Lost Roses - Martha Hall Kelly

Written by Martha Hall Kelly
Read by Kathleen Gati, Tavia Gilbert, Karissa Vacker, Catherine Taber
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Series: Lilac Girls: Book 2
Publisher: Books on Tape
Release date: April 9, 2019
Duration: 15:30:39

It is 1914, and the world has been on the brink of war so often, many New Yorkers treat the subject with only passing interest. Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. Petersburg with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanovs. The two met years ago one summer in Paris and became close confidantes. Now Eliza embarks on the trip of a lifetime, home with Sofya to see the splendors of Russia: the church with the interior covered in jeweled mosaics, the Rembrandts at the tsar’s Winter Palace, the famous ballet.

But when Austria declares war on Serbia and Russia’s imperial dynasty begins to fall, Eliza escapes back to America, while Sofya and her family flee to their country estate. In need of domestic help, they hire the local fortune-teller’s daughter, Varinka, unknowingly bringing intense danger into their household.

On the other side of the Atlantic, Eliza is doing her part to help the White Russian families find safety as they escape the revolution. But when Sofya’s letters suddenly stop coming, she fears the worst for her best friend.

From the turbulent streets of St. Petersburg and aristocratic countryside estates to the avenues of Paris where a society of fallen Russian émigrés live to the mansions of Long Island, the lives of Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka will intersect in profound ways.

”— Tavia Gilbert adopts a passionate, sometimes strident, voice for Eliza Ferriday, New York socialite and protector of White Russian émigré’s. Kathleen Gati uses a soft, sophisticated tone to portray Sofya Streshnayva, cousin to the czar, while her younger sister, Luba, depicted by Catherine Taber, has a young, hopeful voice. In contrast, Karissa Vacker portrays Russian peasant Varinka in harsh consonants and vowels. Flawless, passionate narrations sweep listeners into the turmoil of war, revolution, and dislocation.”….Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award