Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

The story based on a real life story of a heroine in World War II is told in alternate voices of different women.

Caroline Ferriday working at the French consulate in New York has a life which is varied, full and she is also on the verge of a new love. On the other side of the world Kasia is facing the biggest threat of her life - Hitler is about to start his invasion and Poland is about to be swallowed by him. Kasia herself along with her mother and others are going to be sent to Ravensbruck the only camp that Hitler set up for women exclusively. There she will be subject to the most inhuman treatment that could be imagined.

How the lives of Caroline and Kasia mesh and how both women survive this horrible period in their lives is this story. Crossing continents, involving several people all key to this story this was a book I wanted to read in one go but couldn't. It was too emotional and too heart breaking and I took it in stages.

One has to read this to see the depths of depravity that the human mind could go to and how unearthly it was to read about it. The frightening part of the story is that it reminded (me anyway) that it happened before and is happening even now and no one has obviously learnt anything from past mistakes.

The book was sent to me Netgalley for an unbiased review courtesy of Random House Publishing Group Ballantine.