Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

In 1939, wealthy Caroline Ferriday works at the French consulate in New York City and, through her job, helps children and families suffering hardship because of the war. In Lublin, Poland, Kasia Kuzmerick finds her normal life tragically upended when both the Germans and Russians invade her country. Meanwhile, in Dusseldorf, Germany, Herta Oberheuser's medical training is interrupted by war and her devotion to Hitler. In Lilac Girls, the lives of these three women are explored over twenty years, as their fates intertwine across continents and through episodes of evil, friendship, and perseverance. First novelist Kelly based her novel on the real lives of Caroline and Herta and her thorough research makes the novel a compelling read.