How to Read the Woolsey-Ferriday (Lilac Girls) Series
Martha Hall Kelly’s beloved historical fiction trilogy—often called the Caroline Ferriday / Lilac Girls series or the Woolsey-Ferriday saga—spans three generations of strong, heroic women. Because the books travel backward in time, readers often wonder about the best order to dive in.
Option 1: Publication Order (Recommended)
If you want to experience the series the way most readers did, we recommend following the publication order. Reading in this order allows you to start with the flagship novel and then discover the family's historical roots.
- Lilac Girls (2016) – Set during World War II, focusing on Caroline Ferriday's work to aid Polish concentration camp survivors.
- Lost Roses (2019) – A prequel set during World War I, centering on Caroline’s mother, Eliza Ferriday, and her efforts to help Russian refugees.
- Sunflower Sisters (2021) – A prequel set during the American Civil War, focusing on Caroline's great-aunt Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse.
Option 2: Chronological Order
For readers who prefer to follow the family tree and historical timeline forward from the 19th century to the mid-20th century, the chronological sequence is:
- Sunflower Sisters (2021) – Civil War (1860s)
- Lost Roses (2019) – World War I (1910s)
- Lilac Girls (2016) – World War II (1930s–1940s)
Connecting the Novels: The Family Tree
Each book works perfectly well as a standalone story, but they are connected through the lineage of the real-life Woolsey and Ferriday families:
- Georgeanna Woolsey (protagonist of Sunflower Sisters) was a pioneering Union nurse. She was the great-aunt of Caroline Ferriday.
- Eliza Mitchell Ferriday (protagonist of Lost Roses) was Caroline's mother, who championed charitable causes in New York and Europe during the Great War.
- Caroline Ferriday (protagonist of Lilac Girls) carried on her family's legacy of philanthropy by supporting French orphans and Polish survivors of Ravensbrück.
Thematic Tie-ins: The Golden Doves
In 2023, Martha Hall Kelly published The Golden Doves. While not part of the Ferriday family saga, it acts as a thematic companion. The novel returns to the Ravensbrück concentration camp and explores the post-WWII hunt for Nazi fugitives. You can read it at any point, as it features a completely new cast of characters.