Martha Hall Kelly's Blog: Martha's Blog, page 13

Can’t Wait to See Anthropoid, Which Tells the True Story That Sets Lilac Girls in Motion.

Can’t wait for August 14th, when we can all see this amazing movie, which shows the true events that lead up to the medical experiments at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp for women, the story behind Lilac Girls.

It all started with Operation Anthropoid, when Czech soldiers plotted to assassinate SS officer Reinhard Heydrich, one of Hitler’s top lieutenants and the author of The Final Solution. They mortally wounded him and this is the focus of the thriller Anthropoid. Later, Himmler’s friend Dr. Karl Gebhardt was brought in to treat Heydrich and did not use sulfa drugs. When Heydrich died Hitler accused Gebhardt of killing his friend and Gebhardt and Himmler decided to do medical experiments on healthy Polish women at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp for women to prove that sulfa was ineffective, the story behind Lilac Girls.

The Anthropoid trailer alone looks so good and stars the incredible Irish actors Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders) and Jamie Dornan (Fifty Shades).

Here is what Bleecker Street Films has to say about their movie: ANTHROPOID is based on the extraordinary true story of “Operation Anthropoid,” the code name for the Czechoslovakian operatives’ mission to assassinate SS officer Reinhard Heydrich.

Heydrich, the main architect behind the Final Solution, was the Reich’s third in command behind Hitler and Himmler and the leader of Nazi forces in Czechoslovakia. The film follows two soldiers from the Czechoslovakian army-in-exile, Josef Gabčík (Cillian Murphy) and Jan Kubiš (Jamie Dornan), who are parachuted into their occupied homeland in December 1941. With limited intelligence and little equipment in a city under lock down, they must find a way to assassinate Heydrich, an operation that would change the face of Europe forever.

It’s so wonderful this little-known story is finally getting attention. Can’t wait!

See the trailer and find out more about Anthropoid here: http://www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com/anthropoid

New York Post article about Heydrich and Lilac Girls: http://nypost.com/2016/05/08/the-women-tortured-by-nazi-doctors-and-the-american-heiress-who-saved-them/

I Can Die Happy, Now that “Once Upon a Book Club” Has Done a Lilac Girls Box.

          Once Upon a Book Club’s subscription book-boxes fall firmly in the “I wish I’d thought of that” category. What a smart, fun idea to send boxes full of meaningful things that correspond to the books bookclubs are reading each month?

My daughter Katherine sent me a link to it after she saw my novel featured, saying how cute she thought it was.
How does it work? The details are captured wonderfully by one recent Instagrammer:
Quick rundown: @onceuponabookclubboxis a brand-new monthly subscription box that offers a novel (

On My Way to the Big Apple for The Random House Open House

Thought I’d share some old New York postcards of Rockefeller Center on the eve of my trip to The Random House Open House this Friday–always love meeting fellow authors and wonderful readers. I’m excited to be doing a debut author panel with some incredible writers-Imbolo Mbue (Behold the Dreamers), Catherine Banner (The House at the Edge of Night) and Emma Cline (The Girls). Curtis Sittenfeld (Eligible) and Paula McLain (Circling the Sun) will share their author experiences as well. How fun is that? Random House is doing some sharing of their own-bringing you the day live on Twitter so come and join us at #RHopenhouse.

The Amazing Portrait of Caroline Ferriday Returns Home to The Bellamy-Ferriday House

Last April I visited The Bellamy-Ferriday House in Bethlehem, Ct., Caroline’s lovely country home she and her family called The Hay. I turned the corner in her bedroom, a room I’d been to many times since I first started researching Caroline’s life for Lilac Girls and stopped in my tracks. On the lovely wallpapered wall was an oil portrait newly-donated to the house, painted of Caroline as a young woman. It was truly startling, as if Caroline was there in the room. The portrait is not signed but it is very nicely done and really captures Caroline’s beauty.

I revisited the portrait this past June when we were at the house shooting Stacey Fitzgerald’s documentary about the true story behind Lilac Girls. Dorothy Ambruso, one of the incredibly knowledgable house tour guides, told me visitors who take the house tour tell her they think Caroline looks like a famous actress onscreen today. Any thoughts on who they might be mentioning? Who does she look like to you?

The Amazing Portrait of Caroline Ferriday Now at The Bellamy-Ferriday House

Last April I visited The Bellamy-Ferriday House in Bethlehem, Ct., Caroline’s lovely country home she and her family called The Hay. I turned the corner in her bedroom, a room I’d been to many times since I first started researching Caroline’s life for Lilac Girls and stopped in my tracks. On the lovely wallpapered wall was an oil portrait newly-donated to the house, painted of Caroline as a young woman. It was truly startling, as if Caroline was there in the room. The portrait is not signed but it is very nicely done and really captures Caroline’s beauty.

I revisited the portrait this past June when we were at the house shooting Stacey Fitzgerald’s documentary about the true story behind Lilac Girls. Dorothy Ambruso, one of the incredibly knowledgable house tour guides, told me visitors who take the house tour tell her they think Caroline looks like a famous actress onscreen today. Any thoughts on who they might be mentioning? Who does she look like to you?

Amazing Lilac Girls NYC Book Group Visit Was Like Being in a Woody Allen Film

Sometimes writing a novel has unexpected advantages, like dinner with my sister-in-law Mickey Murray’s book group, hosted by member Karen Freedman. Dinner on the terrace was transcendent, the eggplant parmesan and incredible view of Central Park rivaled only by the deep discussion brought about by the group’s insightful questions about Lilac Girls.

Is there a better way to spend an evening than with smart, funny women who love to talk about books?

 

Nashville Rolled Out the Red Carpet (and the squash casserole) for Lilac Girls

Clockwise: My hosts at The Centennial Club, Cathy Altenbern and Sarah Knestrick, the wonderful CC crowd, Nashville best food eva, snuck in a trip to supercute store Draper James, signing CC guestbook

Living in Atlanta, I thought I knew all about southern hospitality but Nashville took it to a whole new level last week when I visited Music City to talk about my novel Lilac Girls. The all-female The Centennial Club welcomed me with open arms (and squash casserole to die for) I signed and spoke at the wonderful Parnassus Books and even snuck in a tour of Music City, a little shopping at Draper James and thanks to Cathy Altenbern and company enjoyed so many fabulous meals. LOVED touring lovely Cheekwood and who knew there was a Parthenon in Tennessee? I’m always late to the party. Excited to come back on the paperback tour!

Parnassus let me share a table with Stephen King. Feeling pretty special.

First Visit to a Book Club to Talk Lilac Girls Was Beyond Wonderful.

After over ten years researching and writing Lilac Girls, in a solitary state, it’s been so much fun to get out and meet readers. But my first book club visit yesterday took connecting with readers to a fabulous new level. Our host Debby Fleischer (far right) made it all happen. She contacted me when the book first debuted and invited me to her Atlanta home for the book club.

The first sign it was going to be a memorable day was the delicious nalynsky club member Laura Liszczak Cleary brought, which she prepared from a recipe often made by her Polish family. I’d had delicious Polish food when I was researching in Lublin and Warsaw but these light, little fruit-filled mini pancakes were just heavenly.

Host Debby and chef extraordinaire Laura prepare the delicious Polish nalysnky

 

The book conversation was incredible and several of the members shared fascinating family WWII stories. Everyone had read the book, so we didn’t have to be mindful of spoilers and the time flew by. I was there to impart Lilac Girls wisdom but ended up learning so much from the group members.

Before I left, Laura pressed a velvet pouch into my hands. “I had to give you this,” she said, “for writing this book.”

In the pouch was a family heirloom, a tiny cedar pillow a family member had hand-stitched, the cedar insert crafted long ago from flowered sheeting. The card: “With deepest gratitude for sharing our story.” I’ll always cherish it. What a lovely (but teary!) way to end an incredibly memorable first Lilac Girls book group visit.

How I Found Delicious Inspiration for the French Parts of Lilac Girls Right Here in Atlanta.

I enjoyed the research I did in France for Lilac Girls. But Anis restaurant right here in Atlanta, owned by the wonderful Arnaud Michel (above) served as a huge inspiration as well. I spent so many lunches and dinners there, soaking up the ambiance (and the delicious sauces) that the flavor of Anis found its way into the novel.

If you find yourself in Atlanta and want to be instantly transported to Provence or feel a sudden craving for Trout Meuniere or fabulous mussels in garlic broth head for Anis Bistro. It’s a most delicious form of research.

Come Time Travel Back to WWII and Talk Lilac Girls at Barnes and Noble Buckhead, Atlantans

Come chat about Lilac Girls tomorrow, Thursday June 2nd at the Buckhead Barnes and Noble. We’ll time travel back to WWII Poland, talk the true story behind the novel and have a Q&A with no holds barred. Would love to see you there!