The Poppy Factory

by Liz Trenow

With the end of the First World War, Rose is looking forward to welcoming home her beloved husband, Alfie, from the battlefields. But his return is not what Rose had expected. Traumatised by what he has seen, the Alfie who comes home is a different man to the one Rose married. As he struggles to cope with life in peacetime, Rose wrestles with temptation as the man she fell in love with seems lost forever.

Many years later, Jess returns from her final tour of Afghanistan. Haunted by nightmares from her time at the front, her longed-for homecoming is a disaster and she wonders if her life will ever be the same again. Can comfort come through her great-grandmother Rose’s diaries?

For Jess and Rose, the realities of war have terrible consequences. Can the Poppy Factory, set up to help injured soldiers, rescue them both from the heartache of war?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, War, World War I, Historical, Contemporary, Romance

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2014

About the author

Liz Trenow's family have been silk weavers for nearly three hundred years, and the company is one of only three still operating in the UK today, weaving for top-end fashion houses and royal commissions.

It is this remarkable silk heritage that has inspired many of Liz's four novels, including the most recent The Silk Weaver (UK pub Jan 2017) It will be published in the US as The Hidden Thread in May 2017.

It is set in London in the 1760s in the very house in which the family company began, just down the road from where the pre-eminent silk designer Anna Maria Garthwaite lived at the same time. It is the unknown early life of Anna Maria that has inspired the plot, set against the historical backdrop of racial tension and industrial unrest.

With beautiful illustrations of Anna Maria designs throughout, this will be a book to treasure.

Reviews

[Magdalena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jess returns home from her final tour in Afghanistan haunted by nightmares from her time at the front. She starts to drink more and more and in the en drives away her boyfriend Nate. At her mother's home, she finds her great-grandmother Rose's diaries. Rose writes about her marriage to Alfie, a soldier in the First World War who lost a leg and return home traumatized by his experience. Can Rose's diaries help Jess with her life?

I must admit that I struggled with this book. I had a hard time getting into the story. It wasn't anything wrong with the book. I just felt that it didn't catch my interest. But around halfway through the book, it got better and I actually started to enjoy the story. Even though I must preferred the trial and tribulation of Rose's life than Jess. So, in the end, I actually came to enjoy this book and I'm glad that I kept going with the book and didn't give up. I was a bit stumped in the end because the book ended a bit abruptly. I blame it on the formatting of the text, since it wasn't any breaks between the chapters (no new page when a chapter was finished) and the Book Club Q&A just appeared after what was the last chapter when I had several pages of the book left...or at least, I thought I had. But this was an ARC so I know that the text isn't always perfect.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

*2022 best read*

✔️A story told in two different timelines

✔️Plot with themes focusing on PTSD, disability, alcoholism, therapy, war and strong female and male characters

I feel this is such an underrated book and I cannot believe it has remained hidden all this time!

I find the characters so realistic and the plot so well researched.

I am quite impressed with the representation and how the story interspersed blending so well connecting the characters from two quite different timelines.

A paramedic suffering from PTSD turning to alcohol as the comfort and a disabled war veteran from decades ago suffering from PTSD struggling to make both ends meet after the war.

It was quite an emotional read. An eye opening read regarding the discussion on alcoholism and PTSD. Fiction well done.

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Words: Dramatic, emotional, thought-provoking, war, love.

When I finished this book, I had to sit in silence and contemplate what exactly I had read. And I read this book cover-to-cover, the authors notes, acknowledgements, the Q&A. I didn't want it to end.

This book is fantastically written with two distinct voices telling two incredible stories in two very different times.

This is a book that I took my time reading. I sat down with a cup of tea and really thought about what I was reading. This book just got to me. Even now I'm thinking of it, and it's been a week since I finished it! The author has been so very clever with how she's tackled the difficulties of adjusting to home life again after time in a war zone, and especially with PTSD. I loved reading both Jess and Rose, but my favourite was probably Rose - the sporadic diary entries worked so well, felt s personal.

I liked how the stories were connected, that The Poppy Factory and the impact of war hit both Jess and Alfie in such striking ways.

As I received this copy free, I sent in a private donation to The Poppy Factory. Reading about the work they do, the author has done such a great job in highlighting a charity I never even knew about.

I received a copy of this for free via Goodreads First Reads.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jess, an army paramedic has just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and taken a discharge but, haunted by her experiences, she can’t settle into civilian life. When she is handed her great-grandmother’s diaries to read, she finds she is not the first in her family to suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. Her great grandparents’ lives were touched by WWI in a way that not only compared to her own experiences, but reading about them gives her the impetus she needs to get help and move forward with her life.

The two stories, that of Jess and that of her grandmother Rose, are told side by side throughout the book, which was one that I could get really lost in, caught up with the characters, and really caring about them. Whilst I enjoyed reading about Jess, I really loved Rose’s story which was full of drama and emotion, with a family that is very readable and likeable. Her struggle to keep her family afloat and her marriage intact after her husband Alfie loses a leg in WWI and his subsequent attempts to fit back into civvy life, during a time when PTSD wasn’t recognised or understood, made really good moving; gripping and entertaining, yet moving and emotional at the same time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read. Thanks to the publishers for the advance review copy.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good war story struggling with the aftermath of war.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is an informative interesting look into the period after the first world war. It is a touching tribute to all who have served and are serving.

It is an important look into mental health issues connected to service, and I love the charities are so well represented.

More information about Combat Stress: http://www.combatstress.org.uk/about-us/
More information about the poppy factory: http://www.poppyfactory.org/about-us-...

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully told tale of two women generations apart whose lives share some devastating similarities. I love historical fiction which crosses time periods and entwines the lives of different people, and Trenow is just brilliant at this.

Jess is an army medic recently returned from her latest tour in Afghanistan. Upon her return, she struggles to adapt to her surroundings and begins drinking heavily - and in doing so, begins to alienate her loved ones. By chance, she comes across her great grandmothers diaries from the early 1900s and starts to explore her experiences as the wife of a soldier during and in the aftermath of World War One.

Young wife Rose has already lost both her brothers to the conflict, and now awaits the return of her husband Alfie. Luckily, he comes home alive but not unaffected by the horrors of wartime. Jess begins to see similarities in Alfie's behaviour and her own, and as a reader, we begin to explore the effects of war on those who survive the fighting.

Rose is a beautifully resilient character and I warmed to her immediately. Jess, slightly less so, but perhaps that was because her behaviour was more obvious than that of Alfie's.

A very easy read, this took just a couple of days to finish cover to cover. Being now up to date with all of the authors published novels, I'm excited to read her next book which is due to be released in 2017.

A must have for fans of historical fiction.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for the 100th Anniversary of World War 1 and Remembrance Day 2018.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was SO very excited to read The Poppy Factory – I thoroughly enjoyed Liz’s previous novels, The Last Telegram and The Forgotten Seamstress, so I could not wait to start reading.

With the end of the First World War, Rose can not wait to welcome home her husband Alfie from the battlefields, whom she dearly loves. But his return is not what Rose expected, as traumatised by what he has seen – the Alfie who returns home is different from the Alfie that Rose knew and married. As he struggles to cope with his life in peacetime, Rose wrestles with temptation as the man she fell in love with seems lost forever. Many years later Jess returns from her final tour of Afghanistan. She is haunted by nightmares from her time at the front, her homecoming is a disaster and she wonders if her life will be the same again. Can comfort and answers come through her great-grandmother Rose’s diaries?

I was immediately captured by this novel and I actually read it in one sitting because I was so gripped by the storyline and the characters. I am a big fan of war-related novels and I think that Liz Trenow has really excelled with The Poppy Factory! I completely lost track of everything and the entire world around me because I was so immersed in and consumed by what I was reading.

For me one of the most haunting parts of the novel were the effects of war, not only on the people who went to war but the families too. War touches everybody and the effects are both devastating and life-changing, and I really felt for Alfie and for Rose as they struggled to adjust and live their life after the war. I think Liz dealt with PTSD in a very realistic way – PTSD is a very real and serious effect and Liz puts this across so well in her writing.

I enjoyed how both Rose’s story and Jess’s connected through time, I liked that there was that link and in the way that this link helped Jess feel closer to her great-grandmother, it made me feel closer to them too because I genuinely felt as though I was personally involved in their lives. Liz Trenow has done a beautiful job of weaving together two stories through time and for connecting them seamlessly so that we are left with a compelling and flowing story that is touching and heartbreaking at the same time. The Poppy Factory is a very involving and emotional book that portrays the realistic effects that war can have on everyone.

[Cheryl M-M · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can't fault the intent of the story, which is to bring attention to the plight of veterans and the psychological damage they incur during wartime.
Trenow also introduces readers to the story, beginnings and history of the Poppy Factory. Also to the origins of how exactly the poppy was picked as a symbol of remembrance. Nowadays Post-traumatic Stress Disorder is a well known and researched mental health issue. In the aftermath of First World War it was an unknown concept and sufferers were deemed cowardly, unstable and often accused of 'putting it on' to get out of further combat.
In the 21st century healthcare providers are very aware of the long term effects caused by war and combat. It is only natural for the human mind to find it difficult to cope with, understand and be at peace with the atrocities they have seen or been a part of during combat. Nightmares, flashbacks, anger issues and depression are hard enough to deal with without the lack of support which is due to but often not given to men and women who have served their countries.
I liked the way Trenow connected the experiences of Rose and Alfie. The undeniable link being the war and the personal aftermath for them both. How it brings both of them to the brink of destruction and makes their family members or loved ones give up on them.
I wasn't overly impressed by the overall feel, flow and style of the story. I thought it could have been much better.
I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.

[Nina Draganova · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019/
Достойни времена , с още по-достойни хора. Припомням си тези книги , които ми навяват тъга, не толкова заради войните, а затова докъде се докара света около нас. Четейки историята , която се развива след Първата световна война, се връщам в детството си, където живеехме задружно по подобен начин. Помагайки си един на друг.
Нямам идея дали и кога , хората отново ще искат да станат човеци.

2016/
Добър разказвач е Лиз Треноу. И двете й книги, които прочетох са разкази за войните и тяхното отражение.
В тази , паралелно са описани две истории , на внучка и дядо, участници в две войни- Първата световна и войната в Афганистан. И как по подобен начин се борят да се приспособят към живота, след ужасите които са преживяли.
Намерен дневник с всекидневните преживявания и борби за оцеляване на семейството след Първата световна война, е разковничето , което измъква от същите проблеми съвременничката му.
Малко по-монотонна е тази книга, може би защото в по-голямата си част е описание в този дневник.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Poppy Factory is a powerful tale about shell shock and how no matter which war, no matter which branch of the military, no matter what your sex, it can affect anyone. Shell shock or PTSD does not discriminate.

The story goes back and forth between a modern-day heroine who has just returned from the Afghan war and is struggling in her relationships and the day-to-day life of being a paramedic. She's overtaken with rage, drowns herself in an alcoholic haze, and can't stop the nightmares and flashbacks. Could her great-great grandmother's diary, detailing the days after WWI and her husband's own struggles with PTSD be just what Jess needs to get back on track?

I think I preferred Rose's story and character more than Jess's. I am not overly fond of the diary method though. I would def have enjoyed the book more had Rose's story been a story (like Jess's) and not a diary. I still became completely immersed in it though. What I really liked the most about Rose's tale is how we see England right after WWI, the rationing, the emergence of the flapper era, the two-minute silence, the tomb of the unknown soldier, the spiritualists taking advantage of grieving women, discrimination against pregnant women in the work field, the origins and purpose of the poppy factor... Rose's tale, despite the diary telling of it, is so emotional. Rose herself is also just amazing, as she carries her husband and herself through bad times, gets work as a machinist, and unlike the love interest of the modern story, stands by her husband in bad times as well as good.

Meanwhile, Jess's tale is self-pity and not much else. She has a flashback, cries, drinks, worries about her boyfriend, repeat. I'm not saying what she is feeling/going through isn't important--it is. But the historical story has so much more going on than just the issue of shell shock. It not only contains everything I mentioned above, but also a side drama involving a criminal/black marketeer. The modern story is strictly Jess's trauma. And her beau...honestly...if he can't stand with you during the bad times, then he's not worth keeping around for the good. "Go straighten yourself out first..." Whatever, dude. Jess's pining for him didn't win points with me. At the first sign of trouble, he dumped her. I say move on, girl.

Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2014/...

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was to be expected that 2014 would be the year of World War I novels. I've read and reviewed some excellent books set in this era already this year. Each one of them has been very different, looking at different aspects of the Great War and The Poppy Factory can take it's place alongside these - it's a fascinating, interesting and very well-written story, and had me gripped from the first paragraph.

The Poppy Factory is a dual-time story and opens with Jess, a newly qualified paramedic who completes a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Jess faced the full horror of serving on the front line, dealing with horrific injuries and death on an almost daily basis. Whilst in Afghanistan, Jess coped well, but on her return to civilian life she struggles to adapt and is haunted by flash backs. Jess finds solace in alcohol and alienates those that love her the most. Unable to carry on in the job that she's dreamt of doing for all of her life and wondering if she will ever return to the normal, loving girl that she was before, Jess discovers her great-grandmother Rose's diaries. Written during the Great War of 1914-1918, Rose opens her heart and bares her soul through the diaries.

The Poppy Factory is a wonderful story of life during World War I, especially for the women left behind when their men went off to fight. These women became the breadwinners, they mourned the deaths of so many of their loved ones, they adapted to a life of rationing and making do and bringing up their children alone.

Liz Trenow writes with flair and passion, she has recreated the life of a soldier's wife so well, creating a wholly believable character in Rose.

Despite the advances in technology, travel and the passing of a hundred years, the parallels between these two eras are clear. The fragility of the human brain and body will always remain the same, and the horrors of disability caused by war are still as relevant today. Liz Trenow examines the effect of Post Traumatic Street Disorder on ordinary soldiers and their loved ones, and highlights how modern society has become somewhat more accepting of this debilitating condition.

The Poppy Factory really is a fabulous read. Rose's story is told in diary form which works so well and avoids any 'padding' out - it's straight to the point, and honest. Jess is a more complex character who I was rooting for throughout the book.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liz Trenow uses dual narratives to explore the themes of loss, love, war and post traumatic stress disorder in The Poppy Factory, a moving story of two women's experiences of war.

Jess has just returned to London after spending six months as an army medic in Afghanistan. Haunted by both her experiences overseas and the events that drove her to volunteer her services, she is finding it difficult to readjust to civilian life but refuses to acknowledge it. Suffering from flashbacks, drinking too much and lashing out, Jess's behaviour drives away her boyfriend and alienates her friends. It is not until her mother passes on a diary kept by Jess's great grandmother in the aftermath of World War 1 that Jess begins to find the perspective she so badly needs.

A young war bride, Rose is happy to welcome home though her childhood sweetheart, despite his having lost a leg. Alfie however is changed by his wartime experiences and struggles on his return not only with his disability and PTSD but also the depressed economic environment. Rose's written fears, frustrations and fortitude allows Jess to slowly recognise the similarities between Alfie's behaviour and her own and a twist of fate unites Jess with the same organisation, The Poppy Factory, that Rose credits with saving her great grandfather.

The Poppy Factory is written with compassion and insight. It offers a moving exploration of PTSD and I liked the way in which Trenow drew parallels between the generational experiences. I thought perhaps the historical thread was stronger than Jess's modern day narrative but the two stories are woven together seamlessly and present a cohesive narrative.

The Poppy Factory is a real organisation established over 90 years ago to help disabled ex-military men and women find meaningful, rewarding and sustainable employment. You can support the Poppy Factory by visiting www.poppyfactory.org

[Ali Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has taken me a week to read this and very apt that I finished it tonight at almost 11pm on 11.11. I found it to be extremely well written and informative. The tale and comparison between Rose, Alfie and Jess's lives was very believable. It is a very moving and poignant story. For me personally as a sufferer of PTSD since 2001 I understood and could relate to the sufferings. When I was first diagnosed my reaction was 'but I haven't been to war!' It is widely recognised now for all matter of traumatic situations but it can be hard to diagnose - took 3 times for mine to be recognised. Yet you can feel guilty for having it too especially when you see the sufferings of all those brave souls who fought for our country and the horrors of war they experienced. It was a really lovely book although sad in parts as to be expected but Liz Trenow wrote beautifully and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We Shall Remember..Lest We Forget. I wear my poppy with pride and the line that got to me was on Page 370 about how important it is for us all to go on living the best and fullest lives possible for those who didnt survive. That made me cry. A lovely book.

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Enjoyed the chapters from the great grandmother’s diary more than the ones from the present.

[Westminster Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy historical novels and stories that combine history with the present. That being said this wasn't my favorite. The author certainly did research on WWI. Using some of the research is important to historical fiction. In this case it felt like she added everything she had learned and I find that really distracting. I've kept diaries and I've never felt the need to include everything happening in my country and every new invention. There was good perspective on war and PTSD.

Find All the Things We Lost at Westminster Public Library today!

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this. It wasn't horrible just kind of slow. Like most people I enjoyed Rose's story more than Jess's. It was a quick read so I'll give it that. I would try another book by this author though.

[TracyGH · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Great Aunt had sent this book to me and I thought it was an appropriate read for the Remembrance Day weekend. Great in history yet relevant for anyone suffering from PTSD.

[HM Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book with real insight to how the Poppy making started in Britain.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally hooked on this.

My knowledge of World War One is limited - I absolutely adored the way the story jumped from Jess, a traumatised army medic back from a tour of Afghanistan and her great grandmother Rose, who lived with the effects of PTSD through her wounded soldier husband. This book taught me a lot and I was touched by how honest and enlightening it was. A absolutely brilliant read. My only gripe? The ending was WAY too abrupt - but I refuse to down-rate for that small fact.

[Gill's likes reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was somehow expecting to read a run of the mill WWI novel but was absolutely blown away by this book so much so that I could not put it down.

I like how Trenow binds the experience of a young women serving in Afghanistan as a medic, with world war one soldiers. She shows Jess as feeling so capable, so able and defiantly okay after her own experience of being fired on in the field whilst helping the wounded and refuses to acknowledge that she is falling apart with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The diaries written by Jess’s great-grandmother tells a parallel story of how PTST or shell shock as it was called then affected the lives of people after WWI.

This story is as much about how war affects communities as it is about individuals and you realise that nothing has really changed in the 100 years that have gone by, the technology of war may have changed but the affects remain the same.

There are many powerful bits to this book that have been written so sensitively the image simply stayed in my mind as I read on. The first is the sense of absolute fear and trauma for this medic is described such:

‘They were completely pinned down with their faces in the dust, unable to make any movement or noise for fear of attracting Taliban fire. …….Then she realised she was hyperventilating, and knew that she had to concentrate on something to stop herself panicking and passing out.
And then…oh God, then…she’d lifted her eyes and seen the poppy….a late bloom, a single stem topped by a single red flower…..When the firing had stopped she reopened her eyes and looked for the poppy.
It had gone.’

As Jess’s sinks into an alcoholic escape and her life falls apart, she fights the intonation that she cannot deal the nightmares and flashbacks alone.

To give a parallel of Alfie who returns from the front having lost a leg suffering the same trauma is seamless. I love the way the Rose focuses no only on herself but on a whole community in the diaries, in the same way that Trenow describes the effects on all those close to and around Jess.

There is a lot of domestic history in the descriptions from the diaries, especially the roles of women once the men returned from the war from factories to being at home and being dependent on another. Trenow allows the reader to step back in time into the lives of ordinary people, women having worked in factories, communities helping each other. Then the grieving for all the sons and fathers who never returned, but the joy of those who did and how that affected the community as a whole.

Looking beyond the regular daily visits to the pub and drink to forget, you get a sense of helplessness of not be able to leave the horrors of war behind and you begin a sense of understanding how PTSD affects individuals.

When Rose and her mother go to the new Cenotaph for Remembrance Day, reading it brought me to tears as it is written so movingly:

‘ The silence was like being in the countryside at the dead of night, or down a deep tunnel lined with velvet. You could almost touch it. ….A blackbird started up in a tree and my thoughts turned to my brothers…’

This book is an education about who started the Poppy Factory and why, as it was an integral part of the the novel both then and now. A lifeline with dignity. There is so much in this book that is still turning over in my mind, not questions but the simple truth of it.

If there is one book you should read this year it is this one.

**Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book via NetGalley for my honest review**

[Stevie Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Previously reviewed on The Good, The Bad and The Unread:

Having read and reviewed Liz Trenow’s previous novel that covered much of the twentieth century (and a little of the twenty-first), I was very keen to see what she would make of an actual war story that covered the same period. As it turns out, the author exceeded my expectations with this one.

Jess is a paramedic, who joined the army to honour the memory of a childhood friend, after he died in combat. She vows to serve one tour on the frontline and save at least one life to balance out her friend’s death, but returning to civilian life after Afghanistan isn’t as easy as she anticipates. Plagued by flashbacks, alienated from her boyfriend, a teacher who can’t understand why Jess has come back so changed, and drinking far too much to block out her problems, Jess quits her job with the ambulance service. With nowhere else to go, she returns to her parents’ home to work out what to do next. While there, she finds a series of journals written by her great-grandmother, Rose, who married a soldier – her childhood sweetheart – during the First World War.

Just like Jess, Rose’s husband Alfie finds returning to civilian life difficult, particularly after losing a leg in an explosion that occurred weeks after the Armistice. Rose also finds the transition to peacetime tricky – after working in a munitions factory and earning a good wage, she has to give up that job when the bombs are no longer needed – and she has to fight against expectations in order to support her husband financially as well as emotionally while he struggles to find work due to his disability and the mental scars he carries after witnessing the death of one of his friends at very close hand.

Help comes to Alfie and Rose in the form of Major George Howson MC, who takes over the factory premises vacated by the company Rose works for after a company expansion, and uses the building to set up a charity finding work for disabled former soldiers – the Poppy Factory. Rose befriends one of the workforce, as the two groups share canteen facilities, and is persuaded that Alfie – out of work once again – might also be able to find a job there. However, Alfie is still suffering from the effects of his injuries – physically and mentally – while denying that he has any problems at all.

Reading Rose’s diaries, Jess slowly realises that her issues are just as real as Alfie’s and that she needs to seek help just as Alfie eventually does. Alfie, after initially refusing to believe that he was disabled enough to work in the Poppy Factory, is eventually helped by them, while Jess finds support from the expanded organisation of the modern day Poppy Factory, which now provides careers and psychological counselling as well as jobs for disabled service personnel.

This book is well worth reading for anyone with even a passing interest in the First World War, modern-day conflicts, or both. It’s heartrending at times and is most definitely in the historical fiction rather than historical romance category, but I’ll be rereading it a time or two as well as finding out more about the work of the Poppy Factory and how people can help support it and similar organisations.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was offered an ecopy of this book by Olivia Wilson at Lightbrigade www.lightbrigadePR.co.uk in exchange for an honest review which I'm more than happy to give. The timing for reading this novel was perfect. I've just produced Oh What a Lovely War for our local am-dram group, was gifted a #towerpoppy and went to see the installation at the Tower of London - all to commemorate the centenary of WW1.

Where to begin? Liz has clearly done her research well. The Poppy Factory was an all consuming read for me, it felt more like I was reading about real people than fictional characters the characters and story were so life like. The story centres around two very different women, one whose husband served in WW1 and one who served in Afghanistan herself. Both affected by the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's all too easy to focus on the person who was in the frontline but in actual fact those family members left at home to worry and fret, then pick up the pieces when the soldiers return, suffer equal yet different way.

I loved the way Liz wove the two stories together, from the past and the present connecting the characters and their stories. I particularly loved Rose's story told in diary form - this added to the realism for me and the fact that it was Jess reading Rose her great grandmothers diaries gave the novel an added edge for me. The diaries showing Jess the other side of the coin, allowing an insight into what it is like for families, coping with the traumas their loved ones who've served in 'wars' have suffered. I could very well have been reading real diary entries. It is hard though, to belief that 100 years on we have different wars, yet the problems and suffering are really no different. Wives, mothers and families disconnected for so long - not really having a true understanding of the trauma's and issues their loved ones have faced, yet still expected to pick up the pieces when they come home with understanding and compassion.

The Poppy Factory was an emotional read and seemed very realistic, not over-glamourised in any way and very sensitively written. At the end of the day war is war, time has only altered the level of communication, media and knowledge we all have and Liz has tackled an illness that is more readily accepted now than it was 100 years ago. In this centenary year I feel through reading and media such as Liz's book I personally have learnt things about 'War' that I didn't know before and feel humbled when I think about the suffering our soldiers have gone and do go through for each and every one of us.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, you like me may well shed a tear but will turn the final page with a greater understanding of the significance of 'the Poppy'. I always buy and wear a poppy but this year it will be with a greater understanding and empathy for those that have served us.

[Megan (thebookishtwins) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this free from the publisher via NetGalley

DNF - 53%

Release date - August 28th

Jess has returned from her tour in Afghanistan. She comes home and is haunted by the memories of war, and is struggling to fit back into society. She is bad tempered, she drinks a lot and she is plagued by nightmares. She finds her great grandmothers, Rose, diaries. In these diaries she finds a woman who is struggling to cope with her traumatized husband.

I am in no way suggesting that The Poppy Factory is a bad book. It just failed to capture my attention, and I felt like I had to force my way through to the middle. I was not getting any enjoyment in reading it, so I didn't want to force myself to finish.

The characters were ok, yet I felt no connection to them, and some of the characters themselves felt a bit flat. Jess' relationships with the people around her just held no chemistry and I didn't really get any sort of feel for the characters. Rose's story was better, yet it still failed to grab my attention for a long period of time.

I may come back to this sometime in the future, but at the moment I am putting this down.

This is just a personal opinion, there are some great reviews of this book on Goodreads, it's just didn't work for me.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jess, an army medic, has returned from her final tour of duty in Afghanistan. She cannot wait to see her long term boyfriend and settle down to a normal life away from the horrors of war that she has experience. However, it is not that easy. Haunted by nightmares caused by her horrific experiences on the front line, the joy of coming home quickly evaporates. While recuperating at home, she is given her Great-Grandmother’s diaries who herself experienced the horrors of war - the First World War. Can Rose’s diaries help Jess see that things will get better?

Many years earlier at the end of World War One, Rose starts a diary. She cannot wait for her husband Alfie to come home from the front and properly starting married life together. However, it isn’t the wedded bliss that Rose imagined as Alfie is plagued by nightmares, mood swings and develops a taste for alcohol. Will Alfie and Rose ever be able to realise the wedded bliss they had imaged?

A truly moving book that kept me hooked from beginning to end.

[Dawn Lockey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. Liz Trenow was brilliant again in her thought provoking and intriguing tale of a snap shot of live post WW1 and how similar it is for those veterans returning from our modern day wars. The time changes but the struggles following war remain the same. Highly recommend this book.

[Nicole Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well what can I say this book had me gripped. The way the author can write and express so much emotion is beyond me. This is a book that you need a pack of tissues for.

Will definitely read again and will be looking for more books.

[Gaele · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the title I was thinking this would highlight the ultimate futility of war – the losses of innocence, lives, hope, humanity and even historic treasures, but the title went deeper here – it was a loss of purpose and, in some ways, connection to one’s humanity and purpose that is highlighted. Jess is a Suffolk girl, born and bred, but with the loss of her first crush, and her brother’s best friend in Iraq, she’d dedicated herself to making a difference in lives – so that none would ever die because of uncontrolled bleeding. She did all the schooling and work, and signed on as an army medic – heading for a single tour in Afghanistan. She returns in 2004 to civilian life, with all of the hallmarks of PTSD: nightmares, flash-trigger temper, flashbacks, hopelessness, self-medicating with alcohol – you name it, she’s in it. And when things spectacularly collapse she returns home, determined to find a new path in life.

World War I, journals from Jess’ great grandmother have been handed to her by her mother. At armistice day in 1980, Rose had two young children, was working in a munitions factory, had lost both brothers to the war and was awaiting the return of her husband Alfie, from the front. From the introduction of the journals, the story becomes told in two voices as Alfie and Jess are, not surprisingly, similar in their ‘before’ and ‘after’ behaviors from their time in combat.

Trenow managed to create a compelling character in Rose as she outlines her life and the changes thereto – before and after the war, and her wonder about what all Alfie had seen, how she could help – you name it. While not officially diagnosed at that time, Alfie’s PTSD was all the more tragic for the lack of understanding and public knowledge of the aftereffects, and just how much of the person who went had lost. Unfortunately, for the most part I found Jess to be brittle and quite stubborn in her refusal to acknowledge any of the help or people who are trying to get her help. It’s common – perhaps far too, and this book could serve as a push for help for the vets who so desperately need it. But, the story also had hopeful moments and chances, and the sight of a rainbow at the end of a very difficult path. I’m not sure that the recognition or realization of the futility and losses that are brought on by warfare will ever become a foremost thought in those who seek to send others into battle, but perhaps what is needed is more titles that show the struggles, challenges and life after.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ужасно много ми хареса образът на прабаба Роуз - тази борбена, жизнена, енергична и отстояваща правото и правотата си жена. Духът й е наистина несломим - не са много жените, които не само ще намерят начин да се оправят със съпруг, страдащ от сериозни психологически проблеми след войната, но и въобще ще се борят така упорито да запазят семейството си. Особено пък когато си само на малко повече от 20 г.

Образът на съвременната героиня обаче ме изкарваше от кожата ми от тъпота - имам органична непоносимост към хора, които си решават проблемите с алкохол, каквото и да се е случило. В контекста на книгата тя е наистина добро отражение на образа на прадядо си, но през цялото време разказите за нейните изстъпления ми бяха толкова painful (във всичките му значения), че много трудно понасях да чета за нея. Не ми беше симпатична въобще и не ме интересуваше особено какво е й се случи, нито пък имам добро усещане, че се е справила с нещата - финалът е отворен и моята интерпретация не е добра. Някак не ме развълнуваха нито мотивите й да отиде на мисия, нито нещо друго освен мака в полето.

Накрая книгата така ужасно натвърдваше "правилното", че ми загорча и тотално ми опротивя усещането - тоталното набиване на канчето и за морала (само аз ли останах разочарована, че Роуз не получи малко повече радост от живота покрай Уилям...) довърши нещата. Така че 2 звезди като цяло за книгата, но 4 за историята с Роуз и за символа на мака и за разчувстващите описания на мемориала и службите в почит на загиналите във войната.