The Golden Doves
Building on the success of her Lilac Girls trilogy, Kelly’s The Golden Doves takes the reader into the turbulent decade following the end of World War II. The societal tensions of those who simply want to “move on” contrast with those who demand retribution for identified atrocities. This complex narrative is an emotional roller-coaster ride as past tortures resurface and face new scrutiny.
French resistance fighters Josie Anderson and Arlette LaRue find themselves reunited in the 1950s as they hunt down the concentration camp doctor who inflicted such pain while they were incarcerated in the women’s-only Ravensbrück concentration camp in northern Germany. Until their untimely capture, the two (referred to as “the Golden Doves”) were extremely successful in passing on valuable information to the Allies.
Imprisoned by the Germans, with them and their families tortured, both women manage to survive, albeit terribly emotionally and physically scared. The camp doctor apparently took great pleasure in inflicting unspeakable pain upon the helpless inmates. Following release at war’s end, their return to any sort of normality is dramatically altered.
Kelly’s literary technique of transporting the reader back and forth from the 1940s to the 1950s may be disconcerting to some. This is not a straightforward, chronological story but a detailed tale of retribution and dogged determination spanning time and geography. The narrative highlights the personal quest for justice and a form of closure.
