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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Reading The Poppy Wife felt like being enveloped in an oversized quilt of emotions and history. There's something deeply moving about the way Scott navigates the aftermath of World War I, presenting a landscape that's both haunting and beautiful.
What struck me most were the characters – they're so beautifully flawed and human. You can feel the weight of their stories, their losses, and their hopes. Scott has this incredible ability to make you care deeply about these fictional souls, as if they're old friends you're longing to help. The emotional depth here is something I didn't expect but wholeheartedly embraced.
The narrative weaves between different perspectives, a technique that could have been confusing but instead adds layers to the story. It's like piecing together a puzzle, understanding the war and its impact from different angles. This approach gives the novel a breadth and depth that's truly compelling, making the historical moments even more poignant.
Scott's writing style is another gem. There's a lyrical quality to her prose that captures the era and emotions perfectly. She paints the post-war landscape with such detail and sensitivity that I found myself completely transported. It's one thing to read about history, but it's another to feel it, and Scott bridges that gap beautifully.
The Poppy Wife earns a solid four stars from me. It's a poignant, beautifully crafted novel that offers a fresh perspective on the impacts of war. My connection with the characters and the immersive historical setting left a lasting impression. Though at times the pace might have benefitted from a bit more urgency, the overall experience was deeply rewarding. For those who love historical fiction with a heart, this book is a must-read.
What struck me most were the characters – they're so beautifully flawed and human. You can feel the weight of their stories, their losses, and their hopes. Scott has this incredible ability to make you care deeply about these fictional souls, as if they're old friends you're longing to help. The emotional depth here is something I didn't expect but wholeheartedly embraced.
The narrative weaves between different perspectives, a technique that could have been confusing but instead adds layers to the story. It's like piecing together a puzzle, understanding the war and its impact from different angles. This approach gives the novel a breadth and depth that's truly compelling, making the historical moments even more poignant.
Scott's writing style is another gem. There's a lyrical quality to her prose that captures the era and emotions perfectly. She paints the post-war landscape with such detail and sensitivity that I found myself completely transported. It's one thing to read about history, but it's another to feel it, and Scott bridges that gap beautifully.
The Poppy Wife earns a solid four stars from me. It's a poignant, beautifully crafted novel that offers a fresh perspective on the impacts of war. My connection with the characters and the immersive historical setting left a lasting impression. Though at times the pace might have benefitted from a bit more urgency, the overall experience was deeply rewarding. For those who love historical fiction with a heart, this book is a must-read.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The mystery was engaging, I read to the end to find out what happened! I did find the time jumps back and forth to pull me out of the story sometimes. They were very clearly marked, but the flashbacks often chopped scenes up. I didn’t particularly connect with the characters, but that was just me. The content contained some language (soldier talk) and one suggestive scene.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It isn’t very often a debut novel comes along that’s so hauntingly beautiful you find it difficult to put your emotions down into words. But The Photographer of the Lost by Caroline Scott is one such book. I was mesmerised from the opening paragraph right through to the incredibly moving and unforgettable conclusion.
It’s 1921 and families are desperately trying to piece together the fragments of their shattered lives. While many survivors of the Great War have been reunited with their loved ones there are many more who have not. Edie’s husband, Francis, has not come home and is considered missing in action. But then Edie receives a photograph in the post, taken of Francis himself, and knows she must take action and try to find him.
Francis’s brother Harry fought alongside him and longs for him to be alive, so they can forgive each other for the last things they ever said. The brothers shared a love of photography and Harry has returned to the Western Front to try to find information on those who are missing or who have died, hired by the grieving families to photograph gravesites and gather news to take back to British wives and mothers. But the one thing he’s searching for most of all is evidence of his brother. As they get closer and closer to the shocking truth, Harry and Edie’s search brings them together in ways they could never have expected.
The Photographer of the Lost is an incredibly moving and vividly portrayed snapshot into the lives of the men who were lost amongst the chaos and ruins of this devastating war. But it’s also the story of those who were left behind, those men and women who were desperate to find their loved ones again. I can’t even begin to put into words the emotional turmoil I went through as I read this book. Caroline Scott has written a book so haunting I know it will stay with me for a long time to come.
The Photographer of the Lost is so much more than a story, it’s a book that brings those lost in World War 1 back to life in brilliant technicolour. They are no longer just characters in a book, they are men made of flesh and blood, who have lives and families, hopes and dreams, most of which were destined never to be fulfilled. It all makes me feel so unbearably sad, an unforgivable loss of what should have been so many bright young futures.
I’ve had a fascination with photographs and photography for as long as I can remember, so Harry was a character I was drawn to from the outset. The title of the book began to make perfect sense as I became fully immersed in the story, and I felt desperately sad for the people who hired him to locate and photograph their loved ones final resting places. His own grief at the loss of his two brothers was also palpable throughout, with the story moving backwards and forwards through time, depicting his life both with and without his lost siblings.
Harry and Edie’s story, when it finally converges, moved me beyond words. This is a book that doesn’t pull its punches and is not one that falls into the trap of over sentimentality at all. Raw, honest and devastatingly real, it’s difficult to find the right words to convey just how incredibly special The Photographer of the Lost is.
Caroline Scott’s debut novel is unlike anything I’ve ever read before and I know it is a book I will go back to again and again. A beautifully written and brutally honest account of a time in history that should never be forgotten, I loved every word of this story that’s full of so many poignant and moving moments that will stay with me forever. Highly recommended.
It’s 1921 and families are desperately trying to piece together the fragments of their shattered lives. While many survivors of the Great War have been reunited with their loved ones there are many more who have not. Edie’s husband, Francis, has not come home and is considered missing in action. But then Edie receives a photograph in the post, taken of Francis himself, and knows she must take action and try to find him.
Francis’s brother Harry fought alongside him and longs for him to be alive, so they can forgive each other for the last things they ever said. The brothers shared a love of photography and Harry has returned to the Western Front to try to find information on those who are missing or who have died, hired by the grieving families to photograph gravesites and gather news to take back to British wives and mothers. But the one thing he’s searching for most of all is evidence of his brother. As they get closer and closer to the shocking truth, Harry and Edie’s search brings them together in ways they could never have expected.
The Photographer of the Lost is an incredibly moving and vividly portrayed snapshot into the lives of the men who were lost amongst the chaos and ruins of this devastating war. But it’s also the story of those who were left behind, those men and women who were desperate to find their loved ones again. I can’t even begin to put into words the emotional turmoil I went through as I read this book. Caroline Scott has written a book so haunting I know it will stay with me for a long time to come.
The Photographer of the Lost is so much more than a story, it’s a book that brings those lost in World War 1 back to life in brilliant technicolour. They are no longer just characters in a book, they are men made of flesh and blood, who have lives and families, hopes and dreams, most of which were destined never to be fulfilled. It all makes me feel so unbearably sad, an unforgivable loss of what should have been so many bright young futures.
I’ve had a fascination with photographs and photography for as long as I can remember, so Harry was a character I was drawn to from the outset. The title of the book began to make perfect sense as I became fully immersed in the story, and I felt desperately sad for the people who hired him to locate and photograph their loved ones final resting places. His own grief at the loss of his two brothers was also palpable throughout, with the story moving backwards and forwards through time, depicting his life both with and without his lost siblings.
Harry and Edie’s story, when it finally converges, moved me beyond words. This is a book that doesn’t pull its punches and is not one that falls into the trap of over sentimentality at all. Raw, honest and devastatingly real, it’s difficult to find the right words to convey just how incredibly special The Photographer of the Lost is.
Caroline Scott’s debut novel is unlike anything I’ve ever read before and I know it is a book I will go back to again and again. A beautifully written and brutally honest account of a time in history that should never be forgotten, I loved every word of this story that’s full of so many poignant and moving moments that will stay with me forever. Highly recommended.
The premise is fascinating. In the years following the First World War, people struggle with the brutal aftermath. Former soldiers attempt to rebuild their lives while they grapple with their trauma. Families grapple with their grief. Families of soldiers who are declared missing, search the former battlefields and mass graves hoping to find definitive answers.
Unfortunately, I found the execution to be extremely boring. The fault, I think, lies in the writing. I simply could not find myself to care. I had to force myself to finish this book, I just found the main plot, the central thrust of the story so dull.
Unfortunately, I found the execution to be extremely boring. The fault, I think, lies in the writing. I simply could not find myself to care. I had to force myself to finish this book, I just found the main plot, the central thrust of the story so dull.
3.5 stars
Despite the amount of time it took me to read this book I did enjoy it. The period between to the two world wars has always intrigued me and this novel takes a new look at the immediate post WWI period. The large number of missing soldiers after the war ended left families in pain and without closure. The attempt to provide evidence of their deaths with a photo of their grave was first taken on by the government and then by private photographers.
The majority of this story takes place in France and Belgium. I have had the privilege to visit a number of the war memorials in in Belgium so the details on the development of Tyne Cot, the Menin Gate and the devastation of Ypres were very meaningful to me.
There is a tragic family story running throughout and a glimpse of the trauma the soldiers who survived lived with and brought home that I thought was addressed very evocatively. A good story with a great amount of historical research and context.
Despite the amount of time it took me to read this book I did enjoy it. The period between to the two world wars has always intrigued me and this novel takes a new look at the immediate post WWI period. The large number of missing soldiers after the war ended left families in pain and without closure. The attempt to provide evidence of their deaths with a photo of their grave was first taken on by the government and then by private photographers.
The majority of this story takes place in France and Belgium. I have had the privilege to visit a number of the war memorials in in Belgium so the details on the development of Tyne Cot, the Menin Gate and the devastation of Ypres were very meaningful to me.
There is a tragic family story running throughout and a glimpse of the trauma the soldiers who survived lived with and brought home that I thought was addressed very evocatively. A good story with a great amount of historical research and context.
DNF - 50 pages in and nothing is happening that I couldn’t get from the description on the back. Moving on.