Beautifully told story from Martha Hall Kelly. This book was emotional, heartbreaking, uplifting, and hopeful all at the same time.

This book was told from 3 perspectives. Georgy Woolsey, one of 7 children who is in her late 20's and wants more out of her life, she wants to become a nurse and eventually run her own female nursing school. Jemma is a 16 year old slave working on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland. She is thankful to be with her Ma and Pa, but they have dreams of being free and are working towards making that happen. Anne-May runs the Peeler Plantation and owns Jemma and her family. She is supportive of slavery and doesn't view her slaves as people, but her property.

These 3 women's live intertwine together and the choices they make end up impacting one another in ways that will change their lives.

This story takes place during the Civil War. The characters tell the story from their own perspectives. Jemma and her family are slaves and living on a plantation with everyday cruelties and abuse. Anne-May, the mistress of the plantation, is the worst of all. Georgy is a nurse and is sent to Gettysburg. The story intersects the lives of these characters and the backdrop of the civil war and slavery makes for a compelling read. This is an interesting and well-written piece of historical fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy to read and review.

Sunflower Sisters uses several points of view showing how slavery operated and how slaves were mistreated. It is very clearly an anti-slavery book as it details how poorly slaves were treated.

Some of my favorite passages of the book dealt with Miss Georgeanna Woolsey as she trained as a nurse and made her contributions. Some of my least favorite passages concerned Miss Anne-May and the plantation portion of the book.

I guess this is a compliment to the author, Martha Hall Kelly, whose writing brought home in novel form the contrast between those who live in freedom and those who do not.

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from NetGalley.

Engaging and immersive; the author tells the riveting story of one family during the Civil War era. I love historical fiction and it was great to see this time period selected as the setting for this novel. The author does a great job integrating different points of view within the story. It seems to be well researched and is well written with my only criticism being that the story is a bit lengthy with some pacing issues.  It was still a good read and I was not disappointed. Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to review this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

After reading Martha Hall Kelly's other books, I was excited to get the opportunity to read and review her newest book, Sunflower Sisters, from NetGalley. I was excited because I enjoy reading about the Civil War period. Sunflower Sisters is a story shared by three different characters. Georgy Woolsey wants more out of life than giggling with friends and searching for a husband. She wants to be a nurse and at the start of the Civil War she manages to be chosen as one of 100 women trained to be nurses and is sent to Washington D.C. and eventually Gettysburg. Jemma and her family are enslaved on a plantation in Maryland. Jemma has to make a difficult decision to save herself or try to help her family. Anne-May is the mistress of the plantation and is most unlikeable. She's just cruel for no reason and gets worse when her beloved brother is killed while fighting for the Confederacy and her husband returns from the Union Army wounded. I enjoyed seeing the same story from Jemma and Anne-May's point of view, but sometimes it was difficult to keep up with some of the side characters. Make sure you read he author's note at the end of the book. It's very interesting to read where the ideas and primary sources for the characters came from.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

I liked this book, I liked the way it was written in 3 different POV's of Georgy, Jemma and Anne-May. I felt that I was able to really get to know each and understand why they did the things that they did.

My biggest complaint; the book is just too long. This story could have been shortened by about 200 pages and still felt complete.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Ballentine Books for this advanced readers copy. This book is due to release in March 2021.

This story based on a real family set in the times of the Civil War was one of my favorite. It was quite interesting to read about those times...friendship, war, culture change, politics, and money. For me it was refreshing to read something other than WWII books (which we are drowning in at the moment). Ms. Kelly is an outstanding author which is displayed in her writing. Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read I’ll recommend it to everyone .
I’d get so involved into reading that I would loose track of time the
Author brought the characters to life it actually broke my heart the way
That Jamma was treated this is one book I’ll read again
My thanks to the author

While I adored Lilac Girls and was looking forward to this third book in the same family, I was disappointed. This book was way too long. I love books told in multiple voices, but I was left feeling that especially Anne-May’s story could have been omitted. Jemma and Georgy were more compelling characters, but nothing new was presented in their stories. A fine read but nothing extraordinary.

What a great third book in this series by Martha Hall Kelly! Each of the books are definitely able to read stand alone but I loved the total story in the end. This historical fiction weaves together the lives of multiple families - and while the subject matter - the Civl War and the fight to end slavery is not new - the weaving of the life story of Georgy and her family in Sunflower Sisters was compelling and interesting.

The research done by the author was detailed and described at the end of the book and makes for an interesting read as well.

Truly recommend this book as well as the first two by Martha Hall Kelly!

Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read and review.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is written from three different characters that are so telling of their circumstances. Each view the war and slavery so differently. I will admit, midway through it did slow down for me. However, overall the story is interesting.

First, a big thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Sunflower Sisters. I really enjoyed Kelly’s other two books, and hoped to enjoy this one just as much. I would give this book 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars. While I enjoyed the overall storyline, it felt a little slow to me. It took me 2 weeks to read, and I know when I’m not picking a book up to read it every chance I get then it’s just ok for me. I feel like the second half of the book picked up more and I enjoyed it more than the first half. It was satisfying having read all 3 books in this series- and am curious to see what Kelly writes next!

I am finding it hard to get into this book. I know that it will be popular though based on the author's prior books. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly concludes the trilogy which also includes Lilac Girls and Lost Roses. It is a well researched prequel of sorts to the ancestors of Caroline Ferriday.

I loved every minute of it, and did not want it to end. It is told in three voices -- Georgy Woolsey (one of 7 sisters) who was a Civil War Nurse and staunch Abolitionist, a fictionalized slave Jemma, and a fictionalized plantation mistress Anne-May. Both Jemma and Anne-May are highly researched and true to historical figures.

We are transported into life on a tobacco plantation, hospital ships, Civil War battlefields (including Gettysburg), Washington DC, the Connecticut countryside, New York City, and more in the 1860s.

The Underground Railroad and the fight for freedom at all costs are made real. I was especially struck by the idea of not having a last name and how that effected Jemma. She said that every free person has one and it means that you matter. Your last name is what you pass on to those you love to show they have worth and matter also.

These characters will become real to you, too. You will learn much, but more importantly be inspired by the strength of these strong women. Despite their many challenges they found ways to defy the societal bounds to enact meaningful change. What a legacy they left, you will be better after reading it. Their strength and determination should not be forgotten.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

Having loved ‘The Lilac Girls’ and ‘Lost Roses’ I was so looking forward to the authors next title.
This new book takes place during the Civil War and tells the stories of three women: Georgeanna Woolsey who is trying to become a nurse and open a school for nursing, Jemma who is a slave , and Anne-May Watson who is a very unlikeable slave owner.
It is a long book but well researched and like Ms Kelly’s other books it is inspired but true events.
Really enjoyed the story, the history and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction

Sunflower Sisters is the third and final installment in Kelly’s series on the Wolsey sisters. This book follows three characters: Georgy Woolsey, a northerner and nurse, Jemma, a slave longing to be free, and Anne May, a southerner and staunch confederate. The lives of these characters overlap as they fight to survive during the dark days of the civil war.

As a big fan of Kelly’s first two books, I enjoyed the third installment as well. While I’m not normally a proponent of books with multiple storylines, I thought the characters intersected well in this book. As with the other books, I found the storyline of Georgy Woolsey the least interesting. Jemma’s story was by far my favorite and I would have loved to spend more time with her as she escaped slavery with her family. Overall, I enjoyed this book and the historical research put into it. Sometimes the emotional appeal is a bit lacking, but still a great read!

This story takes place at the beginning of the Civil War and continues until it is over. Descriptions, of the battles, the nursing being done by unsung heroines, the slaves and their horrible lives on the plantation. You can actually picture this story taking place in your head. If you are interested in the Civil War and the women that are the heroines I highly recommend this book.

Though this book is over 500 pages long it is one of the most fast paced and WONDERFULLY descriptive portrayals of three unique women and their important roles during the civil war era. First is Anne-May who is forced to run the huge Peeler Planation after her husband goes off to join the Union Army. She begins to take charge of not only the workings of this enormous Plantation but also her own mind and feelings for the FIRST TIME in her life. Jemma is who is enslaved on this same Peeler Plantation, she was my MOST FAVORITE character by far, as she seems the most fearless with the most to loose, her very life, when she dares to escape for freedom! Last is Miss Georgeanne Woolsey who hails from New York and a well to do family. She has a deep desire to help those hurt by the battles of the civil war but women were seen as more of a BOTHER by most men. She doesn't let that STOP HER though and soon finds herself at GETTYSBURG and amongst the worst nightmare she could have ever imagined and nothing she was EVER PREPARED FOR! This book will SURPRISE YOU as it did me, in a BEAUTIFUL WAY! The author has a way of keeping you in amongst the characters until you shut the book.

Wonderful fiction novel based on real people in history.

This story takes place during the American Civil War. The reader gets a look at different lives during the Civil War, including the Woolsey family.

This novel is a very long book with many pages.

Note: I received a free digital advanced copy from Net Galley and the publisher Random House Publishing - Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.