Lost Roses - Review

Lost Roses

by Martha Hall Kelly

448 pages

Release date 4/9/2019

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for my copy!  All opinions are my own.

According to the publisher, “It is 1914 and the world has been on the brink of war so many times, 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. 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 fortuneteller'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 to the avenues of Paris and the society of fallen Russian emigres who live there, the lives of Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka will intersect in profound ways, taking readers on a breathtaking ride through a momentous time in history.”

Lost Roses is the prequel to The Lilac Girls, which I read last year and LOVED (you can read my review here), so when I got the chance to read Kelly’s newest book, I absolutely jumped at the chance!

While the two books go together, you could read either alone, read them in historic order, or you could read them in the order they were published.  In my opinion, you don’t need to read both The Lilac Girls or Lost Roses to enjoy the other.

Like The Lilac Girls, Lost Roses also follows three different protagonists, with the author alternating between their different perspectives for every chapter.  Eliza, the American protagonist, is the mother of Caroline Ferriday, who was the American protagonist in The Lilac Girls. Throughout that book, Caroline frequently mentioned that her mother worked with Russian refugees, so I was hoping we would eventually learn more about Eliza’s story.  Sofya and Varinka, the other main characters, are unique to Lost Roses, where we meet them for the first time.

Lost Roses takes place during the Russian Revolution, and it is the first fiction book I have ever read about this era. If you aren’t that familiar with this time period, don’t be discouraged from reading this book; the author does a good job of giving historical context without bogging you down in facts.  I’m not an expert on Russian history;  I had a decent knowledge of this period in history so I was able to follow along with the story easily, but I was definitely inspired to learn more by looking up different people and events after I had finished reading.  

For me, this book took a little longer to become invested in than The Lilac Girls.  That book had me on the edge of my seat after the first chapter.  I didn’t feel like Lost Roses pulled me in quite as fast.  I am happy that I didn’t give up on it, because once the plot gains momentum, it becomes hard to put down.  By the end of the book, I was desperately hoping that we could get another prequel (the prequel to the prequel to the book?) and learn more about Eliza’s mother and whatever role in history she may have had!

Again, I give Martha Hall Kelly and her incredible storytelling five stars.  If you enjoy history or historical fiction, you absolutely must read Lost Roses!