Those who prefer the audiobook format are in for a treat though, as the multiple narrator cast includes some of the best: Cassandra Campbell, Jenna Lamia (my all-time favorite), Shayna Small, and Saskia Maarleveld. I received an advance print copy for review from Ballantine Books / Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley. While these aspects of history have been well-covered before, Martha Hall Kelly has written characters that are compelling enough to keep readers engaged… for all 500+ pages. The story takes readers from slave auctions to battlefields, from draft riots to audiences with Abraham Lincoln. Chapters are dedicated to the first-person perspectives of three main characters: Georgy - a very noble abolitionist nurse, Jemma - a slave with gumption and guts, and Anne-May - a plantation owner, Confederate spy, and true baddie. 528 pages later… that went fast!Īllllll that to say Sunflower Sisters really is an excellent read for historical fiction fans. What?! It’s 528 pages?! Why?! Ain’t nobody got time for that, but now I have the darn thing so I feel obligated. Civil War you say? I haven’t read a book about that in awhile.

After about 20 pages, I just don’t care enough to go on. She’s a gifted writer! I look forward to the next one. Lilac Girls - Wow, I’m enjoying this more than I thought I would given my WW2-story fatigue. Just stop the madness! You don’t need to read all the books in any order or at all to pick them up independently.īut since I have actually picked each of them up, here’s my experience with Martha Hall Kelly’s three books in her flower motif “series.” Or “Woolsey-Ferriday (published order) Book 3” in still more. Or “Woolsey-Ferriday (chronological) Book 1” in others. I really wish Sunshine Sisters wasn’t labeled as “Lilac Girls #3” in some places.

Sunflower sisters series