Martha Hall Kelly's Blog: Martha's Blog, page 9

Excited Lilac Girls is Part of this Evids Historical Fiction Roundup

 

If you’re looking for a great way to choose your next historical fiction read, this Ezvid roundup is a great one: https://wiki.ezvid.com/m/ty9WVGPq5QH0f.

I love the quick video summaries of each book and think Caroline Ferriday would be surprised to see herself as pictured here, Herta Oberheuser, too. But it’s certainly fun.

Already have my next read as a result. What’s yours?

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Welcome, Denmark to the Lilac Girls family.

This beautiful Danish version of Lilac Girls arrived this morning, the title printed in silver foil. The audio book, too. Made my day. Så glad du er her, Denmark.

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Team Lilac Visits Where Lilac Girls Began: The Bellamy-Ferriday House

As if I needed additional proof that I am the luckiest author ever, the Random House team behind Lilac Girls (and my agent Alexandra Machinist) took a road trip from New York City up to Bethlehem, CT. to visit The Bellamy-Ferriday House and Gardens.

It was so much fun to show them around the beautiful, old house and historic gardens they’ve had such a big part in showcasing and I was thrilled both sun and lilacs came out to welcome them. So much of the next book, Lost Roses, takes place here, so they were doubly happy to see where the story began.

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I Just Discovered My Real Life Lilac Girls Heroine Exposed a Nazi Doctor to the FBI

     Many years after finishing Lilac Girls, I was surprised to read in a medical journal an incredible article, which features Nina Iwanska, the woman who inspired my Polish character Kasia in Lilac Girls. The article was written by Stafford Cohen, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and told the story of how a German doctor, Dr. Walter P. Schreiber, WWII Chief of Medical Science in the Nazi Supreme Command, came to secretly work in the US after the war. Captured by Russian troops in 1945 and held prisoner in various POW camps, Schreiber had not stood trial with his fellow doctors in Nuremberg and US Army intelligence brought him and his family to the US to work. They were part of Operation Paperclip, which brought at least sixteen hundred scientific and research specialists and their families, many with Nazi ties, to the US to work on top secret projects like germ warfare and space projects.

Schreiber

When a group of doctors at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, led by Dr. Leo Alexander, a longtime friend of Caroline Ferriday, discovered that Schreiber was in this country working for the US government, he gathered a cadre of fellow doctors to ring the alarm.

Dr. Alexander
Dr. Alexander points out evidence of Polish “rabbits’ terrible leg injuries, a result of Nazi experiments

Alexander, who had helped prosecute Nazi doctors at Nuremberg, knew that Schreiber had worked as Chief of the Sanitary Division of the Military Medical Academy, which oversaw the experiments conducted at all the Nazi camps, everything from the Polish womens’ ersatz sulfa drug experiments to lethal injection and jaundice experiments. When the US government objected to Alexander’s claims, saying Schreiber had been carefully vetted, was in no way guilty of war crimes, and that they needed his expertise for their top secret projects, Leo Alexander contacted The Boston Globe. The story became public and though Alexander presented evidence from the trials, which mentioned Schreiber by name, the Nazi doctor swore he had nothing to do with Ravensbruck or the experiments. Public opinion was split. Some accused Alexander and the other Jewish doctors of conducting a witch hunt against Schreiber.

Enter Nina Iwanska. Nina was in the US in 1952 as a guest of Caroline Ferriday, for three months of treatment at Beth Israel Hospital to repair damage Nazi doctors and done in performing experiments on her and seventy one other women at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp for women. She was visiting Boston from Paris where she lived and worked as a Radio Free Europe reporter. The FBI interviewed Nina about Dr. Schreiber–did she remember anything about him from her time at Ravensbruck? She remembered quite a lot and explained that Schreiber had been prominent at Ravensbruck and oversaw many of the experimental operations performed on her and many other healthy women there and that Dr. Gebhardt, who was executed for his part in the experiments, reported to Schreiber. She had even seen Schreiber at a conference held at the camp to discuss the experiments performed on the young women.

Soon the Pentagon was flooded with bad publicity over Schreiber and promised to drop him from the Air Force payroll and deport him. They did neither, until months later Schneider asked to go to Argentina to live with his daughter. Presenting Schreiber as “an innocent victim of adverse publicity instigated by Jews,” Operation Paperclip staff secured him a good job with the Argentine government. Schreiber joined thousands of his fellow Nazis including Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele enjoying their post war crime lives.

Below are a few of the newspaper articles. Isn’t it amazing all the hidden history we keep finding, so many years later? Caroline Ferriday must have been so proud of her friend Nina.

You can find Dr. Cohen’s article here:   (requires sign up) https://www.thejewishadvocate.com/articles/beth-israels-compassionate-care-of-ravensbruck-lapins/

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Love this Picture from Chick Lit Divas Book Club

I had so much fun Skyping with The Chick Lit Divas bookclub (below) today. And loved it when member Lorraine Donagher told she liked reading in Lilac Girls  the description of the Mt. Sinai, where my character Kasia went for treatment, and the nurses, since she was a Mt. Sinai nurse herself. I asked Lorraine to send a picture of her in her uniform and here it is–Lorraine, second from the right in the signature cap, with her sisters and mother, now, sadly, all passed. Thank you, Lorraine and Chick Lit Divas for sharing a lovely, little pice of history with us.

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The Incredible Handcrafted Items that Arrived with the Ravensbruck Prisoners Rescued by the Swedish White Buses

I’m headed to Sweden this October at the invitation of my lovely Swedish publisher so I’m revisiting the dramatic rescue in Lilac Girls, by Count Folk Bernadotte and his white buses.

I happened on an incredible collection of handmade crafts, made with found materials at the camp, and carried by the liberated women to Sweden. Carefully preserved and archived by Lund University, they include keepsakes, children’s toys and gifts (pictured at bottom) Crafted with precious “organized” materials like bits of fabric, metal and paper, they give a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the prisoners, their deep faith and the friendships that helped them survive.

Ravensbruck prisoners from many countries represented at the camp arrive in Malmo, Sweden.
Several women arrived in Sweden with infants born at the camp
Sweden welcomed the Ravensbruck survivors with open arms, helping them to showers, clean clothes and food.
Hundreds of the women were housed in a makeshift rehabilitation center at the Malmöhus Museum
Liberated Ravensbruck survivors catch up on their reading

Find the whole story here: http://ravensbruck.kulturen.com/English/r1b.htm

 

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What an Incredible Day at the French Consulate Honoring Lilac Girls’ Caroline Ferriday and Nine New Legion of Honor Recipients

I wish Caroline Ferriday could have seen it, the French Consulate in New York City in full regalia, nine WWII veterans honored with the Legion of Honor, which she was awarded over seventy years ago. The French School of New York City brought 18 students to read the bios of each awardee and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Eight courageous men and one woman, Lillian R. Walla, (above) such heroes all. I was so honored to be a part of this grand day, sharing Caroline’s story with the group.

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So Honored to Represent Caroline Ferriday at the French Consulate as Nine new Legion of Honor recipients Awarded, WWII veterans all.

At the French Consulate tomorrow I will introduce nine new region of Honor recipients, with a few words about Caroline Ferriday, who was given the award after WWII for her work to benefit France. I’m excited to meet the veterans-eight men and one woman- and it’s an incredible honor to represent Caroline, a woman who was completely devoted to France and who I think would be thrilled to be remembered there.

Though she worked at the French Consulate when it was located at Rockefeller Center in the French Building, above, working tirelessly for French orphans and supporting Free France, I think she’d be thrilled to be honored at the lovely current home of the Consulate, 934 Fifth Avenue. Congratulations to all nine of the new Legion of Honor recipients– can’t wait to meet them all.

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What a Great Trip to Paris for Lilac Girls

A million thanks to Lilac Girls’ French Publisher Charleston Editions for rolling out the red carpet for me in Paris. The lilacs were blooming in Jardin du Luxembourg and I loved meeting everyone.

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Talking Lilac Girls and Girl Scouts with WTNH News 8 Connecticut was a Blast

It was so much fun today talking Lilac Girls with Mary Barneby the Girl Scouts of CT. CEO on News 8 CT.  Hosts Ryan Kristafer and Teresa Dufour asked great  questions about the book and the GSA luncheon, which takes place this Wednesday, April 11th, at the New Haven Lawn Club. It’s going to be a fun event–complete with the fabulous Diane Smith asking me great questions about Lilac Girls and Breakwater Books in charge of the signing. For tickets or to find out more go to gsofct.org or contact Samantha Goodman goodman@gsofct.org or call 800-922-2770 ext. 3248.

The wonderful Mary Barneby. Let’s just say the Girl Scouts are in very good hands.

 

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