant historical times. This book told the story of slavery and the Civil War from three perspectives; Georgy Woolsey who worked as a nurse, Anne-May who owned Peeler Plantation, and Jemma who was a slave on Peeler Plantation. You learn about all the Woolsey sisters and their brother and mother and root for all of them and what good they bring to the world. You learn to hate all Anne-May stands for. Through Jemma, we learn about how it was to be owned by someone else and abused horribly and you root for her and her family to gain freedom. I hadn’t read much about the Civil War and this book was a great book to help show the struggles during that time. I would recommend this book.

This is the third book I have read by Martha Hall Kelly. I enjoyed Lilac Girls and Lost Roses , but believe this is her Best Novel. Yes it is interesting to follow the life of an actual person who lived in another decade or century. I admire how Martha Hall Kelly creatively provided historical events through the lives of fictional characters like Anne Mae Wilson Watson and her slave Jemma; as will as an actual person, Georganne Woolsley who.serves as a nurse at civil war battlefields. I admired how the author brought these characters to life through their hardships during this time period. You.experience the down side of plantation life, the perils of slavery, the horrors of the Civil War, the struggles of a female as she attempts to make an impact in caring for the soldiers on both sides of the war. Sunflower Sisters is also a LOVE story between two stubborn proud intellects trying to make a difference in society. Will they finally humble themselves to love?
What I really liked about this historical novel that helped me decide to rate it 5 STARS was the author's notes. Martha Hall Kelly included the photographs and a brief biography of the characters she based this novel . I appreciate that Martha Hall Kelly described how she created her fictional characters, where she experienced plantation life and gave credit to the Actual Woolsly family of New York. Many of the historical events described in the novel actually happened as documented in Georganne Woolsly, Three Weeks in Gettysburg.
Yes, this novel is a Shining Example of Life in the United States during the 1860's. If you want to understand the Civil War Period and how Women were treated both in the Northern and Southern states , READ This Book.

Martha Hall Kelly has masterfully wrapped up the saga of the Ferriday and Woolsey women in her astonishing third novel, Sunflower Sisters. As in her previous novels, the characters in Sunflower Sisters were strong, female and well developed boasting lots of independence and minds of their own. The plot centered around the cruelties and inhumane treatment the slaves endured on the affluent plantations and the horrors, death and destruction on the battlefields during the Civil War. Kelly also explored the roles of female nurses during this time. They were often regarded as inferior by some of the doctors practicing during that time. The male nurses were sought after in crucial situations and believed to be superior by some to their female counterparts. Female nurses were often looked upon as inferior to male nurses. The female nurses fought an upward battle to try and gain recognition for their accomplishments and efforts. Kelly was also able to portray the widespread feeling of racism that existed during that time as well as the budding feeling of nationalism that was taking hold slowly but surely and could be seen spreading across the country. Martha Hall Kelly had discovered letters and journals written by members of the Farriday and Woolsey family that she used to authenticate many of the battles, places of interest and events she wrote about in her book. Sunflower Sisters was actually inspired by these true accounts and because of that the story became even more compelling and heartfelt. Sunflower Sisters was a fast paced novel that had me turning the pages as fast as I could read them. The prose was vivid and the characters memorable. I would recommend Sunflower Sisters very highly.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read the arc of Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Sunflower Sisters is expected to be published March 30, 2021.

I appreciate the framework of a fictional story told in the Civil War time period and incorporation of the Woolsey sister’s history and their role in abolitionist history. The horrors of American slavery including the physical abuse,, families torn apart , and overall lack of humanity in the treatment of black Americans was powerfully communicated. The author did a good job developing the characters and you feel connected and often, just disgusted with some of them. To think, something as simple as a sunflower, used to warn underground railroad travelers of danger!
The only problem I had with the novel was as the book neared the end, you could feel the pace of storytelling speeding up and all storylines just came too quickly resolved after such a slow development.