Sunflower Sisters: A Novel (Woolsey-Ferriday)

by Martha Hall Kelly

Hardcover, 2021

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Publication

Ballantine Books (2021), Edition: First Edition, 528 pages

Description

Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� Martha Hall Kelly�??s million-copy bestseller Lilac Girls introduced readers to Caroline Ferriday. Now, in Sunflower Sisters, Kelly tells the story of Ferriday�??s ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse during the Civil War whose calling leads her to cross paths with Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Anne-May Wilson, a Southern plantation mistress whose husband enlists. �??An exquisite tapestry of women determined to defy the molds the world has for them.�?��??Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours Georgeanna �??Georgey�?� Woolsey isn�??t meant for the world of lavish parties and the demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women on the battlefront a bother. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, D.C., to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort. In the South, Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, where she lives with her mother and father. Her sister, Patience, is enslaved on the plantation next door, and both live in fear of LeBaron, an abusive overseer who tracks their every move. When Jemma is sold by the cruel plantation mistress Anne-May at the same time the Union army comes through, she sees a chance to finally escape�??but only by abandoning the family she loves. Anne-May is left behind to run Peeler Plantation when her husband joins the Union army and her cherished brother enlists with the Confederates. In charge of the household, she uses the opportunity to follow her own ambitions and is drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves. Inspired by true accounts, Sunflower Sisters provides a vivid, detailed look at the Civil War experience, from the barbaric and inhumane plantations, to a war-torn New York City, to the horrors of the battlefield. It�??s a sweeping story of women caught in a country on the brink of collapse, in a society grappling with nationalism and unthinkable racial cruelty,… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member JanaRose1

Set during the Civil War, this book alternates between three points of view. Georgey, a staunch abolitionist, turns her attention to nursing to support the northern army. In the south, Jemma is enslaved on a plantation along with her mother, father, and twin sister. Her mistress, Anne-May makes up

the third point of view. Anne-May, who lives in a border state, finds ways to pass northern secrets to the southern armies.

This was an ok book. Some of the characters were extremely stereotypical and a bit boring. Georgey and her 7 sisters were hard to distinguish from one another and all seemed the same. Jemma's point of view was the most interesting, and I wish the book had focused on her. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

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LibraryThing member HuberK

The Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly

The story is told from three points of view:
Jemma, a young slave who is owned by Ann-May, her entire family is also owned by Ann-May. Death, torture, and abuse are a big part of young Jemma's life. She desires freedom, for herself and her family but isn't

quite sure of how to go about bringing it to them.
Georgy (Georgeanna), a white, abolitionist from New York, her mother is a widow, who has 6 daughters and a son. Georgy keeps busy with helping out this cause or that one, she takes up nursing and is sent to several locations to nurse the Union soldiers back to health.
Ann-May, a vicious, sadistic owner of Peeler Plantation in Hollywood, Maryland. Her husband fought on the Union side of the Civil War and her beloved brother fought for the Confederates. She doesn't write, but she can read and she forces Jemma to write some details down about the Federal Soldiers and sells them to the Confederates. A zealous spy of the worst kind.

We follow these three ladies as their lives come together with a crescendo towards the end of the book.

It is a very long book, full of plenty of details so that you completely understand each of the three ladies and the things that happen in their lives, with and without their control.

I enjoyed it, though it seemed quite long to me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, I was under no obligation to post a review.

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LibraryThing member LoriKBoyd

This book brings an end to the Ferriday/Woolsley saga. It takes place mostly in Maryland, and follows Georgy, an abolitionist and nurse; Jemma, a slave girl; and Anne-May, a despicable plantation owner who you immediately despise. The horrors of this time in our history are graphically on display

throughout this book. In addition to the horrors of slavery, you learn more about the lack of support for women wanting to go into the nursing profession.

The story will pull you in immediately but it’s not just another war story. This book is totally from the female perspective. As with Ms. Kelly’s previous books, Lost Roses and Lilac Girls, there is always a perspective from the other side. The flawed thinking of the plantation owners who thinks the color of a persons skin determines their worth. Or, the men, who think women are not capable of anything other than giving birth or running a household.

I’ll miss this trilogy of stories and the women we’ve met along the way. As always, please make sure you read the Author’s Note at the end!

Thanks to Ms. Hall Kelly, Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

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LibraryThing member CassiesBooksReader

Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly is a Historical Novel set during the Civil War period. Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse during the Civil War is the ancestor of Caroline Ferriday, a character from the book Lilac Girls. Sunflower Sisters was influenced by true events of the Civil War period.

It is the story of a war torn country from various viewpoints Union, Confederate, slaveholders, slaves and abolitionists.
There are appearances of historical characters that take a part in the story. I found the historical medical treatments for injuries and illnesses well detailed and very interesting. Sunflower Sisters is heartwrenching story of human frailties,family divisions for the cause, war, the evils of slavery, medicine during war and on the battlefield. I loved the reality and history of this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

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LibraryThing member fastforward

Sunflower Sisters is the third book in the Lilac Girls series however it easily can be read as a standalone novel. This historical fiction book takes place during the Civil War. It's one of those historical fiction reads in which some of it is fact based while some parts were created from the

author's imagination. I highly recommend checking the Author's Note when you are finished reading the book as it provided great context into the writing process.

Georgeanne aka "Georgy" is part of the affluent Woolsey family and lives in New York. She has 6 sisters and a brother and has a desire to contribute to the war effort as a nurse.

Jemma is a slave on a Maryland plantation. Ann-May Wilson recently inherited that plantation from her deceased aunt. The story alternates between Georgy, Jemma, and Ann-May.

At over 500 pages, it's a lengthy novel and the pacing at times was slow. Jemma is the heart of the story and my interest level was the highest while reading her chapters in the book. I was initially drawn to read this book because Georgy trained to be a nurse under Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman in the United States to receive a medical degree. Unfortunately Dr. Blackwell does not have a huge role in the story. I'll admit I did start to lose interest in Georgy's work as a Union nurse and the challenges she faced with not being taken seriously by men. For the most part, the character fell flat in my eyes although I'm not sure why that is the case.

I wouldn't say there's anything significantly wrong with the book but it does feel like I've seen this story play out time and time again. I'm not even a frequent reader of historical fiction but I've watched many movies and tv shows tackling the Civil War and the stories kinda blend into one another. It's the same problem I have run into with World War 2 historical fiction. You have to search high and low to find a story that is unique.

With that being said, it was a decent read and the fact the author was able to write three historical fiction books featuring different generations of a family is pretty neat.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance digital copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.

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LibraryThing member tamidale

I’ve read all of the books in the Lilac Girls series and I think this latest may be my favorite.
Set during the Civil War, Martha Hall Kelly presents the views from three very different women to tell the story of one of the most pivotal times in US history.

Jemma, a young slave girl, is unique in

her time due to the fact that her previous owner taught her to read and write. In a time when many slave owners thought literate slaves were dangerous, Jemma’s owners found this useful, although in different ways.

Anne-May, Jemma’s second owner was a Southern woman and not of good character. When her husband leaves to fight for the Union, Anne-May is left to oversee the running of the plantation and instead spends money unwisely and lets the tobacco crop go to ruin. She also becomes drawn into a spy network and uses Jemma to convey information to the Confederacy.

Georgey, a Northern woman, was raised with a passion for good works and becomes drawn to nursing in order to help the war effort. Through her work nursing wounded soldiers, Georgey crosses paths with Jemma and the two women become close, with Georgey offering to help Jemma reunite with her family that has been separated by slavery.

I loved that this story was based on actual letters from the author’s ancestors. I also loved that the story showed the difficulties of family separation and of having family that was fighting on opposite sides, as well as the hardships that both North and South suffered through because of the war.

I highly recommend this to readers who love historical fiction and engaging stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

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LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35

This really is a pretty good book, but I think I liked the author's Liliac Girls too much as neither this book or Lost Roses really seem to measure up for me. Or perhaps I'm not fond of a series moving back in time as opposed to forward. I did like the sections about nursing work during the Civil

War - not enough historical fiction as tackled this aspect of the war - but too often I felt like this was story I'd encountered before. The themes - horrific battles, racial tensions, sexism, etc. - are all very familiar and, while this book is certainly good, I was hoping for something a little different.

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LibraryThing member fredreeca

This novel is narrated by three different woman, Jemma, Georgey, and Anne-May. I fell for Jemma, hook, line and sinker! Her plight in life will make you cringe and pull at your heart strings. Georgey is a strong, determined woman and she is out to get what she wants. And finally, Anne-May. If there

is hate in your heart…it should be directed at this woman!

There is so much encompassed in this tale. The strength and resilience to overcome the tragedies of life is one of the main ones. The prejudices, which not only the slaves endured, but the many woman helping on the front lines of the civil war is another.

The only issues I had with this novel and they are minor…I felt the story was a little long and wordy. Plus, this is not my favorite time period and the cruelty is a little much. However, it was true to the time period and no one can make you get all up in your feelings like Martha Hall Kelly!

Need a good civil war read…THIS IS IT!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew

Sunflower Sisters: A Novel (Woolsey-Ferriday), Martha Hall Kelly, author and narrator; Saskia Maarleveld, Shayna Small, Jenna Lamia, Cassandra Campbell, narrators
Although this book is the third in a series, it stands alone, as well. It is an authentic presentation of the history and tragedy of

slavery in America, in a novel form. Sometimes historic fiction that follows facts so accurately, especially with wo a difficult subject, is easier to handle than non-fiction. However, because of the absolutely awful brutality, with no way to prevent it, I found myself hesitant and afraid to turn to the next page. So much of the behavior of slave owners was totally barbaric and hard to face. When I thought that I was only reading about it, while these slaves were living through it, I shuddered and wished that, that period of history had never occurred.
The author has woven this ignominious time into a story that is largely about Jemma, a slave, her owner Anne-May, and Georgeanna, a very wealthy aristocrat. The story contains not only the horror of the times, but also as the author portrays their lives that were filled with so much pain and emptiness, she also infuses the story about slavery with their family unity and love, with their deep friendships and loyalty to each other, and shows their fortitude as they never gave up hope for freedom, even with devastating odds against it.
As evil as some slave owners were, there were also abolitionists who were kind and courageous, who aided the slaves in their escape and in designing their future. The Woolseys were one such family that believed in a “Union” free of slaves.
Some of the slave owners treated their slaves worse than animals and Jemma’s owner was one of them. They overworked them, tortured them, underfed and undereducated them, all the while they complained about how hard life was for them. In reality, they were reaping the benefits of economic profit from the slave labor, and the only thing many worked hard at was overseeing and mistreating the slaves. Even the clothing and shelter provided for them was inadequate. Although history has taught much of this to some of us, many have not had the benefit of learning about the abuses of slavery, and so they remain largely ignorant and even unsympathetic about its dreadfulness. There is only one word one can use to describe someone who owns a human, who believes in slavery, and that is contemptible.
This author managed to capture, not only the history of slavery, but also the blatant racism that existed then, and the racism that remained even after the Civil War ended and still exists in some places today. Horrid people, remain horrid, generally, and they spring from horrid ancestors. You have to be taught to hate.
The Woolseys were a real family of intelligent, caring and kind women. After the death of their father, their mother soldiered on and raised 7 daughters and 1 son very well, with wholesome values, all by herself. After Mrs. Woolsey and one daughter encountered a slave who was being auctioned off with her children, children who were separated and sold to different owners, a baby torn from her arms, they were devastated and completely engaged in the cause of the abolition of slavery from that day forward. They gave that woman their family card and invited her to their home should she ever be set free. As the Civil War raged, several of the daughters were nurses, the son fought on the side of the Yankees, and all of the siblings and their mother did whatever they could for the war effort. They were devoted to the North and the end of slavery
Although Jemma escaped to New York , she was legally still a slave, owned by Anne-May, a horrible, abusive and selfish woman. Anne-May was a Confederate through and through. Jemma found the Woolsey family, and they took her in and helped her. She felt so lucky. Her life had been previously filled with hardship, suffering and loss. No matter what she experienced or witnessed, there was no time for her despair. Grieving was a luxury that was not allowed. Even healing from the wounds of a whipping did not qualify for a rest. Jemma had to obey orders and her owner was barbaric and cruel, selfish and self-serving. Even when she was free, she sometimes felt abused, but now she could rebel and voice her frustration to others. She felt over protected and wanted to make her own decisions rather than let everyone else choose her path forward. Jemma was living proof of the terrible way that slaves were treated. Her body bore the scars. The owners treated their animals far better than their slaves. They worried about a poor bird but would torture a slave and could disregard their moaning.
Anyone who believes that it is okay to own, mistreat and torture another human being, is evil. The slaves were not allowed to be tired or to complain, but the spoiled owners complained of being exhausted to the very slaves they were working to death. As stories circulated of a better world out there, some slaves made plans to escape. There were rumors about safe havens, places where they could go and be protected. The slave owners furiously tried to prevent their escapes, employing overseers to watch the roads for them, especially as the tide of the Civil War seemed to turn and begin to favor the North. They humiliated, brutally tortured and ultimately murdered many of those who tried to escape and were caught and returned.
As the story of slavery dances across one side of the page and the story of the Woolsey women dances across the other, the reader will become more aware of this terrible blight on America’s history. The fortitude of so many slaves who courageously tried to escape, knowing the swamp and the owner’s henchmen awaited them and would follow and bring them back to despicable forms of punishment will surprise the reader. This book is steeped in so much truth and yet is presented in fiction form. Using letters and documents that attested to the barbarism of slavery, and referring to many real people and incidents, citing the experiences of these slaves and the efforts of the abolitionists has helped to create a very authentic novel which will open the eyes of many a reader, even as they reader will wish to close those eyes because of a story that is both horrible and true. How could anyone endure what these slaves suffered and still manage to carry on? Some appreciation for that part of our history seems to have often been overlooked by our educators.
Our country had progressed to the point where racism was being erased and was not an overarching issue. People were learning to get along. However, the Presidency of Barack Obama, which should have been a unifying moment in history, instead was exacerbated by politicians who recognized that hate sells better and so created division which would win votes.
The sunflower in the title was used as a warning to running slaves. Both Jemma, the slave, and Georgey a Woolsey sister, showed tremendous courage and patience. Both had trouble facing some of the issues in their lives which were holding them back. They help each other. They show each other where danger lurks and rescue each other from danger, when possible. The Woolsey sisters and their mother provided safe havens for the runaway slaves and for those that were free but were in danger of simply being snatched and sold or returned, losing their freedom again. Many unscrupulous “bounty hunters” cared little for the human beings they dragged back to captivity, instead they cared more for the money they made.
This is an excellent book about the impact of slavery, of the toll taken by the Civil War on the country, and of the racism that existed then, and is perhaps being resurrected today by divisive politics. This story will both touch and break your heart. As awful as slavery was, however, the slave owners were far more despicable. Many of the characters were completely hateful. This book is a very worthwhile read.

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LibraryThing member CandyH

What a great read! This is the story of the Woolsey sisters and the challenges of their lives during Civil War times. It’s a book to devour.

LibraryThing member Nancyjcbs

The Sunflower Sisters is a work of historical fiction connected to The Lilac Girls by family. The Woolseys are a family of seven sisters and one brother directly related to Carolyn Ferriday. The family was an abolitionist family mostly working to nurse Union soldiers during the Civil War.

Jemma is a

slave on a Maryland plantation. Her fictionalized story is similar to others in the 1800's. In this novel Jemma's story intersects with the Georgiana Woolsey's story.

The beginning of the novel moved a bit slowly for me but my interest level and pace picked up as the story progressed.

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LibraryThing member marquis784

I am pleased to read and review this latest book in this historical fiction generational series. In book 1, The Lilac Girls, we meet Caroline Ferriday during WWII.
In book 2, Eliza Woolsey Mitchell is the next courageous woman in this family, the mother of Caroline during WWI.
In this book 3, we are

introduced to Caroline’s grandmother, Georgeanna Woolsey during the Civil War.

I received the digital copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Like the two preceding novels, this focuses primarily on three major characters in alternating chapters during the same time era. Each of these books are stand alone reads. I found it interesting to read about this family in reverse order. This third book introduces us to the grandmother who influenced the generations that followed her.

The author provides additional resources for those interested in learning more about this remarkable family. Georgy and Eliza wrote a book about their experiences working as nurses during the Civil War. The sunflower was viewed as a sign of danger on the Underground Railroad for those seeking freedom from slavery. The extensive research compiled for this book is truly a labor of love which is evident to the reader.

The author provides another compelling story so close to being nonfiction that it touches the heart and soul. It reminds us that true heroes aren’t always on the battlefield. The fight for freedom and justice is never a lost cause for its people like the Woolseys who give us inspiration and determination to accomplish what seems unlikely.

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LibraryThing member khoyt

"Sunflower Sisters" is a fascinating book by Martha Hall Kelly. This novel gives detailed accounts of what happened during the Civil War years for three different women: slave, slave-owner, and abolitionist. Many emotions are threaded throughout the story, strength, fear, sorrow to name just a few.

Tragedy and tears stand alongside hope and joy, with just enough romance added to make everyday life bearable. This is a must-read for historical fiction readers and lovers of great writing. The research is impeccable. One gets caught up in the events and drama that makes for a great read.

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LibraryThing member SteveLindahl

Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly is the third book in her series about stories of women who lived during major American wars. These books are historical fiction inspired by real characters. The people surrounding the principal characters are a mixture of historic figures and fictional people.

Sunflower Sisters has small roles for Frederick Law Olmsted and Abraham Lincoln among others.

The books do not have to be read in order. In fact, they go back in time so what happens in the preceding books actually occurs later. I've read Lilac Girls, the first in the series, but have not yet read the second, Lost Roses. Lilac Girls is set during World War Two. Lost Roses is set during World War One and Sunflower Sisters is set during the American Civil War.

Each book follows three women born into situations very different from each other. In Sunflower Sisters: Georgeanna Woolsey is an abolitionist from New York City who becomes a wartime nurse, Jemma is a slave on a tobacco plantation in Maryland and Ann-May Wilson is the woman who controls that plantation and owns Jemma. The story moves from plantations in Maryland to the luxurious buildings in New York and Washington where high society events take place and to the battlefield in Gettysburg.

The brutalities of war and of slavery are shown, but the book also focuses on women's rights. Georgeanna runs into problems as she attempts to become a nurse. Almost all of the nurses at that time were men who saw female nurses as threats to their jobs. I did not know anything about the history of female nurses in America, so this subplot was especially interesting to me. The novel also covers issues such as addiction and infidelity through the character of Ann-May.

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LibraryThing member gypsysmom

This is the third novel in a series that started with Lilac Girls which is set during World War II. In the second novel, Lost Roses, the action takes place during the Russian Revolution. Now this book is set during the American Civil War. It's an unusual way to structure a series but it reflects, I

believe, how the author learned about the women that each book is centred around. Although these books are fiction there is an historical woman that inspired each of them. In this book it is Georgeanne (known as Georgey) Woolsey, a member of a family of seven sisters and one brother living in New York City.

When the Civil War broke out Georgey decided to learn nursing so she could tend to soldiers. Women were not welcomed as nurses, especially in the army which had exclusively men as nurses. But Georgey persevered and persuaded one of her sisters, Eliza, to join her. They were initially stationed in Washington D.C. where they met President Lincoln. Then they moved onto ships stationed just off shore from the battlegrounds. Georgey wrote a nursing handbook during this time to help future nurses. When the Woolseys got word that the one male sibling had been injured at the Battle of Gettysburg Georgey and her mother rushed there. They found that he was not badly injured and had already moved one. However, the doctor in charge of the wounded knew of Georgey's expertise and asked her and her mother to stay. That was how they met Jemma, a young black slave girl, who had been disguised as a boy. Gemma was injured during the battle and Georgey and her mother tended to her. Jemma was from the Peeler Plantation in Maryland and her mother and sister were still there. The Peeler Plantation was owned by Anne-May, originally from Louisiana, who was left the plantation by her aunt. Although Anne-May is sympathetic to the South her husband fought for the Union Army and lost part of his leg. Anne-May passes on information she learnt from her husband to a shopkeeper in town using Jemma as an intermediary. Anne-May can't write but Jemma learned reading and writing from the former mistress so she takes dictation from Anne-May and writes it in a book that she passes on to the shopkeeper. When Jemma was sold away from the plantation she wouldn't tell Anne-May where the book was hidden and this was a source of worry for Anne-May and her fellow consipirators as it was proof of their spying.

Anne-May was a thoroughly nasty woman but she did have some of the best lines in the book. I couldn't help laughing at this bitchy comment she made about her stepfather's new wife: "Melodie fell from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down."

This was a very satisfying conclusion to the Lilac Girls trilogy.

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LibraryThing member marquis784

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