This is a tale of slaves during the Civil War. You learn about how they were treated and what their limitations were. It's a fictional account but it shows you the facts. Being a slave was not pleasant.

Ballantine Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on March 30th.

Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse during the Civil War, Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Anne-May Wilson, a Southern plantation mistress are the main characters.

You see how the war changes things. Not everyone has enough to eat, many are whipped or hung, and love is a hard thing because slaves are sold and they may never see their spouse again.

One of the owners is a spy. One has relationships with the female slaves. None of them are very kind. I hate reading about things like this but it's a fact things like that happened.

Georgey is determined to open a nursing school for women. She has learned how to nurse but the male nurses take her jobs away from her. Jemma is a young slave living with her mother and father and other siblings. But they hang her father and her mother runs. Soon Jemma is sold to the Union Army. Anne-May is the owner of Jemma and she comes after her when she gets separated from the army.

There's a lot of trauma in this story. This not a time to be proud of but it is a good look at what history can teach you...

Ms. Kelly is one of my favorite historical fiction writers. This is another 5 star read, The research is excellent, and the telling is even better. The story is narrated by three different characters, Jemma, Georgy and the dreaded Anne-May covering several years in the 1860's. Jemma is a slave, Georgy a determined woman with a heart of gold in helping soldiers, people and slaves. Anne-May is a self serving plantation owner with meaness all the way through. When I started reading I was immediately pulled into the timeframe with all the Woolsey sisters. The kindness and open mindedness of this entire family was inspirational and refreshing. The epilogue shared the basis for this true depiction, what special, caring god loving people they were.
I received an ARC from Random House and NetGalley for my review. I highly recommend. High 5 stars..

4.5 Stars

Sunflower Girls continues the story of the Woolsey family that began with Lilac Girls, set during World War II and sharing the story of the time and lives across continents. Following Lilac Girls, Martha Hall Kelly stepped back further in time with her second book, Lost Roses which is set in 1914 in NYC to and follows Caroline Ferriday, a real-life heroine who is introduced in Lilac Girls. In Sunflower Girls, we step back further in time to learn the story of Caroline Ferriday’s ancestor, Georgeanna, Georgy, Woolsey, who during the 1860’s becomes a Union nurse as the Civil War begins to ravage lives across the country. A woman who had the audacity, temerity, and bravery to insert herself into a man’s world. Not just the fact that it was a war, and women weren’t allowed to serve in any real capacity in the U.S. military, only men. It was not only taboo, but women - other than convicts - who worked were typically either pitied or scorned. Georgy is joined by her sister Eliza, leaving New York to join the war in order to support the freedom of those enslaved, ultimately ending up in Gettysburg, where they are confronted with the horrors of both slavery and war.

In Maryland, Jemma lives with both her mother and father on the Peeler Plantation, with her sister Patience having been sold off to the neighboring plantation owners. While Maryland voted to stay with the Union, slavery is still alive, and those owning plantations weren’t partial to the idea of letting go of their “investments” so easily. The Peeler Plantation has been left in the hands of Anne-May after her husband and brother have left to fight for the Confederates. LeBaron, the overseer, watches over them all closely, and any chance he gets for teaching them a lesson, he’s only happy to oblige. Jemma eventually seizes an opportunity to escape, dressed in boys clothes, and ends up conscripted into the Union army. While happy to leave behind the life she’s lived, sorrow fills her thoughts, brokenhearted over the family she had to leave behind.

A fictionalized story based on the lives and stories of real people that lived during this horrendous time, this story shares yet another unique exposé of a time, the places and people of the time that now seems eerily timely, and all too relevant. Our current news coverage is filled with stories about racial brutality spurred on by a belief that the colour of a person’s skin determines their right to live in this country, America. This country that we pledge our allegiance to, in order that it may continue to have liberty and justice for all.

The following links from the author’s website may help keep track of characters and locations in this story:

https://marthahallkelly.com/sunflower...
https://marthahallkelly.com/holly-hol...


Pub Date: 30 Mar 2021

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine

#SunflowerSisters #NetGalley

This is a Civil War era novel told from three perspectives - a spoiled and resentful plantation wife, a persevering slave woman and a fiesty northern woman who trades a privileged life for work as an army nurse.

It's always difficult for authors to make each perspective equally interesting (and certainly every reader has their preferences). The only perspective that really interested me was the army nurse and that’s only because she trains under Elizabeth Blackwell who was an obsession of mine in high school (I was obsessed with all historical “Elizabeths”). The narrative voices all ran together in my head and because they all sounded so similar, it took me awhile to get oriented every time I picked it up. I felt absolutely no emotional pull towards any character.

I am a northern transplant to the Shallow South of Virginia where much of the story takes place. I am immersed in Civil War history every day; I live within walking distance of a battlefield, see more Confederate flags than I thought possible, know people named after Robert E. Lee, and battles regularly make the front page of the local newspaper narrated as though they are currently happening. Any Civil War novel has got to do something amazing to grab my attention and this one just did not do it. It felt like a fictionalized history textbook. If you’ve read Resistance Women by Jennifer Chiaverini, I’d compare it to that (just different time period); it’s more information than story.

* I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review.*

The story line of this novel revolves around the Civil War and the issue of slavery, and is probably the first book I've read that presents it from not only the perspective of a slave (Jemma), but also a family of staunch abolitionists (The Woolseys).

Jemma lives on Peeler Plantation with her parents as the property of Ann-May Wilson Watson, whose overseer, LeBaron is a truly evil man. By a strange twist of events the two stories intertwine and The Woolseys end up directly helping Jemma escape from slavery and begin a life of freedom. In Ann-May, the author has created a character that the reader easily comes to dislike, and I spent the entire novel on the edge of my seat as Ann-May attempted to track down and reclaim Jemma.

There were many times when this story was hard to read (in a good way) -- hard because the author does not shy away from writing many scenes in detail about the treatment of the slaves, and the reader is reminded that we need to remember history and the fact that there have been many times and practices in the history of our country where not all people were treated as all humans have the right to be treated.

A compelling read. The emancipation of the slaves who went through horrific situations. This historical fiction was seen from both sides. The terror the slaves went through and the people who sympathized and the ones who didn’t.

Lilacs, roses, now sunflowers. The women in this, the last, novel of Martha Hall Kelly’s trilogy, are
predecessors of those from the previous installments. The Woolseys are a civic-minded abolitionist family from New York. Through primarily the viewpoint of one sister, Georgianna, the trained nurse, who serves at Gettysburg, the storyline is shared with two other women, Jemma, an enslaved young woman from Maryland and Anne-May, her abusive plantation mistress. Graphic descriptions of the treatment of slaves and the horrors of war, along with vivid depictions of battlefield hospitals and the New York Draft Riots underscore an horrific period in our history. The principal characters are strong, brave and inventive. Whether you agree or disagree with their philosophy and choices, each finds a solution to her problems and somehow survives. All in all, it’s been a pleasure to spend time with the women of this trilogy.

I've read all three of the novels by this author. While Lilac Girls remains my favorite, this one was very very good! First let me say that I am a sucker for a story about slaves, and most I've read have been excellent and extremely informative. As is the case in her prior novels, this story follows three women, and as is also the case, I'm always partial to one of their stories. I will say however, that in this novel they were all very compelling characters, and I didn't find myself rushing through one character's story to get back to Jemma's (you knew she would be my favorite). The nursing aspect of Georgey's story, as well as her pluck and determination made for a compelling read. Jemma was amazingly well crafted, and her slavery story was obviously heartbreaking and uplifting as she navigated trying to become free. Anne-May was the obvious villain, but the woman you love to hate also had an interesting spy story thrown in to add some mystery. As is usually the case, these three women all come together toward the end of the book, and I thought the ending provided the closure I needed. Well written, with impactful descriptions of slavery, war, and family, this is truly an epic tale. My one tiny complaint would be that when I say epic, I mean that to describe the fact that this book is 500 pages (small font)! Honestly I'm not sure that a whole lot could have been left out, so I'm not going to criticize the editing process, but it seemed like I read this one forever!

An excellent story set during the Civil War, following three unforgettable characters, this is one you will want to pick up. Just know that it is probably not a consumable in one weekend kind of book.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Third in the Lilac Girls series. I found the history behind the characters interesting but this book didn't enthrall me.

2.75☆

Thank you to netgalley.com for the ARC.

I have read the previous 2 books in this series and enjoyed reading about this family. This book did not disappoint. It was interesting to read the beginnings of the Farraday family and the history of strong women that spanned generations.

This story focuses on the Civil War and slavery. There were some heartbreaking moments in the story with the horrors of slavery and war described. The story is told from several characters points of view and moves quickly and easily as their stories intertwine.

I enjoyed seeing the pictures of the real life people at the end of the novel and went on to do more research myself. I love when books make you want to do that.

This book was nit an easy read, it was long which I don’t mind usually but, this one took a lot of concentration as there was so many characters and it went from one place to another very quickly. At times I found it not very interesting as there was a lot of chat and not much else. I know about the slavery in the south during the American Civil war but, at times it me uncomfortable reading. Not my thing. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

The Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly

The story is told from three points of view:
Jemma, a young slave who is owned by Ann-May, her entire family is also owned by Ann-May. Death, torture, and abuse are a big part of young Jemma's life. She desires freedom, for herself and her family but isn't quite sure of how to go about bringing it to them.
Georgy (Georgeanna), a white, abolitionist from New York, her mother is a widow, who has 6 daughters and a son. Georgy keeps busy with helping out this cause or that one, she takes up nursing and is sent to several locations to nurse the Union soldiers back to health.
Ann-May, a vicious, sadistic owner of Peeler Plantation in Hollywood, Maryland. Her husband fought on the Union side of the Civil War and her beloved brother fought for the Confederates. She doesn't write, but she can read and she forces Jemma to write some details down about the Federal Soldiers and sells them to the Confederates. A zealous spy of the worst kind.

We follow these three ladies as their lives come together with a crescendo towards the end of the book.

It is a very long book, full of plenty of details so that you completely understand each of the three ladies and the things that happen in their lives, with and without their control.

I enjoyed it, though it seemed quite long to me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, I was under no obligation to post a review.

This is a wonderful book, every bit as engrossing as Martha Hall Kelly’s Lilac Girls. Against a backdrop of the War Between the States, aka the Civil War, three strong women find their voices which, in keeping with the times, have been suppressed. Anne-May Wilson, owner of tobacco plantation,Peeler Plantation, in Louisiana keeps slaves and is a staunch anti-abolitionist. Her parents had their throats slit by their slaves and , consequently, Anne-May employs harsh measures to keep her “darkies” in line, with the help of her overseer, LeBaron. Jemma, a strong willed slave girl on Peeler Plantation yearns to be free, dreams of escaping and gets her chance when Anne-May sells her as the Union Army conscripts her in their march through the area. Georgy Woolsey, one of six sisters in the Woolsey family, considered a spinster because she is past the accepted “marriageable” age of the time, and which bothers her not in the slightest, is concentrated on reaching her goal of becoming a nurse and serving her country on the battlefield. The politics of the time are vividly portrayed through the different perspectives of these women.

The historical research is excellent, and the character development so good you will feel the passion of these women as if it were your own—each and every one of them, regardless of whether you agree with their perspective of the times or not. A book well worth reading.

This is my favorite of the series. It was so beautifully written. The author has done an amazing job researching for these books and I loved reading the author's note as much as the rest of the book. I enjoyed learning more about the Civil War, part that's not in the history books. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I didn’t realize this was part of the three-book series that includes Lilac Girls and Lost Roses. I’ve read Lilac Girls, but Lost Roses is still on my to read pile. But that’s ok. This one reads fine even if you haven’t read the other two books.

This was good. Great character development. Characters you loved and a few you hated. I liked how it was told from the three very different points of view—a Northern woman, a slave, and a Southern plantation owner. It would have been nice to get a random chapter or two from Euphemia’s point of view, but I also understand why we didn’t.

Overall, a great story. A little heavy on the details at times (a few less details could have shortened the book a bit, but still kept the same impact).

Definitely would recommend this to others.

The author's family trilogy (Lilac Girls, Lost Roses) finishes with this story set during the Civil War. Once again, the reader experiences the events through the eyes of three very different female characters. Georgy Woolsey, one of seven sisters and one brother in NYC, flouts convention to train as a nurse under Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. Georgy is eager to serve on the battlefront and fight against the prejudices of male doctors and nurses. Jemma, is a young house slave on a tobacco plantation in Maryland. She is brave and bright, learning to read and write under one mistress who wanted her to read to her. Her family has suffered greatly but hold out hope that the war will finally bring freedom. Finally, Anne-May is the spoiled and cruel new mistress of the plantation. In addition to her cruel treatment of Jemma and others, she carries on with a married man and aids him in sharing information with the Confederates. All three stories come together in this heartbreaking yet hopeful novel set during the tumultuous years of the Civil War.

Kelly has mastered the art of weaving together different storylines. This novel based on actual people set in the Civil War era is well researched and perfect for my customers who love historical novels.

This book is publishing in just under two months and it already has so many wonderful reviews and so many people are looking forward to reading it. I knew that this book was related to Lilac Girls and Lost Roses, but I didn't know it was considered part of the series when I started.

Maybe that helped me enjoy it a bit more. I enjoyed the other two, but I think I liked this one more. It definitely can stand on its own. Something about this story just settled in with me more than the previous. Kelly's writing and research truly show through in this one. The writing is rich and tangible and full of lovely detail. Though fictional liberties were taken, I believe it still stuck to the real facts. The characters were well developed and lovely to get to know.

This story did take me a bit to get into, but once I was in, there was no looking back. I felt like there were a lot of characters and felt lost at times trying to place them as it switched back and forth between POVs. It felt a bit diluted, as though there were many story lines where the central one sometimes got lost.

It was really great to see in depth thoughts and perspectives of the on goings of the Civil War from distinctly different sides. Each main character truly had a story to tell and belonged within the pages. I enjoy that in this one, character lines come together sooner rather than later, because it felt as though you are reading one complete story over fragments of story that loosely intertwine.

Any historical fiction lover will enjoy this one, but especially those who loved Lilac Girls and Lost Roses.

I received an early copy of this book through Net galley and Random House Ballantine. I would like to thank them for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

I really enjoyed this book. Most of the books being written lately are World War 2 books but this book takes us back to the Civil War.

It tells the story of 3 women during this time. Emma is a young slave girl , Georgy is a Union nurse, and Ann May is a southern plantation mistress. The book tells the story from their three different viewpoints. It was a difficult time for our country and showed how all sides suffered during this time.. I learned many new things about the Civil war and how difficult life was for women during this time that I was not aware of. The use of the sunflowers was something I have never heard of in all my reading. When I read the title, the sunflower part intrigued me.The book is long but it moved quickly for me. I would highly recommend this book. . The author was able to research letters that were written by Georgy and her family during this time which gave authenticity to the story. Make sure to read the author notes at the end of the book . The description of the character of Georgy was based on factual information.

I really tried to love this book. I have read other books by this author and have clung to her every word. Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me. I felt like it dragged on and on and the minute details would leave my eyes drooping with sleep. To be honest, I couldn't finish it but hopefully it did get better. It just wasn't for me. It was too dry for my taste.