Martha Hall Kelly follows up her 2016 debut, Lilac Girls, with a novel that takes place a generation before. Lost Roses starts just before World War I, and follows three women across three continents as they attempt to navigate the new realities of war. The Situation: Eliza Ferriday and her dear friend from Russia, Sofya Streshnayva, are both young wives and mothers, each with their own societal pressures as the beginning of the Great War comes suddenly and unexpectedly. It is when Eliza is visiting Sofya in Russia that she begins to fear for her friend and her safety, though Sofya, a cousin of the Romanov's, is not as concerned. It is only after Eliza has safely returned to the U.S. that the peasants do rise up, and what Sofya would not allow herself to imagine has finally happened. She, her father, stepmother, and younger sister, Luba, are kept captive in their own home, with Sofya's son Max being spared the worst of the brutality only because he is being tended to by the young but troubled Varinka. For Eliza and Sofya, days that used to be filled with planning the next trip and keeping up with the latest fashions are now filled with fear of the worst. But for Varinka, it means a chance at a life she had previously only dreamed of, though she is still haunted by a danger she has known for her entire life.
The Problem: When communication from Sofya suddenly stops, Eliza must assume the worst has happened. And after enduring her own tragedy, Eliza finds the most comfort in working tirelessly to assist the Russians who have turned up in the U.S. in their own efforts to escape a terrible fate. With the information she is able to gather she makes small steps towards finding her friend. Meanwhile, Sofya must struggle to survive and avoid those who would rather see her hang. As she makes her way to Paris, the former royal is brought low as she masters skills that she previously had no need for. But it is her determination to find her son, whom she believes has been taken by Varinka to Paris, that keeps her going and keeps her alert. The war has been difficult for all three women in three different ways, but each have their own reasons for enduring to the end.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel set around Word War I, and more specifically the conflict in Russia when the peasants and working class revolted against the Tsar. Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanov's, is directly affected as her family becomes targets of those that wish to see the royals eliminated. Meanwhile, in the U.S, Eliza (based on the real Eliza Mitchell Ferriday) must fight local suspicion and anti-foreign attitudes in her attempt to house and care for those that are looking for asylum. And while Sofya represents the royals of Russia who previously enjoyed a life that the peasants and working class could only dream of, Varinka is one of the country peasants that daily lived with the reality of food scarcity and over zealous tax collectors. In alternating chapters where they take turns telling their story, the three women must employ a resilience and determination, not only to survive, but to also get what they want out of post-war Europe and America. Friendship and family are certainly assets, but they must also use their own wits to find their own way and decide for themselves what type of life they wish to lead.
My Verdict: No doubt this novel is going to be compared to The Huntress by Kate Quinn, which also came out earlier this year. They are similar in that they each follow three people and use alternating chapters to tell three different stories and how those lives intersect. They also each deal with war, with The Huntress taking place in the years just after World War II. However, I won't simply compare the two as they are each their own story. For me, Lost Roses achieved that always difficult maneuver of having flawed characters that are still likeable. And even though the novel deals with war, and war is almost always ugly and full of terrible moments, few parts were unbearably uncomfortable, while still showing the horrors of what people go through when a revolution is occurring on their front door. I will say that the device of having different narrators with their own chapters can be tiresome, mostly because it seems so many books use it. Understandably, it would be a different story if the reader were allowed to only follow Sofya, or only Eliza, and it would certainly be different with only Varinka. As it stands, I enjoyed exploring World War I for once, and also focusing on Russia instead of Germany. Any lover of historical fiction will find this book to be a wonderful adventure.
Favorite Moment: When Eliza's mother takes on the high society women that wish to be rid of her new Russian friends.
Favorite Character: Varinka's mother has her flaws, and while she certainly has reason to not be sympathetic to any royal, she still admonishes her daughter for taking a child that is not hers. Despite seeing how much it pains Varinka, she insists on her daughter doing the right thing, even acting against her daughter's wishes in hopes that Sofya is able to locate little Max.
Recommended Reading: If you have not read Lilac Girls, it certainly works to read it after Lost Roses. I read it before, which also works fine.
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