Martha

Hall Kelly

Bestselling Historical Novelist

NYT Bestseller

Travels from: New York NY

“Her compassion, expertise, and willingness to share her experiences made this a very special event… We can’t wait to see her again!” – UConn OLLI, 2021

Martha Hall Kelly is a native New Englander, and author of Lilac Girls, which was an instant New York Times bestseller the week it was published in April 2016, and went on to sell two million copies. This beautiful debut novel is based on the true story of 72 Polish women who were imprisoned and experimented on at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, and how Caroline Ferriday, an American philanthropist and former actress brought them to the US for rehabilitation and the trip of a lifetime. Martha researched the story for over ten years; Publishers Weekly lauded it as “a page-turner, demonstrating the tests and triumphs civilians faced during war, complemented by Kelly’s vivid description of history and excellent characters.”

Once the paperback stayed on the NYT list for 54 weeks, and became published in fifty countries she wrote two more novels: Lost Roses about Caroline’s mother, and Sunflower Sisters about her great grandmother, which also became Instant NY Times bestsellers. Her latest novel, The Golden Doves, about two female former spies who track down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of WWII, arrives in bookstores April 18th, 2023.

Martha grew up in Massachusetts and now splits her time between Connecticut and New York City. She holds a degree in Journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and a Master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School.

Martha's Featured Titles

The Golden Doves: A Novel

Ballantine Books |

April 18, 2023

Historical Fiction

Two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II—an extraordinary novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls

American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.

A decade later the Doves fall headlong into a dangerous dual mission: Josie is working for U.S. Army intelligence and accepts an assignment to hunt down the infamous doctor, while a mysterious man tells Arlette he may have found her son. The Golden Doves embark on a quest across Europe and ultimately to French Guiana, discovering a web of terrible secrets, and must put themselves in grave danger to finally secure justice and protect the ones they love.

Martha Hall Kelly has garnered acclaim for her stunning combination of empathy and research into the stories of women throughout history and for exploring the terrors of Ravensbrück. With The Golden Doves, she has crafted an unforgettable story about the fates of Nazi fugitives in the wake of World War II—and the unsung females spies who risked it all to bring them to justice.

Bestseller, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Thriller

Sunflower Sisters

Ballantine Books |

March 30, 2021

Novel

Georgeanna “Georgey” Woolsey isn’t meant for the world of lavish parties and the demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women on the battlefront a bother. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, D.C., to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort.

In the South, Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, where she lives with her mother and father. Her sister, Patience, is enslaved on the plantation next door, and both live in fear of LeBaron, an abusive overseer who tracks their every move. When Jemma is sold by the cruel plantation mistress Anne-May at the same time the Union army comes through, she sees a chance to finally escape—but only by abandoning the family she loves.

Anne-May is left behind to run Peeler Plantation when her husband joins the Union army and her cherished brother enlists with the Confederates. In charge of the household, she uses the opportunity to follow her own ambitions and is drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves.

Inspired by true accounts, Sunflower Sisters provides a vivid, detailed look at the Civil War experience, from the barbaric and inhumane plantations, to a war-torn New York City, to the horrors of the battlefield. It’s a sweeping story of women caught in a country on the brink of collapse, in a society grappling with nationalism and unthinkable racial cruelty, a story still so relevant today.

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Military & War

Lost Roses

Ballantine Books |

April 9, 2019

Novel

It is 1914, and the world has been on the brink of war so often, many New Yorkers treat the subject with only passing interest. Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. Petersburg with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanovs. The two met years ago one summer in Paris and became close confidantes. Now Eliza embarks on the trip of a lifetime, home with Sofya to see the splendors of Russia: the church with the interior covered in jeweled mosaics, the Rembrandts at the tsar’s Winter Palace, the famous ballet.

But when Austria declares war on Serbia and Russia’s imperial dynasty begins to fall, Eliza escapes back to America, while Sofya and her family flee to their country estate. In need of domestic help, they hire the local fortune-teller’s daughter, Varinka, unknowingly bringing intense danger into their household.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Eliza is doing her part to help the White Russian families find safety as they escape the revolution. But when Sofya’s letters suddenly stop coming, she fears the worst for her best friend.

From the turbulent streets of St. Petersburg and aristocratic countryside estates to the avenues of Paris where a society of fallen Russian émigrés live to the mansions of Long Island, the lives of Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka will intersect in profound ways. In her newest powerful tale told through female-driven perspectives, Martha Hall Kelly celebrates the unbreakable bonds of women’s friendship, especially during the darkest days of history.

Community Reads, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Military & War

Lilac Girls

Thorndike Press |

August 17, 2016

Novel

“NEW YORK TIMES “BESTSELLER For readers of “The Nightingale” and “Sarah’s Key, ” inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this powerful debut novel reveals an incredible story of love, redemption, and terrible secrets that were hidden for decades.

New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But Caroline’s world is forever changed when Hitler’s army invades Poland in September 1939 and then sets its sights on France.

An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she is drawn deeper into her role as courier for the underground resistance movement. In a tense atmosphere of watchful eyes and suspecting neighbors, one false move can have dire consequences.

For the ambitious young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position seems her ticket out of a desolate life. Once hired, though, she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.

The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbruck, the notorious Nazi concentration camp for women. Their stories cross continents from New York to Paris, Germany, and Poland as Caroline and Kasia strive to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten.

In “Lilac Girls, ” Martha Hall Kelly has crafted a remarkable novel of unsung women and their quest for love, freedom, and second chances. It is a story that will keep readers bonded with the characters, searching for the truth, until the final pages.

Community Reads, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Military & War

LILAC GIRLS: the true story behind the global bestseller

Discover the story behind Lilac Girls from inception to publication, including the research travel to Lublin, Poland, the birthplace of the women known as the Rabbits, and to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp Memorial in Furstenberg, Germany to meet the Rabbits. Can be customized to include all four books. Available with PowerPoint presentation.

Strong Women in History

The Real Women behind Lilac Girls, Lost Roses, Sunflower Sisters and the Golden Doves

A talk focusing on the real women behind all four books, including three generations of Woolsey/Ferriday women from Caroline Ferriday to her great grandmother Jane Eliza. Available with PowerPoint presentation.

The True Story Behind the Golden Doves: From Operation Paperclip to Tracing the Nazi Ratline

A talk focusing on Martha’s fourth book The Golden Doves and shares her research travel to Italy unearthing long buried secrets of how the Nazis funneled fugitives to South America and other countries of refuge. Available with PowerPoint presentation.

Martha is happy to customize a combination of any of the elements above.

Introducing LILAC GIRLS: A Novel by Martha Hall Kelly

LOST ROSES Trailer

The Woodstock Academy, 2023
“Everyone loved Martha’s talk. I had nothing but positive compliments at the end of the event. I would highly recommend her to any library looking for a speaker to draw a crowd.”

Lucy Robbins Welles Library
“A few months ago, I was driving the “back way” to a plant nursery in rural Connecticut. I am always on the look out for interesting places to visit in Connecticut for an annual get together with 5 of my high school friends, one of them now living in Mississippi. I went by the Ferriday-Bellamy House in Bethlehem and saw the sign that said House and Garden and an announcement of a Martha Hall Kelly event. A good candidate for our get together. By coincidence, the next day at work at the Lucy Robbins Welles Library in Newington, my co-worker was processing Martha’s recent book Sunflower Sisters and she was reading from the book jacket – Martha Hall Kelly lives in Connecticut. Oh, what a coup to have Martha Hall Kelly speak via a virtual author visit for our library. Virtual visits are not as widely attended as in-person visits, so we thought we would join forces with the surrounding libraries of Wethersfield, Berlin, Cromwell, and Rocky Hill to get the word out to as many people as possible. After many emails back and forth, and with much help and patience from Christie Hinrichs of Authors Unbound, we were able to host a virtual visit with Martha Hall Kelly on September 14. We had over 100 people attend the Zoom program – our best attendance ever for a virtual program. Martha was wonderful and gracious and so very enjoyable to listen to. She told us all a little bit about herself, her writing process, how she came to write about the fascinating Caroline Ferriday in her first book Lilac Girls, and then in her next books, Caroline’s ancestors. Martha’s blending of facts and extensive research, and her obvious love for her characters brought them to life during her presentation. I speak for everyone when I say we could have listened to her for hours! I am still receiving glowing comments from the people who visited with Martha Hall Kelly that night. I would jump at the chance to see her again.”

Friends of the Fairfield Public Library
“Martha Hall Kelly was the Special Guest Speaker at The Friends of the Fairfield Public Library’s 10th Annual Literary Luncheon. With over 190 attendees, the luncheon was a fundraising success for the Library, and a literary treat for the audience. Personally, I am in awe of how Lilac Girls and Lost Roses came to be, and am amazed by the research Martha did and the passion with which she writes. I am grateful for the stories of her characters, and in today’s world, I appreciate even more that they are stories being told and history being shared from a female perspective. Not only is Martha a wonderful speaker, she is a very special person as well. Through her writing – in her books and on her blog – she reminds us of those we may have forgotten, calls attention to stories we may never have heard, and spotlights people worthy of the illumination. Through her actions and speaking, she shows compassion, demonstrates kindness, delivers humor, and conjures inspiration. Our guests were truly grateful for the opportunity to hear and meet Martha Hall Kelly in person.”

One Book One Bloomfield
“Martha Hall Kelly was the featured author at our first ever Prosser Public Library Author Luncheon. Our venue held 150 people and we were forced to close registration when the event sold out months before the date. We purchased 35 copies of Lilac Girls and put them out for display 5 months before the luncheon. Shortly after that we put out the flyer for the event. Given the response to registration, we were never able to send the announcement to the papers!! Martha was gracious, friendly and so appreciative to the staff and organizers of the luncheon. She spoke from her heart and shared many details about the way Lilac Girls came together for her and the intersection with life events for her personally. After her presentation, Martha signed copies of her book for the long line of people and also posed for photos with those who requested them. Library patrons are still talking about the day and how much they enjoyed hearing Martha speak. They are all anxiously awaiting her new book in 2019.”

MorseLife Literary Society
“We hosted Martha for an event in 2017, and couldn’t be happier with the result. Martha was marvelous, and attendees were so pleased with her presentation. Not only was she an excellent speaker, she was also a gracious visitor, making many new friends during her stay in Palm Beach.”

Cold Spring Harbor Annual Luncheon
“Martha Hall Kelly was our featured author for the 2018 Cold Spring Harbor High School Literary Luncheon. It was an amazing, SOLD OUT event! Our school community – students, parents, teachers and administrators – hung on Martha’s every word as she took us through her ten year journey of writing Lilac Girls. Martha is an engaging speaker who was incredibly generous with her time as she answered questions, interacted with students and signed books. Thanks to Martha, our Literary Luncheon was a tremendous success!”

New Canaan Library
“We loved hosting Martha Hall Kelley at New Canaan Library! Martha’s unique storytelling abilities made her appearance a wonderful event where a sold-out audience learned about The Rabbits and the real-life horrors they endured. Martha’s passion for the project and subjects was evident in her sharing and research. She brought the LILAC GIRLS to life and the audience embraced the journey. We can’t wait to read the continuing story!”

Forsyth Reads Together
“Martha Hall Kelly was a delight! Energetic and witty, she had the audience captivated from the beginning. Ms. Kelly took us on a journey through the lives of her characters and research that provided a fascinating look into how Lilac Girls came to life. A beautiful piece of historical fiction, Lilac Girls proved to be a perfect community read and Ms. Kelly a wonderful presenter.”

East Granby Library
“Martha was phenomenal! From the moment she walked in, until the moment she walked out, it was an honor and a pleasure to have her with us. I was captivated by her story. I loved hearing about how she started writing, the endless research, the rewrite process and how it all affected her personally. Even for attendees who have not read either of her books, her talk and question and answer that follows, was captivating and kept us all listening intently. Martha is funny, captivating, and enlightening. It was almost as if we were sitting and listening to a friend. I feel connected to her writing on a whole new level now and I would highly recommend her to speak to anyone who has enjoyed her books, or even thinks they might enjoy them.”

Book Club Resources and Kits

Martha’s Events

Martha’s Blog

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Instant New York Times Bestsellers | Lilac Girls, Lost Roses and Sunflower Sisters
54 weeks on the NY Times bestseller list | Lilac Girls
IndieNext List
One Million Copies Sold
French Grand Prix for Foreign Fiction 2022 | Sunflower Sisters
Library Reads Hall of Fame
Three Indiebound Bestsellers