If you loved “Lilac Girls” and “Lost Roses,” you won’t be disappointed in the final installment of Ferriday/Woolsley trilogy, the “Sunflower Sisters.”

Martha Hall Kelly is a master at dropping her reader into noteworthy historical events while making the reader fall in love with timeless characters who will resonate with you long after the story ends.

Here, we meet slave, Jemma, her master, Anne-May, and a New York nurse, Georgy, in a tale of the Civil War, the end of slavery and a way of life in America.

Many novels have been written about the Civil War, even from the point of view of a slave, but this story is unique because of its characters who jump from the page with their authenticity. What is most admirable about these women is their humanity (even Anne-May), resilience and strength.

The themes of this novel are especially timely as our country continues to remain divided over issues of inequality and social justice. You do not have to read the previous novels to enjoy this book, though after completing it, you are definitely going to want to.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an opportunity to read this novel.

Absorbed every page of this book. I am very sad that this family’s story has come to an end but so happy that Martha Hall Kelly introduced them. I loved Jemma’s story and was completely transported

I have waited for the third and final novel in the Ferriday/Woolsey trilogy. This did not disappoint! In true Martha Hall Kelly fashion all of the characters are wonderful (and despicable) , the writing wonderfully rich, descriptive and captivating.

This novel is narrated by three one. One of which is Georgeanne “Georgey” Woolsey in the battlefront as a nurse and crusader with her sister Eliza. They venture from NY to DC and witness horrors in Gettysburg.

The second is Jemma, a slave on a tobacco plantation who lives through horrors unspeakable with her mother and father. Her sister is enslaved at the plantation next door. Jemma try’s to escape , but is torn with leaving her family behind.

The third is Anne-May , the plantation owner. She is vile and horrible. She tries to use her charms to draw a secret Southern network of spies and finally gets exposed to a fate she deserves.

This book takes you through every single emotion and back. As always it was a delight.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for my honest review in exchange for an advance copy.

I have not read the previous books in the Ferriday/Woolsley chronicles. I think I would have liked to have read the previous books.
With that said, I found Sunflower Sisters to be a well researched story. Many parts are hard to read and even harder to comprehend.
Set in the Civil War era, the story is told from the viewpoint of three women....a nurse, a slave and a slave owner.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

SUNFLOWER SISTERS tells the story of the large Woolsey family, fierce abolitionists who actually lived in Civil War New York City. The story focuses mainly on Georgeanne who worked as a nurse, but all the siblings appear in the book. The other main characters are Jemma, a slave living on a Maryland plantation, and Anne-May, her mistress. Kelly does not shy away from the brutality of either war or slavery, so the book is tough to handle in many places. But, both Georgeanne and Jemma are exceptionally strong women, and when their stories intersect, the book really takes off. You really are rooting for them. I was much less interested in Anne-May’s story, and found her to be a stereotypical southern belle. Although Jemma and Anne-May are entirely fictional, Kelly has used the letters of the actual Woolsey family to craft that part of the story. Georgeanne is an ancestor of one of THE LILAC GIRLS, but the book stands completely on its own and is a well-written, satisfying read.

Martha Hall Kelly captured my heart with Lilac Girls and Lost Roses, so I was thrilled to have received this ARC. Sunflower Sisters takes place during the Civil War and is told from the viewpoints of a MD slave, Jemma, her owner, Anne-May, and a NY nurse, Georgy. The stories of how the slaves are treated are poignant and difficult to read, especially when they are being punished. Jemma’s plight, strength and tenacity captured my heart and I experienced a roller coaster of emotions with each of her accomplishments and struggles. All of Kelly’s characters come across as incredibly authentic with both good and bad qualities. Even the loathsome Anne-May showed moments of humanity at times. Both Jemma and Georgy must face an abundance of prejudices and both emerge as extremely strong women.

As with all of Kelly’s books, I was impressed by the amount of research that went into this. Though the characters are fictional, they are based on actual people and events told through letters. I have not read a fictional Civil War book quite like this ever. I love that it is told from 3 very different points of view, which convey the many quandaries of this time in history. It raises many difficult questions about why things were the way they were and how the terrible events of the past are affecting society currently. This is an absolute must-read for 2021.

Kelly’s newest book traces the story of her ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a woman who nursed Union soldier during the Civil War, a young slave girl, Jemma, and Ann-May Wilson, wife of a plantation owner. Georgey doesn’t want to live the life of a pampered spoiled heiress and instead, decides to embark on a career in nursing,. Meanwhile Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation and lives in fear of the cruel and abusive overseer. Ann-May is in charge of running the Peeler Plantation after her husband enlists. The story of these three very different women converge as the Civil War exposes the barbarity of the practice of owning human beings. Kelly is an amazing writer and brings to life the unsung heroines of American history