Overall a very good book. It had lulls in some parts and was quite lengthy bogged down in details but was a great read. As far as historical fiction goes this author does it again. I loved Lilac Girls. (Though i did catch a historical error I’m hoping the publisher fixed already. It’s Hagerstown MD not PA) The 3 different perspectives were very engaging, especially Jemma. Unlike many here, I actually really enjoyed reading Ann-Mays parts bc she was so easy to hate. Georgy had to grow on me but once she did I adored her character.

Anyway, highly recommend for any historical fiction lover!

I'm writing this honest review , I received this book free from net galley. This is about the civil war during the 1800,s. The Woolsey family had seven children. Six girls and one boy. Slavery was prevalent and the Woolsey family were abolitionists. Three sisters became nursing trainer's during the war and nursed the soldiers along with their mother. The story was based on true facts. There were romances, there was torture and murder of the slaves, and disease that took the lives of many. A great insight of war and I was further educated with a closer look into that period in history through the research of the author. Well written and I fully enjoyed reading The Sunflower Sisters.

My husband leaned over and asked what is wrong? I told him it was the book I was reading! This book!

This book is part of a series. However, each book is a stand-alone and can be read without knowledge of the previous stories. The Sunflower Sisters continues the saga of following a family of historically significant women and more specifically Georgeanna Woolsey. Like her other books, this novel traces the lives of three women, and weaves their storylines together in a captivating and intriguing tale. The setting of this book is during the American Civil War. It follows the storyline of Georgeanna Woolsey a New York woman from a large wealthy family, an enslaved woman from Maryland named Jemma, and Jemma's emotionally flawed owner, Anne-May. The story leads you from the battlefields of the war to the tobacco plantations of Maryland. It involves spies and nurses working on the battlefields and the devastating situations that arose in both these areas. Each breathtaking chapter of the book rotates between these remarkable women. Martha Hall Kelly has created a book, where each chapter leaves you hanging and will have you gasping out loud! I love reading Martha Hall Kelly’s books because they are about remarkable women, they are historical fiction and they are based on real people.

I rate it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
Due out on March 30, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have to say this book was very disappointing. The writing was dumbed down to a middle school level. There were a ton of characters to keep track of, I was thoroughly bored until about 60% of the way in when their lives and storylines started to intersect.
I think the author was so focused on creating a history rich story that she didn't create something as engaging as her first two novels. I also think this would have been better suited as a film or mini series than a novel.

The Sunflower Sisters is a great addition to the three part series by Martha Hall Kelly. Although this book didn't make me as emotional as Lilac Girls or Lost Roses - I still finished the book within one week - eager to see where the characters ended up. Jemma, the slave girl this story follows, I rooted for throughout. Reading about some
the of the atrocities slaves went through at the hands of their owners was not only upsetting to read, but very eye-opening to this terrible part of history in the US. Anne-May was a great villain with each chapter I found myself liking her less and less. The Woolsey family yet again was inspirational to read about; a group of women working so hard for a cause they believe in. This book was a great way to read and learn about the Civil War and that time period in the US. Martha Hall Kelly created some very memorable characters who will stick with me for a long time.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for the Advanced Readers Copy!

Set during the civil war, we meet our three main characters, Georgey Woolsey (Ancestor to Caroline Ferriday)a union nurse whose determination to help others in any way she can teach us the power of strength. Next, we meet Jemma, a young girl who is born into the chains of slavery in the south. She is forced to work on the Peeler Plantation alongside her family. Her steadfastness to help her family is never in question. She teaches us the true meaning of bravery. Finally, we meet Anne-May, the owner of the Peeler plantation. While she has struggled her entire life to find happiness, it is her own conscience and morality that will always leave her on the wrong side of the line. It was really neat to see pieces of history woven so beautifully into Sunflower Sisters such as mentions of the Barnum Museum, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell's work, and Eliza Hamilton orphanage.

I deeply appreciate the research and details Martha Hall Kelly puts into her writing. Keeping up with multiple characters across different time periods and spaces brings such depth to her writing and stories. I am so sad to turn the final chapters of the Ferriday family history, but what a wonderful and enlightening adventure Martha Hall Kelly's books have taken us on.

The Civil War from the perspective of three very different women, northern nurse Georgeanna Woolsey, plantation owner Ann-May Wilson, and her slave Jemma whose stories intertwine as the war rages. From New York City to Washington DC, to the plantations of the south and the battle of Gettysburg, we experience the events along with the characters, feeling the cruelty of slavery, the anguish of the battlefield hospitals, and the loss of wealth and property. The characters and events in this novel are based on archived letters from the Woolsley family and from the battlefield, contributing to the authenticity of the book.

Some of the descriptions are overly long and repetitious, but the book is historically accurate and well worth reading

After having read and enjoyed, “Lilac Girls”, I was equally as impressed with “Sunflower Sisters”. Martha Hall Kelley made the Civil War come to life with vivid descriptions of slavery, the Underground Railroad, abolitionists , and foods and customs of that time. The story is told from three prospectives, one is the Woolsey sisters from NY, another is Jemma, a slave on a tobacco plantation in Maryland and the third is Ann-May Watson, a cruel plantation owner in Maryland. Most of the story is based on real events and real people who lived between 1859 and 1864. I learned a lot about the Civil War and thoroughly enjoyed reading about the characters in this book and seeing how the different people at that time lived . Ms. Kelley made each character in the book come to life and I didn’t want the book to end. I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in Martha Hall Kelly's series and the third and final book did not disappoint. I love how she weaves together perspectives of several main characters to provide a full picture of an historical point in time. This Civil War family saga is really even more intriguing due to the fact that a number of Kelly's characters are based on real-life people and experiences.

Sunflower Sisters is the perfect culmination story of the inspiring legacy of the Woolsey family. Set during the height of the Civil War, it takes you from a slave plantation in border state, Maryland to the battlefield at Gettysburg and into the halls of the abolition movement. You visit a Union hospital ship and are faced with confronting the cruelty of plantation life. There is heartbreak and love; the characters show you joy, but also so much loss. This book will make you think about the evils of slavery, but also the dilemma facing so many about turning their back on their family in order to fight in a war.

Martha Hall Kelly does an excellent job of making these characters come alive and as a history teacher, I especially appreciate her attention to detail and commitment to historical accuracy. I loved learning about the Sanitation Commission and its role in the Civil War, and it was hard to read the horrors of slave punishment and treatment. But it’s so important to remember. This book has a little of everything and you will not be disappointed.

This book was a bit disappointing, to be honest. I was really looking forward to reading it, but it was way too long for the little action there is.
First, I'll say what I did like about it. I loved that it is told from three different points of views and how the three joined. I liked how the author writes about some difficult things about slavery something that for some people it's hard to do. I liked the main characters, Georgy, Jemma and Ann-May. I loved the first two and absolutely hated Ann-May. So I think the author did a great job there. I also liked the little romance there was. However, I'm a huge romance fan, and for me, it wasn't enough. I wasn't expecting any, to be honest. But once it came, I wished it would have been more.
So it was super hard for me to get into the story and, actually, I didn't connect much with it. There were some exciting parts, but those were few. It was a lot of telling and little action.
The book wasn't exactly boring. I liked the story, it looked really promising, but I think it could've been better, shorter. And I think that some chapters from Anne-May's POV weren't that necessary.

Great book. Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity to read another great book by Martha Hall Kelly who is fast becoming my number one historical fiction author. This book tells a tale of the unfortunate institution of slavery. The storyline of the formidable Woolsley family is very interesting and informative. Loved the history of nurses saving lives during the Civil War. Great book, would highly recommend it.

First we were given The Lilac Girls, before that came Lost Roses, and now the story that started the series is The Sunflower Sisters. You don't have to read them in publishing order you can also read them in timeline sequence, either way Martha Hall Kelly has written a fabulous trilogy.

In the Sunflower Sisters we meet two sets of sisters, one are the Woolsey girls - abolitionists, nurses, and northerners. The other sisters are the enslaved sisters, Jemma and Patience. The novel is a very well researched account that tells of the personal and collective struggles that they face in the name of freedom during the Civil War. At the end of the story, you'll not only have enjoyed how all the sisters are connected, you'll also love knowing the significance of "The Sunflower."

Thank you Martha Hall Kelly and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

This is the saddest book I've read in a while. Although there are some happy endings, the truth of that time (Civil War) is hard to read. Martha Hall Kelly writes a truthful and at times graphic account of Civil War times. I usually read inspirational fiction, but because I enjoy books written in this time period, I gave this a try. Am I glad I read it? Yes. It reminded me of the difficulties of the Civil War and the horrors of slavery. This is a timely tale based on the lives of real people. Ms. Kelly has done her research and includes letters actually written at that time. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sunflower Sisters was the first book I read from this author and I was really impressed. In some parts, it was rather difficult to read because of the anger and sadness brought by the story especially considering that those events against women and black people were so common in those days. Nonetheless, I persevered and was rewarded by a wonderful story that left me wanting to read other titles by the author.
The story unfolds from three different points of view and portraits the years of the civil war. Georgy is a nurse from an abolitionist family from New York that faces all the obstacles that women dealt with trying to follow a profession of men. Jemma is a slave on a Maryland plantation, suffering humiliation and punishment at the hands of her owner trying to flee and save her family. Mary-Ann is an entitled southern lady originally from New Orleans that inherits a plantation and decides to explore it ruthlessly.
All characters meet at some point through an intricate plot that gives with sometimes disturbing detail the realities of the period and the anxieties of society on the brink of a profound change. I enjoy historical romances since they portrait scenes of a past that is simultaneously far and quite near to our current days and in this regard, this book was quite satisfying. I thoroughly recommend it.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Another winner from Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lilac Girls.

Sunflower Sisters takes the read to the Civil War Era, and the lives of three different women which intertwine. Georgey is from New York society, but has no interest in that life, following her passion to become a nurse for the Union. Her experiences on the front and encountering slavery shape her story. Jemma is a slave, born in Maryland and living on a plantation. When she is sold away from her family, she encounters the Union Army and a chance to escape. Anne-May owns the same plantation. Originally from Louisiana, her brother joins the Confederate army, while her husband joins the Union. Her loyalties lie with the South, causing her to make choices that lead to her downfall.

The three storylines work well together, especially how the women eventually interact. The different aspects really help to create a total picture of the Civil War times, especially Georgey's story. I haven't often found ones of woman in the north. The reader can't help but hope for Georgey's and Jemma's happiness, all while waiting for Anne-May's comeuppance.

Sunflower Sisters

Let me take you back to Civil War America where we’ll meet three women whose stories you can’t wait to read.

Georgeanna Woolsey, aka Georgey, a relative of Caroline Ferriday from Lilac Girls, insists on becoming not only a nurse for soldiers during the war but dreams of opening the very first nursing school for women. At a time when women nurses were treated lesser than than male nurses this was no easy task. Georgey was a fierce protagonist to read, putting career before a potential beau and guarding her family with all her might, she was a wonderful character to cheer for beginning to end.

Anne-May just inherited Peeler Plantation in Maryland that produces tobacco. Anne-May is a more difficult character to read from, her cruelty to her slaves is unending. After her husband and brother are both sent off to war, on opposite sides mind you, Anne-May has full control over the plantation and just might drive it, and herself, into the ground. Not only does she run around committing adultery but she begins spying for the Confederate Army, sheesh girl! The only redeeming quality about Anne-May was her cat and she hated Anne-May as much as I did.

Jemma is a slave on Anne-May’s plantation and although she is treated terribly her chapters were also a joy to read. Jemma’s family lives with and near her and she guards them as fiercely as Georgey guards hers. Jemma is a smart and resourceful young woman and refuses to let her life be wasted as she has seen many wasted before. Her life is full of tragedy and when she is sold and separated from her family she finds new ways to continue on. Jemma has more perseverance in her pinky finger than I do in my entire body.

The beginning chapter of the Woolsey family witnessing a salve auction in broad daylight reels you in and warns you of the journey ahead. And at the center of these stories? Sunflowers. These flowers were used to warn fleeing slaves of places that were not safe, where they could be captured, and where they could be killed.

Kelly narrates this novel beautifully and crafted these characters so perfectly I felt like I was reading a diary and not a fictional novel. While it is 500 pages hardcopy (I had an e-copy) it flew by for me and it felt much shorter. The writing narrative and story-telling are quintessential historical fiction and readers will stay up too late into the night soaking up these well-told stories. This is an easy 5 star historical fiction read for me, and I can't wait to recommend it to everyone I know.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC. The expected publication date is March 30, 2021.

The Sunflower Sisters follows the lives of Georgy, a Union Nurse, Jemma a slave who works on Anne-May’s plantation and Anne-May, a mistress to a plantation owner during the Civil War. Each of these laddies give a different perspective of what it was like to live during this time period. This book will having you turning the pages to see how their lives will intersect during the war. An intriguing read to be added to your TBR list. A must read for book clubs!

My husband recommended this book to me. While he was reading it, he kept telling me about different places/passages and/people. I’m glad he did and I’m glad that I got the opportunity to read it. Sunflower Sisters is definitely a novel set in the Civil War era. It not only tells the story of the seven Woolsey sisters but also of a young slave girl and her plantation owners. Jemma, the young slave girl, is strong, tenacious and lovely. It is so very hard to believe that men, and women, could have so very unkind, mean to members of the same country. How dare one person think they could own another. The book is well written. The characters are well developed and believable. I stayed up late several nights reading. I wanted to know what came next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for advance e-book copy of this novel.
Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly is the third book in the Ferriday/Woolsey trilogy. The story takes place during the American Civil War, where the previous books took place in the First World War, and starting during World War II As with the other books the story is told through three different characters; a Union nurse, a slave named Jenna, and the nemesis, a rich Southern tobacco plantation owner. The research on the medicine, life at the time and the war is both interesting and not shoved into the plot as filler or even just look at me facts, but enrich the story. A great concluding novel to an enthralling series.