Lost Roses

The real-life heroine Caroline Ferriday made her debut in the phenomenally successful novel Lilac Girls. Caroline's mother, Eliza, appears in this expansive new book that is set a generation earlier and is also based on historical events. It follows three equally fierce women as they travel from St. Petersburg to Paris as the effects of World War I loom large.

Since the globe has been on the verge of war so often in 1914, many New Yorkers show little interest in the topic. Eliza Ferriday is quite excited to be going to St. Petersburg with her cousin, Sofya Streshnayva, who is related to the Romanov family. The two became close confidantes after meeting one summer in Paris years ago. Now, Eliza and Sofya set off on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to see the wonders of Russia. However, Eliza flees back to America as the Russian Imperial monarchy starts to collapse and Austria declares war on Serbia, forcing Sofya and her family to retreat to their rural home. They engage Varinka, the daughter of a local fortuneteller, since they need domestic assistance and are unaware that doing so puts their home in grave risk. Eliza is working across the Atlantic to assist the White Russian families fleeing the revolution in finding refuge. However, she worries about her closest friend when Sofya's letters abruptly cease arriving.

Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka's lives will profoundly collide as they travel through the stormy alleys of St. Petersburg, the avenues of Paris, and the community of fallen Russian emigrants who call both places home. This will take readers on an incredible journey through a pivotal period in history.