Sunflower Sisters

Let me take you back to Civil War America where we’ll meet three women whose stories you can’t wait to read.

Georgeanna Woolsey, aka Georgey, a relative of Caroline Ferriday from Lilac Girls, insists on becoming not only a nurse for soldiers during the war but dreams of opening the very first nursing school for women. At a time when women nurses were treated lesser than than male nurses this was no easy task. Georgey was a fierce protagonist to read, putting career before a potential beau and guarding her family with all her might, she was a wonderful character to cheer for beginning to end.

Anne-May just inherited Peeler Plantation in Maryland that produces tobacco. Anne-May is a more difficult character to read from, her cruelty to her slaves is unending. After her husband and brother are both sent off to war, on opposite sides mind you, Anne-May has full control over the plantation and just might drive it, and herself, into the ground. Not only does she run around committing adultery but she begins spying for the Confederate Army, sheesh girl! The only redeeming quality about Anne-May was her cat and she hated Anne-May as much as I did.

Jemma is a slave on Anne-May’s plantation and although she is treated terribly her chapters were also a joy to read. Jemma’s family lives with and near her and she guards them as fiercely as Georgey guards hers. Jemma is a smart and resourceful young woman and refuses to let her life be wasted as she has seen many wasted before. Her life is full of tragedy and when she is sold and separated from her family she finds new ways to continue on. Jemma has more perseverance in her pinky finger than I do in my entire body.

The beginning chapter of the Woolsey family witnessing a salve auction in broad daylight reels you in and warns you of the journey ahead. And at the center of these stories? Sunflowers. These flowers were used to warn fleeing slaves of places that were not safe, where they could be captured, and where they could be killed.

Kelly narrates this novel beautifully and crafted these characters so perfectly I felt like I was reading a diary and not a fictional novel. While it is 500 pages hardcopy (I had an e-copy) it flew by for me and it felt much shorter. The writing narrative and story-telling are quintessential historical fiction and readers will stay up too late into the night soaking up these well-told stories. This is an easy 5 star historical fiction read for me, and I can't wait to recommend it to everyone I know.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC. The expected publication date is March 30, 2021.

The Sunflower Sisters follows the lives of Georgy, a Union Nurse, Jemma a slave who works on Anne-May’s plantation and Anne-May, a mistress to a plantation owner during the Civil War. Each of these laddies give a different perspective of what it was like to live during this time period. This book will having you turning the pages to see how their lives will intersect during the war. An intriguing read to be added to your TBR list. A must read for book clubs!

My husband recommended this book to me. While he was reading it, he kept telling me about different places/passages and/people. I’m glad he did and I’m glad that I got the opportunity to read it. Sunflower Sisters is definitely a novel set in the Civil War era. It not only tells the story of the seven Woolsey sisters but also of a young slave girl and her plantation owners. Jemma, the young slave girl, is strong, tenacious and lovely. It is so very hard to believe that men, and women, could have so very unkind, mean to members of the same country. How dare one person think they could own another. The book is well written. The characters are well developed and believable. I stayed up late several nights reading. I wanted to know what came next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for advance e-book copy of this novel.
Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly is the third book in the Ferriday/Woolsey trilogy. The story takes place during the American Civil War, where the previous books took place in the First World War, and starting during World War II As with the other books the story is told through three different characters; a Union nurse, a slave named Jenna, and the nemesis, a rich Southern tobacco plantation owner. The research on the medicine, life at the time and the war is both interesting and not shoved into the plot as filler or even just look at me facts, but enrich the story. A great concluding novel to an enthralling series.

Sunflower Sisters brough the Civil War right into your home. Excellent novel with marvelous characters who make you feel like you are living the experience. Wonderful read!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Parts were slow (especially Georgy at the beginning), but got much more interesting with time. I also appreciate all the research that went into this book, and the connections to the author's prior two novels (though I would have appreciated a little clarification on this earlier on in the book). I haven't read a lot of historical fiction about the civil war so this was a great learning experience!

Sunflower Sisters takes place during the Civil War and follows Jemma, a slave girl in Maryland, her mistress Anne-May, and Georgeanna Woolsey, abolitionist and U.S. Army Nurse. The contrasts between these 3 characters brings me back to the love I felt for Lilac Girls. Anne-May is a vile and nasty mistress. Jemma is smart and wholesome. Georgeanna is strong and uninterested in the glitz of society life.

On Peeler Plantation in Maryland Jemma and her family live in constant fear of the Overseer, LeBaron. With Anne-Mays blessing he takes what he wants and rules with an obscenely cruel whip. When her husband leaves to fight for the Union and her brother leaves to fight for the Confederacy she is left to run the plantation and she does, into the ground. Focused more on drawing the attention of vile shop owner, Jubal Smalls, than ensuring a viable harvest. She steals from the slaves and spends every penny on snuff and dresses. She is rather simple-minded, for how nasty she is. She can't really read or write and is completely worked by Jubal Smalls who has more in mind for her.

Jemma experiencing unimaginable loss time and time again on Peeler Plantation and the fields of Gettsyburg. Will she ever get what she wants, which is her family, or what is left of it, all together and free?

In New York City, The Woolsey Women are all doing their part for the war effort by raising money, gathering, and sending supplies to the troops. But it is Georgeanna that is set on making a direct impact by being a U.S. Army nurse and what she wants she gets! From Maryland to New York she performs her duties and eventually her duties take her to the battlefield of Gettysburg.

These three women will cross paths and it is a journey not to be missed.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a FANTASTIC historical fiction set in the civil war told from 3 perspectives: Georgy, Jenna and Anne-May. I loved Jenna the enslaved black girl and how smart and resourceful she is. Anne May plantation owner is awful and brutal in every way. I felt like there was a lot of foreshadowing by Ma and Euogemia about Anne May and June that didn't come to pass and I really wanted it to! pheme, Harry, Frank Bacon were fabulous secondary characters!!!! Wonderfully researched and historically accurate. I had no idea this was connected to lilac girls storyline until the authors notes section. Definitely a 5 star read and would highly recommend.

I loved Lilac Girls and Lost Roses, was excited to read this ARC.

This is the third book book in trilogy series of Caroline Ferriday's incredible family.
Go back to Civil War,
the battles, hospitals/hospital ships,
slaves, and the lives around the plantations.
Become a part of the working/helping, the suffering, and the power.

This is really more like a 3.5. Based off of actual events during the Civil War and aided by the familial letters of the Woosley women, Kelly weaves a powerful story. Told through narrative chapters dedicated to 3 distinct women (Georgy a northern nurse and abolitionist, Jemma an enslaved girl, and Anne-May the plantation mistress) Kelly embarks on a multi-year journey through civil war battles and cities up and down the east coast. While some liberties have been taken in regards to history, for the most part it is surprisingly accurate. You can definitely see the care she took to research her subject.

It took me a few chapters to really get into it but by Part II I was hooked. I really appreciated the care Kelly took to make our heroines feel real. Remarkable story about remarkable women. Any fan of Historical Fiction will appreciate. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC for review!

A historical fiction told from the heart of author. Those are the best and when you have good material in characters and during the civil war, you will not be disappointed. Told in 3 narrations- Georgeanna Woolsey has dreams of becoming a nurse and building her own school of nurses. She is met with disregard by others but her family of sisters and her beloved mother keeps her centered. When her family witnesses an auction slavery, her family becomes opposed to slavery and joins the fight to end it. Georgeanna is a fighter. Fighting on two fronts. The North regards to female nurses and the cruelty of slavery.

Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland. Her life at first is sheltered by her mother and father and the first owner of Peeler Plantation. She teaches her slaves to read and sums but when she passes, her Plantation is inherited by her niece Anne-May. You take a quick liking to Jemma. She is strong, clever and resourceful. She is rooted in her family.

Anne-May is extremely flawed and she is the train wreck that you can't keep your eyes off. Hooked on snuff and selfish, she is the one you love hate.

These 3 women are fated together when Jemma runs away from her mistress and joins the civil war as a drummer disguised as boy. When she is injured, she is under the care of Georgeanna and her mother at Gettysburg. With Anne-May on Jemma's trail, the Woolsey family takes Jemma in. The story line is filled with tragedy, triumph and redemption. Each of these women also had relationships that added to their character development.

The most interesting of this historical fiction is where the story originated. The author's family letters. Some are actually used in the story line and makes the story so vibrant. This by far is a favorite of historical fiction!

A special thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This story is a historical masterpiece. I thoroughly enjoyed the immersion into the Civil War era, and I appreciate the author's talent in showing the truth of many horrible things that occurred in that time period. Based on historical documents, the characters were very well researched, and I was more impressed upon learning that this story was part of a trilogy - I had not read anything from this author before, so I will now have to go back and read the others.

This story follows three women from different backgrounds: an abolitionist, a slave, and a plantation owner, and shows how their stories interact and intertwine with one another.
The way the author switches between the women is good without being clunky, and I enjoyed her prose immensely. The characters are well written, and I really liked how she gave each character her own voice - I could really picture each woman in my mind. I learned a lot about the nursing profession, as well as slave owning in that time period. If you are interested in historical fiction, the Civil War, or intrigue, I highly recommend this book.

Martha Hall Kelly is a treasure to historical fiction, and history in general. I was so excited when I saw this ARC for her newest novel – I thoroughly enjoyed Lilac Girls. Martha has an amazing writing style, which flows, and carries a reader deep into a story with little effort.

Sunflower Sisters ended up being one of those books I look forward to re-reading, or perhaps listening to on Audible. With three narrators – Georgey, Jemma and Anne-May – I can see a rich and beautiful Audible production that will help bring this book to even more readers.

I really enjoyed reading the Author’s notes at the end of the book. All the letters she includes in this novel are based on actual letters exchanged from the Woolsey sisters. In addition, it is clear that Georgey and her family are amazing women of history I had never heard of. I was unaware that during the Civil War, women had to push for the right to go into the thick of battle scenes to nurse patients. Or that the first woman’s nursing college was developed shortly after the Civil War.

The horrors of slavery are truthful and shared in a way that you almost resign yourself to the heartache of watching Jemma and her fellow slaves and family suffer at the hands of others. Reading about Jemma finding her strength and her own sense of self was one of my favorite parts of the story. I cried more than once during her narrations.

Anne-May is absolutely the worst character – and I am so glad that Martha included her in the story. It really set you into the mindset of the times, and how someone viewed the world, and how easily they could be twisted. There was plenty about her story to make you perhaps give her passes for her behaviors… and then you’d realize, she chooses to be awful. I loved it.

This book is a solid 5/5. I want to see a movie adaption. I want the world to know more about the Woolsey sisters. Anne-May and Jemma were both characters representing people of the time. But everything you read about the Woolsey sisters is grounded in history and it is everything.

I saved this novel to read as a gift to myself during the holidays. I loved Kelly’s earlier novels about the Ferriday women, so I was excited about this newest book; I was not disappointed. This is an extraordinary novel of historical fiction which masterfully tells the story of women, black and white, swept up in the Civil War.

The story centers around Georgy who is the brilliant abolitionist heroine. It is her dedication to both the anti-slavery cause and the role of professional nursing that propels Georgy in her actions during the war.

The voice of Jemma is used to beautifully represent the life of a slave. She is a young, very smart woman who personifies the story of heartbreak, cruelty and humiliation of the enslaved.

This novel is extremely timely. I would urge book groups to select this novel. since It is valuable as both a piece of historical fiction and a jumping off point for understanding many issues that plague our nation today. Of course, I would urge readers to read the earlier novels as well. These books will provide valuable insights that can drive women’s study seminars.

Thank you Netgalley for this wonderful novel. What a special opportunity you have given me!

Based on a real-life family, we meet Georginna, her family as Civil War breaks out. Strong abolitionist, that rally to the cause. Told in alternating chapters, we also meet a fictional slave, Jemma, and her owner, May Anne. An excellent look at life in the 1860s from 3 very different viewpoints. Highly recommend.

Fast paced book and I really enjoyed it. Good story line and I think people are gonna love it. I would definitely read again and recommend

I really love Martha Hall Kelly's writing style and the detailed research she does for each book. Sunflower Sisters was similarly accurate and engaging.

I enjoyed the story and characters of the Woolsey sisters and Jemma. I do believe the number of core characters needed to be pared. There are just too many to keep track of--add in the fact that slaves and women characters also changed their names, and it gets overwhelming.

Great story but needs some serious editing. This is a loooong book. Approximately 200 pages could be cut and it would enhance the readability of this work.

A solid 4. I liked The Lilac Girls by this author so was glad to receive an advance copy of this book. This historical novel centers around the Civil War times and is told from the perspectives of three strong young women: Georganna Woolsey (a nurse in the Civil War and a member of the New York Woolsey family who were strong abolitionists, philanthropists, and totally devoted to charitable causes for the betterment of all); Jemma (a slave on the Eastern shore of Maryland who later became conscripted to the US Army),and Ann-May Wilson Watson (a self-centered Maryland plantation owner and slave holder, including of Jemma and her family). A very poignant tale of the abject inhumanity of plantation owners, the horrors of the battlefield (through the caregivers and doctors), as well as a rising tide of nationalism. However, the novel also showed the strength and fortitude of two of these women, Georganna and Jemma, to overcome the odds against them and fought for what was right, whether through Georganna's passion for nursing or Jemma's courage to save her family. Characters were all well developed. A very well researched novel. A good read although the ending was a little too contrived. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I loved reading the history of these women and their efforts to make their world a better place. The writing was excellent and was very interesting.
Many thanks to Random House publishing Group and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for the ARC of Sunflower Sisters.

I have read the other books in this riveting “based on real life” story, so was eager to read this one as well.

Civil war era is not my favourite genre to read but this book was so engaging I read it in less than 2 days. I was drawn in to the 3 storylines of Gemma, Anne-May, and Georgy. Racing through each chapter to find out what would happen next in their individual storylines.

Set between a tobacco plantation, battle grounds and New York City as the civil war is unfolding. I was saddened by the sheer hate and decrepit behaviour of Anne- May and her treatment of Gemma and Gemma’s family, it was tempered by Georgy and her family and their constant fight for socialist causes and what was right.

Martha Hall Kelly beautifully manages to capture each of the different characters and their particular plights. Causing the reader to feel genuine heart break and frustration on Gemma’s behalf, anger towards Anne-May, and hope from Georgy and the Woolsey sisters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend wholeheartedly.