andipants's review against another edition
3.0
This was a really interesting book, and I liked all the component pieces, but I'm not sure how well they flowed together. The women's lives intersected, yes, but I didn't feel like the narrative did a lot to emphasize the connections or to show why all these stories belonged in the same book; it felt like reading three different books at once. The pacing also seemed a bit rushed in places — which I suppose is an expected hazard when you're covering three storylines over multiple decades in a single novel, but there were a few jarring time jumps.
I did very much appreciate the handling of Herta's sections, although they were difficult to read at times; I liked how her motives were explored and she was presented as realistic without going to great lengths to make her sympathetic. The reader isn't meant to like her, but we do get a chance to understand her, which is an important distinction. In the end, I found myself most frustrated with Caroline's sections. Her chapters in particular felt very disconnected from the rest of the story, and there didn't seem to be much in the way of a narrative arc. And the romantic subplot with Paul may have been true to life, but it was frustrating as hell to watch. If that's how it really went down, I would have been fine with some artistic license taken to either or cut it entirely.
One other thing worth noting — I listened to this partly on audiobook, and I actively disliked the narrator. Her accents sounded weird and uneven, particularly for Herta, and in scenes with multiple characters speaking, she did little to differentiate between the voices to indicate who was talking, which got confusing. I don't usually notice much about audiobook narrators (unless they're absolutely fantastic), but this stuck out enough to me to warrant noting.
Overall though, it was a solid read. I'd say two stars on its merits solely as a novel, but I'm bumping it up to three because of all the fascinating history. The author definitely did her research, and I learned quite a bit.
I did very much appreciate the handling of Herta's sections, although they were difficult to read at times; I liked how her motives were explored and she was presented as realistic without going to great lengths to make her sympathetic. The reader isn't meant to like her, but we do get a chance to understand her, which is an important distinction. In the end, I found myself most frustrated with Caroline's sections. Her chapters in particular felt very disconnected from the rest of the story, and there didn't seem to be much in the way of a narrative arc. And the romantic subplot with Paul may have been true to life, but it was frustrating as hell to watch. If that's how it really went down, I would have been fine with some artistic license taken to either
Spoiler
resolve itOne other thing worth noting — I listened to this partly on audiobook, and I actively disliked the narrator. Her accents sounded weird and uneven, particularly for Herta, and in scenes with multiple characters speaking, she did little to differentiate between the voices to indicate who was talking, which got confusing. I don't usually notice much about audiobook narrators (unless they're absolutely fantastic), but this stuck out enough to me to warrant noting.
Overall though, it was a solid read. I'd say two stars on its merits solely as a novel, but I'm bumping it up to three because of all the fascinating history. The author definitely did her research, and I learned quite a bit.
laurenmidna's review against another edition
5.0
As many Holocaust stories as there are, I find myself continuously horrified with each one. I keep waiting for it to lose its shock value. Lilac Girls is the same. Told from the perspectives of an American, a Polish prisoner, and a German camp doctor, the book was gripping to me from start until end. The author did an interesting job of helping me to understand everyone’s motives, even those that I strongly disagree with. I found all of the characters to be incredibly human and believable. Fascinating story, and mostly true, as well. Highly recommend!
hiltzmoore's review against another edition
4.0
Another well written historical fiction novel about WWII, and this one had a really interesting twist in having one of the main story lines told in first person perspective from a female Nazi doctor point of view. What a risk the author took here! I was fascinated by how the doctor was written with her own motivations and circumstances, while still not really garnering any sympathy from the reader. We always knew her to be the "bad guy" even as we were reading how she was manipulated by political circumstance.
I didn't really enjoy Caroline's story, as it seemed the "during the war" story was built simply to give her something to do until she became important, historically, after the war. After reading the author's notes, it seems she made up the majority of Caroline's story during the war and I felt that distracted from rather than helped the overall narrative.
It was good to read more about the rabbits at Ravensbruck. More people need to learn about this particular atrocity that took place during WWII.
I didn't really enjoy Caroline's story, as it seemed the "during the war" story was built simply to give her something to do until she became important, historically, after the war. After reading the author's notes, it seems she made up the majority of Caroline's story during the war and I felt that distracted from rather than helped the overall narrative.
It was good to read more about the rabbits at Ravensbruck. More people need to learn about this particular atrocity that took place during WWII.
dawndola's review
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pegbw's review against another edition
3.0
The fact that his was based on true documented characters was my favorite part of this book. It was a tough read for me and I found even when there was not grueling descriptions of torture to get through, the joy was so small and contrived it seemed too forced.
momofwestnpop's review against another edition
5.0
This book was REALLY good. All the story lines were captivating. The history in it was unbelievable. It was interesting reading a German side of the war. It was well developed and all around a great read!
fuzzkins's review
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
sophgould's review against another edition
4.0
definitely check the content warnings on this one, but an incredible story of normal lives turned upside down by violence, grief, and resilience. vehemently anti war and stark in its portrayal of the awful things humans can do to one another
kbaxter21's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
karimorton33's review against another edition
5.0
Historical fiction about women’s experiences is always of interest to me. While the book was about a hard subject, I found it easy to read and enjoyed getting to know each character. (Read for Condo Book Club)