SLCL Authors @ the J Presents “Lilac Girls” Historical Novelist Martha Hall Kelly

St. Louis County Library and the JCC of St. Louis are pleased to host an SLCL Authors @ the J event with bestselling historical fiction author Martha Hall Kelly, author of “The Golden Doves.”

The event will take place on Tuesday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the JCC’s Staenberg Family Center – Mirowitz Performing Arts Center, 2 Millstone Campus Drive, St. Louis, MO 63146.

The program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase at the event from The Novel Neighbor.

Bestselling author of “Lilac Girls,” Martha Hall Kelly presents a pulse-pounding novel inspired by true events -- two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II.

American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.

A decade later the Doves fall headlong into a dangerous dual mission: Josie is working for U.S. Army Intelligence and accepts an assignment to hunt down the infamous doctor, while a mysterious man tells Arlette he may have found her son. The Golden Doves embark on a quest across Europe and ultimately to French Guiana, discovering a web of terrible secrets, and must put themselves in grave danger to finally secure justice and protect the ones they love.

Martha Hall Kelly has garnered acclaim for her stunning combination of empathy and research into the stories of women throughout history and for exploring the terrors of Ravensbrück. With “The Golden Doves,” she has crafted an unforgettable story about the fates of Nazi fugitives in the wake of World War II—and the unsung female spies who risked it all to bring them to justice.

Martha Hall Kelly is the New York Times bestselling author of “Lilac Girls,” “Lost Roses,” and “Sunflower Sisters.” She has sold more than two million copies of her books and been translated in 50 countries.

Program sites are accessible. With at least two weeks' notice, accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities. Call 314-994-3300 or contact us.