Martha Hall Kelly is a native New Englander, and author of Lilac Girls, which was an instant New York Times bestseller and went on to sell two million copies. This beautiful debut novel is based on the true story of 72 Polish women who were imprisoned at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, and how Caroline Ferriday, an American philanthropist and former actress brought them to the US for rehabilitation and the trip of a lifetime. Martha researched the story for over ten years; Publishers Weekly lauded it as “a page-turner, demonstrating the tests and triumphs civilians faced during war, complemented by Kelly’s vivid description of history and excellent characters.”
Once the paperback stayed on the NYT list for 54 weeks, and became published in fifty countries she wrote two more novels: Lost Roses about Caroline’s mother, and Sunflower Sisters about her great grandmother, which also became Instant NY Times bestsellers. Her novel, The Golden Doves, is a page-turning historical thriller about two best friends who track down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of WWII. Her latest novel, The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club (May 2025), follows two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II who find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women.
Martha grew up in Massachusetts and now splits her time between Connecticut, Florida and New York City. She holds a degree in Journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University and a Master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School.
