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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
Caroline Scott’s debut is beautifully written, powerful, and intense. The book takes place primarily in France 1921 with flashbacks to 1917. A story about the aftermath of war, the sorrow and the devastation. The guilt and heartbreak felt by those left behind. This is a piece of history I have not read much about it was sobering to acknowledge the impact of war on both the land and human spirit. It was lovely and heart wrenching to see the hope inspired by the rebuilding of France, all I could think was in a couple decades they would be in the midst of war again.
This story was told from the alternating perspectives of Harry and Edie. Harry is the only one of three brothers to survive the war. He is now back in France working as a photographer taking pictures of soldier’s graves for their families. Edie was married to one of Harry’s brothers Francis. After receiving a mysterious photo she is convinced that Francis is alive and heads to France to find him. Harry and Eadie’s haves cross in France it is bittersweet. There is so much confusion, guilt, and history between the two of them, will discovering the truth about Francis bring them healing and closure? I was completely drawn into this riveting story. I had to know the fate of Francis and what had happened between Edie and Harry in the past. Scott’s vivid writing completely immersed me in Post WWI France. This book will appeal to all fans of historical fiction. It was raw. Real. And beautiful.
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This story was told from the alternating perspectives of Harry and Edie. Harry is the only one of three brothers to survive the war. He is now back in France working as a photographer taking pictures of soldier’s graves for their families. Edie was married to one of Harry’s brothers Francis. After receiving a mysterious photo she is convinced that Francis is alive and heads to France to find him. Harry and Eadie’s haves cross in France it is bittersweet. There is so much confusion, guilt, and history between the two of them, will discovering the truth about Francis bring them healing and closure? I was completely drawn into this riveting story. I had to know the fate of Francis and what had happened between Edie and Harry in the past. Scott’s vivid writing completely immersed me in Post WWI France. This book will appeal to all fans of historical fiction. It was raw. Real. And beautiful.
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I love stories about World War I. It is a time that has been mostly forgotten by Americans and overshadowed by World War II. So I look for books that will illuminate this period for me. Unfortunately, "The Poppy Wife" did not succeed. The fact that the writer wasn't sure about the focus of the book is clear when I discovered that the original title when published in the UK was "The Photographer of the Lost". So is it about Edie, the wife, or Harry, photographer? This is a debut novel that is over-ambitious in style and scope of storytelling. Ms. Scott's novel has not only dual narrators, but also a timeline that jumps back and forth between 1916, 1917, and 1921 in France and England.
The attractive cover shows a young woman in a war-devastated scene. Since she is carrying a suitcase, we know that she is a visitor to this landscape. This character is Edie, the assumed widow of Francis Blythe, who was declared missing in the trenches in October, 1917. Francis, an avid photographer and fey trickster, volunteered for the war with his two brothers, Harry and Will. Will's death in battle has a drastic effect on both Francis and Harry, who were supposed to take care of their baby brother. Francis's personality changes and at one point he goes AWOL. In addition to the loss of his brother, Francis suspects that Harry is in love with Edie. During an especially terrible trench battle in Ypres, Francis is mortally wounded but Harry never sees the body.
Four years later, in the spring of 1921, Edie gets a photo of Francis in the mail. There is no note or indication of who sent it. Is Francis still alive and asking for Edie to find him? She contacts Harry, her brother-in-law,who seems to have been wandering since the end of the war taking photos, and both of them go to France to find Francis or his grave.
That's it. A pretty simple story idea that ends up being over 400 pages long. Edie and Harry do not go to France together but they visit the same places. So repeatedly we are given the descriptions of the same shelled-out cites from different points of view. The timeline jumps back and forth, giving us the war years and the aftermath from both Harry's and Edie's points of view.
We are taken back and forth across the trench lines of northern France but there is no map to help orient the reader.
The book could easily have been cut by a hundred pages by a good editor. The author feels compelled to describe everything, from little girls on a beach to the family members of a bar keeper. At first, I expected these details to be connected to the storyline, adding something of significance to move the story along. But this seldom happened. It is just an exercise in describing to excess. A few other characters are met along the way and then fall by the wayside. There is a ton of FEELING in this story, with emotions oozing on every page. There are also a lot of question marks as Edie and Harry ask themselves rhetorical questions. But if they had asked a few more questions of the people that they encountered, they may not have had to wander around France for months.
I became very impatient with the story. Nothing really happens until the last fifty pages, and even then it is shrouded in fuzzy writing.
The attractive cover shows a young woman in a war-devastated scene. Since she is carrying a suitcase, we know that she is a visitor to this landscape. This character is Edie, the assumed widow of Francis Blythe, who was declared missing in the trenches in October, 1917. Francis, an avid photographer and fey trickster, volunteered for the war with his two brothers, Harry and Will. Will's death in battle has a drastic effect on both Francis and Harry, who were supposed to take care of their baby brother. Francis's personality changes and at one point he goes AWOL. In addition to the loss of his brother, Francis suspects that Harry is in love with Edie. During an especially terrible trench battle in Ypres, Francis is mortally wounded but Harry never sees the body.
Four years later, in the spring of 1921, Edie gets a photo of Francis in the mail. There is no note or indication of who sent it. Is Francis still alive and asking for Edie to find him? She contacts Harry, her brother-in-law,who seems to have been wandering since the end of the war taking photos, and both of them go to France to find Francis or his grave.
That's it. A pretty simple story idea that ends up being over 400 pages long. Edie and Harry do not go to France together but they visit the same places. So repeatedly we are given the descriptions of the same shelled-out cites from different points of view. The timeline jumps back and forth, giving us the war years and the aftermath from both Harry's and Edie's points of view.
We are taken back and forth across the trench lines of northern France but there is no map to help orient the reader.
The book could easily have been cut by a hundred pages by a good editor. The author feels compelled to describe everything, from little girls on a beach to the family members of a bar keeper. At first, I expected these details to be connected to the storyline, adding something of significance to move the story along. But this seldom happened. It is just an exercise in describing to excess. A few other characters are met along the way and then fall by the wayside. There is a ton of FEELING in this story, with emotions oozing on every page. There are also a lot of question marks as Edie and Harry ask themselves rhetorical questions. But if they had asked a few more questions of the people that they encountered, they may not have had to wander around France for months.
I became very impatient with the story. Nothing really happens until the last fifty pages, and even then it is shrouded in fuzzy writing.
Harry, veteran of the trenches, wanders around France in 1921, occasionally fulfilling a commission to photograph a grave or a place for bereaved families. His younger brother died, his older brother was listed as missing so he is searching for clues. Edie, Harry’s sister-in-law/love, can’t move forward in life until she knows she is a wife or a widow.
There are themes about love, loss, war, battle-ground tourism and family.
I appreciate what the author was trying to do but, honestly, I felt it was too long and the heart of the story got confused for the reader.
There are themes about love, loss, war, battle-ground tourism and family.
I appreciate what the author was trying to do but, honestly, I felt it was too long and the heart of the story got confused for the reader.
This book covered the after affects of world war 1, which is sometimes (I feel like) not always represented stories. So much is known yet unknown about that time period and the focus is usually on world war 2. I liked the multiple POV, and the different time periods. It was a bit slow for me, but still interesting.
Definitely an interesting premise, about families seeking closure for their men fighting in France in World War 1. It reminded me of The Water Diviner, but set in Europe. Harry, a veteran, is now a photographer who travels to take photos of the graves of soldiers to give clarity to their loved ones. He fought alongside his brothers, and now his sister-in-law, Edie, has asked him to help her find the resting place of her husband, who Harry saw mortally wounded.
The settings are well realised, and there has been care in the research for this novel. There is a melancholic atmosphere to the book, and this could be why I found it a bit slow going. At times I was confused as to where the story was going, there was a bit of unnecessary detail and character, and to be honest, I didn't really like Harry or Edie or their supporting characters much. Gabriel, Ralph and Cassie were the best but their stories didn't link to Harry in ways that I thought they would. The same with Rachel. Missed opportunity? It wasn't a bad book, it was just different to the usual historical war fiction maybe. A different perspective. And the Australian title of The Poppy Wife was misleading! I think it's called The Photographer of the Lost overseas which makes more sense.
The settings are well realised, and there has been care in the research for this novel. There is a melancholic atmosphere to the book, and this could be why I found it a bit slow going. At times I was confused as to where the story was going, there was a bit of unnecessary detail and character, and to be honest, I didn't really like Harry or Edie or their supporting characters much. Gabriel, Ralph and Cassie were the best but their stories didn't link to Harry in ways that I thought they would. The same with Rachel. Missed opportunity? It wasn't a bad book, it was just different to the usual historical war fiction maybe. A different perspective. And the Australian title of The Poppy Wife was misleading! I think it's called The Photographer of the Lost overseas which makes more sense.
slow-paced
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The Poppy Wife is set during and after World War I, the Great War. Edie’s husband, Francis, is missing and presumed dead after the war, and his brother, Harry, is present the day Francis went missing.
Both Edie and Harry believe Francis is still out there, and each seeks to find him. Harry goes by his work, traveling to take pictures of soldiers’ graves, while Edie embarks on her own journey. Their paths are about to intersect, and will they find news of Francis?
The aftermath of a war and its impact on the loved ones of those who are lost are captured in such an authentic and powerful way. The storyline is pierced masterfully together, and that lent itself to some great underlying tension. I enjoyed the literal and figurative journeys this book was, both for the reader and for Harry and Edie.
Overall, The Poppy Wife is a beautifully-rendered, emotional story of the lessons we can learn from war and how to find hope and healing in even the darkest of times.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Both Edie and Harry believe Francis is still out there, and each seeks to find him. Harry goes by his work, traveling to take pictures of soldiers’ graves, while Edie embarks on her own journey. Their paths are about to intersect, and will they find news of Francis?
The aftermath of a war and its impact on the loved ones of those who are lost are captured in such an authentic and powerful way. The storyline is pierced masterfully together, and that lent itself to some great underlying tension. I enjoyed the literal and figurative journeys this book was, both for the reader and for Harry and Edie.
Overall, The Poppy Wife is a beautifully-rendered, emotional story of the lessons we can learn from war and how to find hope and healing in even the darkest of times.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated