Martha Hall Kelly

Martha Hall Kelly is the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls, Lost Roses, and Sunflower Sisters. She lives in Connecticut, where she spends her days filling legal pads with stories and reading World War II books.

Instagram: @MarthaHallKelly

Are there particular films that have influenced your writing? 

Pride and Prejudice, The Departed, Saving Private Ryan and Sense and Sensibility are all films I draw inspiration from when writing. 

What period of history do you wish you knew more about? 

I love the 1950s era. I was born at the tail end of it and have always been fascinated with it, the post WWII era. My new book The Golden Doves takes place in the fifties and it was so much fun researching it.

What’s the oddest thing a reader has ever asked you? 

An entomologist once asked me why I mentioned the stink bug in my novel Lilac Girls in a scene that was set in 1957 since the stink bug wasn't seen in the country until 1958. 

Is your go to comfort food sweet or savory? Is it something you make yourself? Does food inspire your writing? 

I'm obsessed with Fritos. I only allow myself to eat them when I fly though. Or else I'd eat them every day.  

Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome? 

Every day!