Haar naam is Poppy Day

No Greater Love #1

by Amanda Prowse, Hanneke van Soest (Translator)

Poppy Day, kapster van beroep, is getrouwd met haar jeugdliefde en is heel gelukkig. Maar haar man Mart wordt opgeroepen om in Afghanistan te vechten en voor Poppy blijft er niets over dan de dagen af te tellen tot zijn thuiskomst.
Dan krijgt ze het bericht dat Mart is gegijzeld en lijkt niemand iets te doen. Ze besluit zelf haar man te gaan zoeken maar als snel staat ze voor een enorm dilemma; welke prijs kan en wil je betalen om je geliefde veilig terug te krijgen?

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Roman, Audiobook, Contemporary, Amazon, Historical

400 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2011

About the author

Previous Book: 'Swimming to Lundy', published th August 2024'.

Latest Book: 'This One Life', published 7th January 2025.

Next Book: 'Ever After' published 7th August 2025.

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose thirty-two novels, two non-fiction titles and ten novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart topping No.1 titles 'What Have I Done?', 'Perfect Daughter', 'My Husband's Wife', 'The Girl in the Corner' and ‘The Things I Know’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda has appeared on numerous shows where her views on family and social issues strike a chord with viewers. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national and independent Radio stations including LBC, Times Radio and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles, 'Perfect Daughter' in 2016 and 'The Boy Between' in 2022.

Amanda is a huge supporter of libraries and having become a proud ambassador for The Reading Agency, works tirelessly to promote reading, especially in disadvantaged areas. Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

Praise for Amanda Prowse:

'A powerful and emotional work of fiction' - Piers Morgan

'Deeply moving and emotional, Amanda Prowse handles her explosive subjects with delicate skill' - Daily Mail

'Uplifting and positive, but you will still need a box of tissues' - Hello!

'A gut-wrenching and absolutely brilliant read' - The Irish Sun

'You'll fall in love with this...' - Cosmopolitan

'Deeply moving and eye opening. Powerful and emotional drama that packs a real punch.' - Heat

'Magical' - Now magazine

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the story of Poppy and Martin, childhood sweethearts who have never spent a day apart until Martin joined the Britiah Army.

I have complicated feelings about this book and checking the reviews I'm not the only one.

Problem one: Poppy is a hairdresser and whenever she speaks she is basically patted on the head for being really clever for a hairdresser. Ugh, I can't deal with these kind of stereotypes.

Problem two: Poppy has tarty underwear, a tarty manager at the hairdressers and outside her flat tarts hang around at the bins. I feel the same about the word Tarts as I do Moist but that aside one word to describe three entirely different things within a few chapters irritated me.

Problem three: Foreign hands. Do foreign hands feel or look any different to British hands? Answers on a postcard please.

Problem four: The way the army is portrayed left me speechless but there are enough army wives who have left reviews for me not to comment.

I generally enjoy an Amanda Prowse book but this one didn't work for me unfortunately.

[Adele Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason this book didn't grab me.

[Fiction Addition Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Poppy Day married to her childhood sweetheart Mart. Mart has gone to fight in Afghanistan and has been taken hostage. Poppy decides to go and rescue him.
The book started off ok, but quickly went downhill. Implausible to the point of it being laughable.
Made me feel thankful for all the men and women who serve in the forces out there.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly modern love story about the sacrifices that are made to shelter the ones we love most. When young hairdresser Poppy's husband, Mart, is dispatched to Afghanistan, she is fraught with worry. Even more so when Mart is kidnapped and held hostage by organised terrorists. Poppy has to figure out a way to save her husband, her rock, her best friend.

I enjoyed most elements of the story, Poppy's down to earth persona, for one. I liked the fact she never apologised for who she was. Her relationship with her beloved grandmother was also heartwarming.

Other areas of the storyline were indeed far fetched; how Poppy manages to stowaway to a war zone being the main one! As I live just two miles from Brize Norton air base, it was intriguing to read a story I could picture unfolding on my very own doorstep.

The writing tone alternated between cheesy to downright forced, which was a pity. Interactions between some of the characters didn't seem believable at times.

However, I enjoyed this book and would recommend to fans of chick lit with an unexpected twist. The author holds the appropriate amount of humour, action and heartbreak all in one novel.

[Yv · Rating 2 out of 5]

Echt, ik had zo'n zin in dit boek! Het gaat over Poppy Day, een jonge kapster die getrouwd is met haar jeugdliefde Mart. Helaas staan de zaakjes er financieel niet al te goed voor en hierdoor besluit Mart zich aan te melden bij het Britse leger. Hij wordt na zijn training gestationeerd in Afghanistan en tijdens een patrouille wordt hij gegijzeld door de ZMO. Poppy vindt dat het leger te weinig onderneemt om Mart terug te krijgen en neemt op een dag een besluit... So far, so good!!

Helaas was de manier van schrijven echt niet aan mij besteed. Volgens mij had Poppy over moeten komen als een pittig en mondig tantetje, maar voor mij was ze een stug, koppig mormel die niet wist wanneer ze haar mond moest houden. Ik ben zelf ook nogal een flapuit, maar kom op, in dit boek gingen dingen echt te ver. Ik heb meerdere malen hardop zitten kuchen, met mijn ogen zitten rollen en zelfs meer dan eens gedacht het boek aan de kant te leggen.

Ook zaten er regelmatig tegenstrijdigheden in waar ik erg chagrijnig van werd. En de geloofwaardigheid was ook bij lange na niet wat het had moeten zijn. Begrijp me niet verkeerd hoor, Harry Potter is natuurlijk ook allesbehalve geloofwaardig en dat vind ik geweldig! Maar in zo'n serieus en actueel onderwerp als Haar Naam is Poppy Day verwacht ik wel een bepaald realisme. En dat is maar op zekere hoogte gehaald en voor mij dus niet genoeg.

Wat ik wel goed vond aan dit boek is dat je wisselt tussen de gedachtegangen van Mart en Poppy, waardoor je een betere kijk op het geheel krijgt. En dat is heel fijn. Tegenstrijdig hieraan is dat hun gedachten en herinneringen letterlijk van heden naar verleden en toekomst vliegen, waardoor het vaak heel rommelig en warrig is.

Het idee vond ik echt héél tof, de uitwerking heeft me nauwelijks geraakt. Helaas. Te afstandelijk, te warrig, teveel losse eindjes en het einde is afgeraffeld. 2,5*.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh I wanted to love this, I really did. As a military wife myself, I was so pleased to see that all profits were going to the RBL and decided to read it over the Remembrance period as it seemed apt.

Maybe I shouldn't have read it. I found it really hard to suspend my disbelief thoughout the whole second third of the book. At points, I was even cursing in exasperation. It's fiction, I hear you cry - and yes it is but it drove me mad. It doesn't paint the British Armed Forces in a particularly brilliant light (in my opinion) and I find it strange that this is written by a soldiers wife.

Anyway, onto the good - I loved the relationship between Poppy and her Nan, and that balances out some of the bad. Nan has dememtia, and lives in a home that Poppy calls "The Unpopulars". The scenes between them were very well written and the love and affection that they have for each other really came through. Luckily, the human interest aspect of the story bookends the bit that I hated with a passion.

I want to say so much more, but it would give way too much away!

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars - Dutch paperback

Quote : Poppy looked again to confirm that there were two of them; thus reinforcing what she thought she already knew. It is a well-known code; a letter for good news, telephone call for minor incident, a visit from one soldier for quite bad, two for the very worst.

She noted the shapes that stood the other side of her door. One was a regular soldier, identifiable by his hat; the other was a bloke of rank, an officer. She didn't recognise either of their outlines, strangers. She knew what they were going to say before they spoke, before one single word had been uttered; their stance was awkward and unnatural.

Oh my, this book had me locked in within a few pages. A totally gripping story line.

Even though Poppy’s journey is filled with plot conveniences, it was a fun read. I am excited to read Will you remember me? The continuation of Poppy Day’s story.

I love Poppy and Martin and they truly have an amazing love story.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy Day is married to Mart, her childhood sweetheart, and he makes her the happiest woman in the world. She may not live in a huge house, or live a life of luxury, but she has Mart and he completes her life. Mart however, is in the Army and with the Army comes war abroad. With Mart away, Poppy does her best to distract herself and keep her mind occupied whilst her brave husband is away fighting. But one day comes the scene that many Forces wives and girlfriends dread…the knock at the door. Mart has been taken hostage in Afghanistan, and this turns Poppy’s life upside down. Determined to find her husband and bring him back home, Poppy sets off to save the man she loves…

I absolutely loved Poppy Day. I sat down on a morning to start it and I was so absorbed in what I was reading that I had finished it by the evening. I stopped mid-afternoon to make the dinner, and even then I was chatting away about the characters as though I knew them personally. I’ll be honest, I was completely blown away by the story, so much so that I finished this book a few days ago and I am still thinking about the scenes and the characters. This is truly a novel that will stay with me.

Even though this is a story of fiction, the emotions and feelings in the story are very real. Amanda has given us a real insight into the life of a military wife. Often we hear of soldiers going away and fighting for us, but what we don’t hear about so much is the women behind these men, the women who are left behind at home to carry on with their lives whilst their loved one is away. These women have to be strong not only for their husband, but for the other relatives who are left behind, whether it is their children, or their husband’s family. The women have to be brave, courageous and strong, they have to put a smile on their face for their children or mothers when in fact they are battling with anxiety and fear every moment worrying about their husband. They have to hold everything together at home, and I honestly have so much admiration for these women everywhere. Amanda really helps us to understand what it is like for these women, the realities of being in this life, the daily struggles and worries. In Poppy’s case, I was able to read about all her thoughts and feelings – I felt her fear reflected in my own emotions…my heart was pounding for Poppy and I felt a connection with her as I willed her on to find the strength to find her husband.

The characters were fantastically written. Amanda Prowse has really excelled with her characters – one of the things which I think makes them so brilliant is that they are ‘ordinary’ people. Poppy’s situation of being left at home is the same as many military wives throughout the country, Poppy is a normal, everyday military wife providing support and love to her husband, and trying to be strong whilst he is away. This scene is so similar to many women out there, which makes Poppy so relateable, and therefore many readers can relate to her as a woman, as a wife, and as a friend. Personally, I warmed to Poppy from the first page, I felt so much for her as the knock on the door came and she received the terrible news about Mart, I wanted to reach into the pages and give her a hug. But most of all, I desperately wanted to read on, because I had to know what Poppy would do next and I was cheering her on all the way.

There are many themes in this book, but one that stood out for me was the theme of love. I really enjoyed the way Amanda had written about Mart and Poppy’s relationship. I’m a strong believer in true love and I could tell from the pages that Poppy and Mart were made for each other. Their bond was beautiful, I loved how they were best friends as well as husband and wife, and it touched me, made me smile, and even brought a few tears to my eyes too. In particular, I enjoyed reading about how devoted Poppy was to Mart, she loved him unconditionally, loved him no matter what, and Poppy would have gone to the end of the earth for her husband.

I genuinely can not describe how amazing this book is. I laughed, I wept, I went on a true roller-coaster of emotions whilst reading this and I just could not put the book down. I formed a connection with the characters and it felt as though Poppy and Mart could be my next door neighbours. The book is vivid and I could picture every scene in my mind, I honestly felt as though I was with Poppy every step of the way.

Poppy Day is a truly powerful book. I can not remember the last time I was moved as much by a book, it went straight to my heart and I was drawn in from the beginning. This is an impressive and engaging novel that will have you gripped from the first pages, and I strongly urge anyone reading this to buy it. Poppy Day is thought-provoking, emotional and explores war, courage, the life of an Army family, and one of the themes that stood out significantly to me – the true power and strength of love.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed, but I have to say being an Army wife myself there were far too many parts that I just found I could suspend my belief and knowledge far enough to read it without getting annoyed.

I did like the relationships between the characters, whether it be Poppy & Nan, or the relationship between Poppy and the "Army" but I guess it was a case of too much real life knowledge spoiling a story.

[Vivienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

as always a well written book by Amanda she gets to the heart of peoples feelings

[Kelly Spillane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy Day is an ordinary twenty two year old. She is a hairdresser and lives in the flat she grew up in with her childhood sweetheart, Mart, who she married three ago. Then one day Mart decides that in order to give Poppy the life she deserves, he's going to join the army. Poppy is less than pleased with his decision and as his date for leaving for Afghanistan looms, she finds it hard to cope.

A knock on her door soon sends her life into a downward spiral, as she is told that Martin has been taken hostage while on tour in Afghanistan. Despite the army's best efforts, he is unable to be rescued. Poppy feels that nothing is been done to rescue her husband, and soon decides to take matters into her own hands. She decides to go to Afghanistan and bring her husband home.

This book is a rollercoaster of emotion. I cried, I laughed and smiled my way through this book. In the three novels by Amanda Prowse that I have previously read, I found that I connected with the characters on a great level and this book was no different. I felt like Poppy was my best friend from the very first page and I found that at times during the book, I was holding my breath for her, wishing that everything will be alright!

I thought that Poppy was a very strong main character. She's twenty two, which is the same age as me, and I have no idea what I would do if I was faced with her situation, but I know without doubt that I would not be a srtrong as she is.

I have no experience of what life on the army is like, or what it is like to be an army wife, but I don't think that it's necessary to enjoy this book. I thought that it gave a good example of what it's like to be in the army,as well as being the persono left behind.

This book is one of the most beautifully written pieces of writing that I have ever encountered. It has just the right level of emotion and I definetly needed the tissues on hand at certain points throughout the book.

Even though this is Amanda's first novel, I would recommend that you read Clover's Child first. In Clover's Child, you meet Dot Simpson when she was eighteen and hear about her life. Dot is also in Poppy Day, but as Poppy's grandmother,Dorethea, so I recommend reading her story first. Dorethea being in this book, was a highlight for me. I feel in love with her while reading Clover's Child and it was lovely to be able to follow her story into Poppy Day.

Amanda should be applauded for her ablily to describ what happened in this book. It had me in tear on more than one occasion. At times it got very heavy, but this was absolutely necessary for this story. This is not my usual type of book, but I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down, as there was always something happening that made me want to read just a little bit more. Poppy is one of best main characters I've come across and she really made this book special. This book deserves nothing less than 5/5 stars.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing after a brilliant start...

When I first saw this book, my preconceived impression from the title and cover, was that this would be a good chick lit’ read and a worthy buy as all proceeds go to ‘The British Legion’. I didn't have expectation of it being a challenging read.

Within the first couple of chapters I changed my mind. The writing I thought superb and apart from the fairy tale name of the heroine, Poppy Day, it made good and compulsive reading. I would have even gone so far as to say that this book was not necessarily a ‘ladies read’, but something with a strong message well put over, pulling no punches.

Unfortunately this didn’t last. As soon as dialogue between two or more people was introduced the writing, in my opinion, went a-wall. The way that the name of the person being spoken to was repeated endlessly in each para of conversation was irritating to say the least. It lost conviction for me. That, together with the story loosing it’s plausibility disappointed me, especially after the favourable start.

It all becomes too far fetched and the fantasy name of Poppy Day begins to fit with the way the story unfolds. Poppy Day gets herself to Afghanistan, managing to get through security at ‘Brize Norton’, without a passport or any other valid ID, by crying (?!) The story then becomes totally ridiculous and beggars belief. Apart from the chapters describing her husbands capture and treatment, which I thought well written.

It also leaves you with a very bad impression of the British army, perhaps this was Amanda Prowse intention?

However, after all that I have said, throughout the book there are moments of beautiful writing, and humour, especially the moments of dialogue between Poppy and her nan, which are warm and funny and perceptively written. It is a ‘page turner’, albeit not a piece of outstanding literature!

If the writing had began in the same way as it continued, my expectations would not have been so high. But I do worry about the way the British Army is portrayed.

[Karen Barber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poppy Day is a spirited young woman, fairly naive and yet determined to do the right thing by those she loves. She loves her nan who is suffering with dementia, and she loves her husband Martin who has just been posted to Afghanistan.
While Poppy is going about her daily life, her husband is sent on a mission that goes horribly wrong. The group he is with is ambushed, he has to watch one of his friends have his throat cut and he is then taken hostage.
Told from both Poppy’s and Martin’s view, this is one of those stories that may have sounded like a good idea to show the love this couple have for each other, but it was so implausible on so many levels that I really only kept reading to see just how daft it would get.
It got very daft. At times I felt kind of insulted that we were expected to believe this was remotely feasible. Nobody came out of it particularly well, and it all felt rather pointless.

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cruising around the Canaries over the past couple of weeks, it was an ideal time to read a few books by one of my favourite authors, Amanda Prowse.

This was yet another excellent novel that i could not put down until i turned the last page. Admittedly it did seem a little far fetched in parts, but this did not spoil the story for me at all. Loved the character Poppy. I am not going to write what the story is about for fear of spoiling for others, but i do highly recommend.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting twist - although I enjoyed the love story (albeit cliched) the ‘far-fetched from China’ retrieval part frustrated me - totally unrealistic (Brize Norton being an old base of mine) would never allow the security lapses …) however it was a nice novel. With an (almost) Happy End. Not her best!

[Svetlana Dorokhova · Rating 5 out of 5]

О хороших книгах всегда почему-то сложно писать, особенно таких эмоциональных. Кажется, что все слова не те. Поэтому я лишь скажу, что это история о том, что в нашем жестоком и ужасном мире еще есть место настоящей любви.

[Hannah Manser · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this down - heartbreaking story and truly touching reading as each character grows. Watch out for the shock twist at the end!

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and was instantly immersed in Poppy and Mart’s lives . Was worried about how Amanda would end the story and did NOT anticipate the shocker towards the end . Definitely recommend .

[Marissa Sprenkels · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this as the reviews I have read were great. I was disappointed. I skipped paragraphs then pages. It was a slow book and a bit boring. It took a while to even get into the book.

[DubaiReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

An author with a shrewd eye.

It's difficult to rate this book because I loved the author's style but couldn't really go with the adventure side of the novel. Somehow, what Poppy achieved just didn't seem possible.

Poppy Day's husband, Mart, has signed up for the army, he wants to prove to his wife that he's able to provide for her, to be a real man. But when he's posted to Afghanistan, she's devastated. They've been together since junior school and she can't imagine how she will survive without him.
The author is, herself, the wife of a serviceman and writes with feeling about the trauma of being the one left behind; the fear of the knock on the door. She also writes beautifully about the relationship between Poppy and her aging grandmother, Dorothea,who is gradually becoming more vacant.

Five stars for the characterisations and wry observations, two for the adventure that Poppy embarks on. Amanda Prowse is a brilliant writer who I shall follow with enthusiasm. I already have her second novel lined up to read on my Kindle, hopefully, this time she has concentrated on the area in which she excells.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a love story (which ordinarily, I wouldn't read), however having borrowed the book from my on-line library was I unaware of this. I did really enjoy the book and liked the way the author drew the characters. The story was wrapped around the love of the main characters for each other and what they were prepared to do for that love. The couple concerned were from a very ordinary background but had the most extraordinary love for each other which knew no bounds.

The story itself was far from ordinary and became so when an extrordinary event happened to turn their lives upside down. As I have previously stated had I known it was a love story, I probaby wouldn't have picked it but I'm glad that I did. This is the first book I have read by Amanda Prowse and I would be open to reading more of her books. I quite like books were although the theme would not be to my liking, surpise me because they are written from a very different angle.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I would've liked to have given four stars, but there were parts to this novel that, even though it is fiction, I still found too far fetched, which let it down.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit behind the times, but I’ve just finished Poppy Days by the amazing Amanda Prowse. Poppy’s husband Martin joins the army under the mistaken impression that he will learn a trade, and be able to provide a nice new home for Poppy with his earnings. Poppy is horrified, and their worst nightmares come true when Martin is taken captive in Afghanistan. The army don’t seem to be doing much so Poppy decides to take matters into her own hands. A fabulous, if a little unlikely, story. Highly recommended.

[Karen Swain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Poppy Day - the person and the book. She has grit, determination and a stubborness that I covet!

The book, certainly the second half, is more fantasy than anything else but it is a work of fiction, nothing more. I really couldn't put it down - if I didn't have my kindle with me I was reading it on my phone - I just needed to know what happened next.

On to Amanda Prowse's second book now, methinks!!

[Lozza · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the author's writing style has improved over the years - I mistakenly read Poppy's sequel ('Will You Remember Me?') before buying this one, and found the style surprisingly awkward in places in comparison (a few details seemed to get mixed up and some of the character points were rather unrealistic and two-dimensional). Knowing it improves in later books though will at least keep me trying some of the other stories in the collection! :)

[Miss Book Eater · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fantastic to read especially that it's written from the Army wife pov. How it goes with the ones who stay behind. I was bound to the book to the end, but it took me a long time before I got it finished. Purely as my bf is on tour at the moment and some things are so real that I had to put it away.
Definitely a recommendation!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing story of a young couple that surpass everything that is thrown at them and still hold on to their truth. Highly recommend reading it, box of tissues in some parts will be required.

[Brianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just too unrealistic

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought this book was hard going but as the story progressed I found it compelling and I was unable to put it down.