The world is teetering on the edge of WWI in 1914, but in the US and
Russia life goes on as usual. Eliza Ferriday, from a prominent New
York family, travels with her friend Sofya Streshnayva to Russia.
It’s a thrilling experience for Eliza who loves to travel. When she
reaches St Petersburg it is as exotic as she imagined, but under the
surface bitter hatred and danger rage.
While Eliza is
enjoying the sights of St. Petersburg, Austria declares war on
Serbia. Russia, too, is about to explode. Eliza escapes to America
while Sofya and her family retreat to their country estate in the
hope they will be safe, but the countryside is filled with angry
peasants waiting for a chance to take down the aristocracy. Servants
are hard to come by. Sofya hires Varinka, a peasant girl, to care for
her son, Max. Varinka is devoted to Max, but she has a link to the
revolutionary forces that will lead to danger for the family.
This is the story of
three women caught up in an international struggle. The author has
done excellent research. Her descriptions of South Hampton, NY,
Paris, and St Petersburg bring the places and the era to life. The
book starts slowly, but I found it enjoyable giving me time to absorb
the people and places that would populate the story.
This is Eliza’s
story, but her daughter Caroline is a prominent character. Caroline
was featured in Lilac Girls. I loved that
book, but I think Lost Roses has become my favorite. Eliza, Sofya and
Varinka are strong well defined characters. Although much of the
action takes place in the wealthy settings where Eliza and Sofya
live, Varinka gives the story a picture of how the peasants lived and
how their lives were equally disrupted by the revolution.
I highly recommend
this book. It features many of the characters in Lilac Girls, but can
be read as a standalone. However, once you meet Eliza, Caroline, and
Eliza’s mother, you’ll want more of their story.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
No comments:
Post a Comment