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  • Published: 2 April 2019
  • ISBN: 9781760892616
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 448
  • RRP: $29.99

Lost Roses





The runaway international bestseller Lilac Girls introduced the real-life heroine Caroline Ferriday. Now Lost Roses, set a generation earlier and also inspired by true events, features Caroline’s mother, Eliza, and follows three equally indomitable women from St Petersburg to Paris under the shadow of World War I.

From the author of the million-copy bestseller Lilac Girls comes Lost Roses, which once again celebrates the unbreakable bonds of women’s friendship during the darkest days of history.

It is 1914, and New York socialite 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 now Eliza is embarking on the trip of a lifetime 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 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 to the mansions of Long Island, the lives of Eliza, Sofya and Varinka will intersect in profound ways.


'Kelly memorably portrays three indomitable women who triumph over hardships and successfully brings a complex and turbulent time in history to life.' Publishers Weekly

'Inspired by true events, just like its predecessor, and just as well-researched, Lost Roses is a remarkable story and another testament to female strength. This sweeping epic will thrill and delight fans of Lilac Girls and readers of historical fiction alike.' PopSugar

  • Published: 2 April 2019
  • ISBN: 9781760892616
  • Imprint: Michael Joseph
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 448
  • RRP: $29.99

About the author

Martha Hall Kelly

Martha Hall Kelly is the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls, Lost Roses, Sunflower Sisters, and The Golden Doves. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Martha was inspired to write this novel by her mother’s family, the Smiths, who settled on Martha’s Vineyard in 1891. She received journalism degrees from both Syracuse and Northwestern Universities and worked as an advertising copywriter for many years before becoming a novelist. With more than two million copies of her books sold and translated in fifty countries, Martha lives in Litchfield, Connecticut, and Hobe Sound, Florida.

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Praise for Lost Roses

A nuanced tale that speaks to the strengths of women.

Kirkus Reviews

Kelly is back with another epic tale of three women's lives overlapping against the backdrop of history... Kelly's gift is bringing to life and to light the untold stories of women and families far away from the war front. Fans of historical fiction will want to clear their calendars when Lost Roses comes out.

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Lost Roses book club notes

Transport your book club from St Petersburg to Paris under the shadow of World War I.

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