Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War

by Heather Webb, Hazel Gaynor, Beatriz Williams

Top voices in historical fiction deliver an unforgettable collection of short stories set in the aftermath of World War I—featuring bestselling authors such as Hazel Gaynor, Jennifer Robson, Beatriz Williams, and Lauren Willig and edited by Heather Webb.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month...

November 11, 1918. After four long, dark years of fighting, the Great War ends at last, and the world is forever changed. For soldiers, loved ones, and survivors the years ahead stretch with new promise, even as their hearts are marked by all those who have been lost.

As families come back together, lovers reunite, and strangers take solace in each other, everyone has a story to tell.

In this moving anthology, nine authors share stories of love, strength, and renewal as hope takes root in a fall of poppies.



Jessica Brockmole

Hazel Gaynor

Evangeline Holland

Marci Jefferson

Kate Kerrigan

Jennifer Robson

Beatriz Williams

Lauren Willig

Heather Webb 

Genres: Historical Fiction, Short Stories, World War I, Fiction, Romance, Historical, Anthologies

371 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Heather Webb is the USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author of historical fiction, including Strangers in the Night, The Next Ship Home, Last Christmas in Paris, Meet Me in Monaco, Rodin's Lover, and more. In 2017, Last Christmas in Paris won the Women's Fiction Writers Association award, and in 2019, Meet Me in Monaco was shortlisted for both the RNA award in the UK and also the Digital Book World Fiction prize.

Heather's currently hard at work on a novel releasing in early 2024 called Queens of London about a true-to-life, all-female gang led by the most notorious criminal, Diamond Annie, set in grimy and glamorous 1925. Also, look for her fourth collaboration with her beloved writing partner, Hazel Gaynor, Christmas with the Queen releasing in the fall of 2024

When not writing, Heather flexes her foodie skills, geeks out on pop culture and history, or looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world.

***Heather's review policy on Goodreads is to only rate books that she enjoys. She believes there's enough negativity in the world and would rather share the positive with her reader friends. The negative she lets swirl down the drain of her bathtub.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

World War I anthology featuring some of today's most brilliant historical romance fiction writers with nine original short stories to share. If I had to pick my FAVORITE story, it would most likely be the beautiful and heartwrenching final installment of the collection, "Hush"by Hazel Gaynor.

[Jenny Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. A young Belgian patriot discovers the German patient she begrudgingly cares for isn't at all what he seems. Wartime lovers reunite decades later to discover they were kept apart by misunderstandings. A young Red Cross volunteer finds first love with a disfigured soldier only to be cruelly separated from him. A dancer struggles to survive and imagine a future in Paris after losing everyone she loved to the war. A timid airman makes a hasty promise to a stranger and finds a new reason to survive the war. A grieving widow vows revenge on the Germans who took so much from her. A disillusioned American airman finally finds a reason to leave Paris nearly two years after the war's end. A British soldier stationed in Dublin to quell the uprising falls in love with an Irish girl. And an English midwife desperately fights for the life of a newborn while her son fights for his life on a French battlefield.

This is an excellent collection of short stories by nine talented historical fiction authors. While the stories are not interconnected, they do all share a common theme, the Armistice, and these stories really capture the conflicting emotions that the end of the war brings. Of course, there is joy and celebration but also a sense of uncertainty. Is it really over? What comes next? What do we do now? What was it all for? How do we go on as before when none of us will ever be the same?

The stories are wonderfully varied, giving the reader a glimpse into different aspects of the war and life on the home front in Britain, Belgium, and France. Most of the characters in these stories are fictional, but I was introduced to two amazing women I'd not heard of before: Edith Cavell, a British nurse who helped hundreds of Allied soldiers escape German-occupied Brussels and was executed for it, and Anna Coleman Ladd, an artist who used her talents to create lifelike masks for soldiers disfigured in the war. And I was reminded that Ireland was in rebellion during the war, sending boys to fight Germany while those that stayed home fought against British rule. That's something we don't tend to hear much about when discussing the Great War, and that story, "The Photograph" by Kate Kerrigan, added another layer of depth and emotion to the collection.

All nine stories are good. There's not a weak offering among them, though some did resonate with me more than others. "All for the Love of You" by Jennifer Robson, "Something Worth Landing For" by Jessica Brockmole, and "Hush" by Hazel Gaynor stand out as my favorites. The first two mainly because I am a hopeless romantic, and the latter because it is such a haunting, beautiful, bittersweet ending to the war and the collection. Birth, death, and the circle of life; the stillness of peace sweeping across the land was palpable, coming just in time for some, and too late for others. "Not even the end of the war means the war is over. It will never be over for some of us."

All but three of these authors were new to me, and I will definitely be adding their full-length novels to my list. These stories of love and war are beautifully written, encompassing the entire range of emotions and shades of humanity, and will stay with you long after you've finished reading them.

[Pam Jenoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of all things World War I and I loved this anthology by some of my favorite writers, all set in the immediate aftermath of the war. This real and heartbreaking kaleidoscope of stories of men and women trying to reconstruct their lives provides an unforgettable picture of an imortant moment in history.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating 3.66 — so rounded up to 4 stars

My rating is obtained by giving each of the short stories their own rating and dividing by 9 (number of works included in the collection).

My overall impression: This was an easy book to read since there are natural stopping points throughout. While I’m not a huge fan of short stories I do like them when we’ll written. There were a couple in this collection I truly wish the author would have held onto and developed and entire novel around the characters. Like most collections there was a story or two that didn’t hit the mark for me. I found it a bit surprising that one of those was an author I have read and enjoyed in the past.

Individual ratings and reviews:

4**** The Daughter of Belgium by Marci Jefferson
This was the first time reading anything by Marci Jefferson. I will surely look for future full length stories from her. This was a good short but I think the limited space hurt the flow of the story a bit. It was a regular build up and then EVERYTHING happened in the last 10 pages.

5***** The Record Set Right by Lauren Willig
I really enjoyed this story. The setting and atmosphere felt spot on. As I think will happen with many of these shorts I was left wishing these characters could have had a full length book appearance. They were nuanced enough though that I was not left wondering or guessing. Also praise to the author for not falling back on the most annoying “nails biting into her palms” description. Yeah!!! I have commented in several reviews how she over uses this phrase. I was relieved to read one of her stories without it!! She’s such a great writer but for this one idiosyncrasy.

3.5 *** All for the Love of You by Jennifer Robson
I really enjoyed this story. However, there was a huge glaring error in the timeline. I hope it was only editing and not the author’s stupid mistake. It took me out of the story so much and hurt the flow that I cannot help but rate it lower than I had anticipated up to that point.

2.5** After You’ve Gone by Evangeline Holland
I was planning to give this story a higher rating while reading the first few pages. The writing was pretty good and I enjoyed the concept (people of color during WWI in Paris was very interesting and not something I’d read before). I even began to love the characters. But what happened is most likely not entirely the author’s fault. There was just not enough pages in a short story format to adequately tell the unfolding story. It was obvious that entire chunks of needed background and development probably were left out for the sake of space. There were odd things happening and it was hard to follow. Superfluous characters that mattered nothing to the story. The worst thing was a cat supposedly left in a bag all day long. Huh? It had to happen that way because these people only met one day and the guy had to end up with the cat. It was so unbelievable it made me roll my eyes.

5***** Something Worth Landing For by Jessica Brockmole
Loved this one!! It is my winner for best work in this collection. I wish these characters could have made an appearance in a full length novel. I fell in love with both the male and female lead characters. I even wanted to know more about the other pilots in the squadron. I would really have enjoyed a more detailed telling of their story. But, as only a great author could pull off I wasn’t left feeling short changed in the 30 pages I received. Excellent writing!!

2** Hour of the Bells by Heather Webb
I didn’t much care for this story. It was not my cup of tea. It had an overwhelming feeling of doom. I realize this is book of stories centered around The Great War but the other authors have found a way to tell tales and create characters that are not depressing. The writing itself was fine therefore I’ll raise my rating to two stars from the one my heart wants to award.

4.5**** An American Airman in Paris by Beatriz Williams
This was a great story. I loved it up until the ending. I’m simply not a fan of ambiguous endings. I can see how the language and sexual situations could be off-putting to a segment of the population as I’ve seen noted in other reviews. However, I think the voice and demeanor given to the American Flyboys was spot on. These were desperate and trying times. I will also note this is the only piece that is told entirely from a male point of view. I found that fact very refreshing and it solidified my already held belief that Beatriz Williams is a great author who can tackle just about any character with accuracy.

2.5** The Photograph by Kate Kerrigan
I kinda liked this story but I didn’t love it. It felt very out of place. The liberation of Ireland did not fit the Great War theme. The only true connection is the time British soldiers were stationed in Ireland to quell uprisings. If that was the only fault I “might” still like this one but alas there was very little substance to the story. I don’t want to give spoilers so I’ll suffice to say ... I dare anyone to read this and not feel the same.

4**** The Hush by Hazel Gaynor
I think this could have been a beautiful full length novel. However, I’m not sure the characters would have been strong enough to carry it. I think of all the selections this one was the most “literary”. The author attempted some symbolism and deep thinking moments. I think for the most part it was effective. I will be the first to admit I’m not a great fan of flowery literary work. I guess a short bit was tolerable if you consider my honest rating.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't really know how to review or rate a book that is a collection of short stories by different authors. So I rated each story, wrote a few notes about each one, then averaged my rating. The average came to 2.7777 so I just rounded up and settled on 3 stars.

I received this book in a First Reads Giveaway. I was not family or with any of these authors, but I plan on looking into the writings of the authors I enjoyed.

Daughter of Belgium by Marci Jefferson
2/5 stars
I enjoyed this story until the ending. It was abrupt and was not believable, which made me like the story less.

Record Set Right by Lauren Willig
3/5 stars
I really enjoyed the writing. The story jumped between the past and what would be the present in the story (1980). At times, it was confusing when the story was in present time and the narrator, Camilla, would reminisce about the past and there was no indication the story was reverting back to the present once the reminiscing was done. It would take me a few sentences to realize the time period had changed. Despite this, the story was interesting and I liked the twist at the end.

All For the Love of You by Jennifer Robson
4/5 stars
I really enjoyed this story. I liked the characters and their background. While the ending may not be completely believable, I still really enjoyed it. I liked that it touched on a subject I wasn't familiar with: mask making for soldiers whose faces had been disfigured during the war. It was really interesting.

After You're Gone by Evangeline Holland
1/5 stars
I really didn't like this. I found the story extremely boring. I didn't like the main character at all. I stopped a little over half-way through because I just couldn't get into it. I like that it touched on racism during the war, but it wasn't enough to make this story interesting for me.

Something Worth Landing For by Jessica Brockmole
5/5 stars
I loved this story. I wish it had been longer. I would have read an entire book about Wes and Victoire. I loved both of them and I loved their story. Wes seemed like such a great guy and I was worried about him the whole time. This story was great and I loved the way it ended.

Hour of the Bells by Heather Webb
3/5 stars
I enjoyed this story. It was rather depressing, but beautifully written. I felt I could feel Beatrix's pain. The ending was unrealistic though.

An American Airman in Paris by Beatriz Williams
1/5 stars
Uninteresting. I made it almost halfway through and gave up. I didn't like the way this was written and I didn't enjoy the story.


The Photograph by Kate Kerrigan
4/5 stars
I wish this story hadn't ended. I loved reading about Clive and Eileen. I wanted to hear more and I wanted to know what happened to them after. I liked seeing a story about the fighting in Ireland, with the World War raging in the background.


Hush by Hazel Gaynor
2/5 stars
I didn't care for this story. It was slow and depressing. I liked that it showed more of the depressing side of the war. However, the story didn't grab me and I kept losing interest.

[Jessica (Odd and Bookish) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through the Reading Room’s giveaways.

Like most short story collections, I liked some stories more than others.

The Daughter of Belgium: I thought this was a solid first story. It wasn’t super romantic but it got me excited for the rest of the book.

The Record Set Right: I liked this story but I was so confused at first. I had a hard time figuring out how everyone was related and what happened in the past. But once I got to the end, I understood it.

All for the Love of You: This was my favorite story. It was so romantic. Plus I learned a lot of about the masks that were made for soldiers with damaged faces.

After You’ve Gone: I didn’t love this one but I did appreciate the fact that it was the only story with people of color.

Something Worth Landing For: This was written by Jessica Brockmole who I am familiar with. I read her book Letters from Skye and loved it. This story also features letters. Overall, this was another solid story.

Hour of the Bells: This story was different because it was about love between a mother and her son. It felt a bit out of place in the collection.

An American Airman in Paris: This was written by Beatriz Williams who I am also familiar with. I read her book, The Secret Life of Violet Grant. Both that book and this story talk about sex frequently. This story by far had the most frank discussions about sex out of all the stories. I honestly didn’t like this story. I just couldn’t connect with it.

The Photograph: I really liked this one. This story focused on the British’s occupation of Ireland during WWI, which I liked because it offered a different perspective on the war.

Hush: I also really liked this one. The author (Hazel Gaynor) did an amazing job. It was so beautiful to read.

Overall, I liked how these stories showed what it was like living through WWI. It highlighted the fears that young men had when they went off to war, as well as the struggles civilians had to go through.

[Davida Chazan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the end of the first World War, I wanted to remind my readers of this book. Nine amazing historical fiction writers contributed to this beautiful collection of short stories about the end of World War I. Find out why I give this book a full five stars in my review here https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2016/08/2...

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 3.5 STARS
2016; William Morrow Paperbacks/HarperCollins
(Review Not on Blog)

Nine historical fiction writers get together and put out an anthology of love stories set in World War I. Each story is a standalone from each other and other than the theme are not connected. For me, some stories were a bit stronger than others - writing and interesting wise. While almost every author is on my TBR list, I have not yet read anything by these authors. Lauren Willig and Beatriz Williams have moved up on my list and I am looking forward to Heather Webb, Hazel Gaynor and Jennifer Robson's novels. This is a perfect collection for those who are interested in historical fiction, light on romance war tales, of women during World War I. These women write primarily historical fiction so if you are interested in the genre this is one way to see how the authors write. Fall of Poppies is also a great book to keep nearby when you only a moment to read.

***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***

[Stephanie Anze · Rating 3 out of 5]

November 11, 1918 marked the end of WWI. Known as Armistice Day, weapons were put down signaling the end of the fighting. In this collection of short stories, nine authors provide their take on love in the midst of war as the fighting ends.

So this was quite a nice collection of short stories. All dealing with love and war, though not all romatic in essence, this book explores the different relationships between people amid war. Dealing with loss, defeat, despair and ultimately hope, these narratives are well written. Taking place in different countries, with female and male POV's, ultimately all these stories were heartfelt. I will say, however, that many stories did feel quite predictable. I appreciate the effort of the authors and like the overall tone of the book but after a while it did feel like a lot of the same. Hush by Hazel Gaynor would be my standout story in this collection. I just love all the emotion this particular story evoked. Overall, this was a pleasent and nice read.

[Susan Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of these compelling short stories provided insight into the emotional and physical effects of war. The authors present characters who struggle with their feelings and their actions during a difficult and trying time in history. I enjoyed each story and felt several of them could have been expanded into full length novels.

The Daughter of Belgium—Marci Jefferson
I enjoyed this suspense filled, well-paced short story set in the days leading up to the armistice. Both Amelie and Lars must find courage from within to outwit the soldiers in German-occupied Belgium in order to make their way to freedom. Can they work together and escape in time?

The Record Set Straight—Lauren Willig
Lauren Willig’s short story is an exquisitely written look into the British aristocracy before and after the Great War. The importance of duty, honor and society’s rules are woven in this story of love, compassion and misunderstanding between two brothers and the woman they both love. Superb ending to this short story—Ms. Willig stays true to her characters and surprises the reader at the same time!

All for the Love of You—Jennifer Robson
This story touched my heart. Ms. Robson creates a thoughtful story about a Father’s love for his daughter and the decisions he made for her after the Armistice was signed. Seven years later, Daisy finds a letter which leads her on a search for her true love. Daisy and Daniel’s heartfelt story was my favorite in the anthology as it shows that love endures.

After You’ve Gone—Evangeline Holland
After You’ve Gone explores how the end of the war affects people. How does one deal with the loss of a husband, friends, job and find their way during a time of tumultuous change? Can one make peace with the past and love again?

Something Worth Landing For—Jessica Brockmole
The letters Victoire wrote to her American pilot, drew me into this story. In the letters, she eloquently writes to him about her childhood, expresses her fears, desires and her wish that he return to her. I wish I could have seen Victoire’s reaction to Wes’s letter.

Hour of the Bells—Heather Webb
The Hour of the Bells is a powerful story. German born Beatrix married a French clockmaker and moved to France. The war between France and Germany takes on new meaning when her son enters the war against Germany. When she learns that her son has been killed, Beatrix is overcome by grief. Her actions drive the last part of this suspense -filled story.

An American Airman in Paris—Beatriz Williams
The story’s main character, Octavian, was shot down over Germany on November 11, 1918. He has remained in Paris for two years even though he has healed from his physical wounds. This story provides a glimpse into the life of the American airman and their emotional struggles before and after the war.

The Photograph—Kate Kerrigan
Kate Kerrigan’s The Photograph is set in Dublin in 2016. Bridie and her family are about to attend a ceremony for the 1916 Uprising. Bridie seeks some quiet time and picks up her great-aunt Eileen’s photo while in her room. The backing falls apart revealing a photo of a handsome British officer. Bridie is unsettled to think that her activist aunt was in love with a British soldier. Eileen and Clive’s well written story is another favorite of mine in this anthology set during the final days of the Great War when British soldiers occupied Dublin. Loved the characters and I cried as their heartfelt story unfolded.

Hush—Hazel Gaynor
Midwife Annie Rawlins is concerned about time. She has just delivered a child and he is not responding and time is running out. Annie has lost a son to the War and doesn’t want this child to die. As Annie is trying to save the child her other son is struggling to survive in the trenches in France. This story is superbly written and I enjoyed how the author had several connected story lines within her main narrative. Loved the ending.

[Kristin Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing I love about historical fiction is learning about bits of the past you never hear about in school, the history that has fallen through the cracks. This anthology delivers the goods with lots of fascinating historical details, paired with those other essential ingredients for fantastic historical fiction (in my opinion anyway) - deep emotional impact and characters who seem whole and real.

Of the nine stories, a few made me cry, one made me smile all the way through, and two had my heart beating faster like I was watching an action flick. The anthology contains a good balance of stories from the points of view of soldiers and civilians, mothers, widows, young lovers and old, showing many facets of the War and its aftermath (though I did keep waiting in vain for a story told from the German side of things).

As a mother, I was deeply affected by Hazel Gaynor's "Hush" and Heather Webb's "Hour of the Bells." As a romantic, I adored Jennifer Robson's "All for the Love of You" and Jessica Brockmole's "Something Worth Landing For." I wish I could read more stories about some of these characters, particularly Brockmole's Wes and Victoire! I suppose I will have to content myself with reading more of the anthology authors' other works - immediately after reading, I came here to Goodreads to add many of the authors' novels to my queue!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Life, and time, marched on as the soldiers marched home that spring. The daffodils danced in the breeze in Annie's garden, and the poppies grew once more in the fields of France."
Hazel Gaynor, Hush

9 authors write 9 poignant short stories relating to World War I.
I have only read Lauren Willig before, but the others were a surprise.
The most complex story was "Hush" by Hazel Gaynor which mostly took place in the space of a few minutes but it captured the charged emotional atmosphere in an English village during the birth of a child juxtaposed to a young soldier's struggle to survive on the final day of the war.

[Jessie Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for the anthology as a whole but Lauren Willig's addition of The Record Set Right is definitely at least 4/5.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some special stories included in this WWI anthology. I took my time with it and appreciated the effort of putting this collection together.

[Carole (in Canada) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating: 3.5*
This collection of World War One short stories all center around the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month...Armistice Day 1918. Each touches on the havoc the Great War has wrecked on the world and the lives of people it forever changed. Some stories touched me more than others. The loss of innocence, betrayal, love lost and found but most of all hope. Each person who reads this will be impacted differently.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories that each include in some way Armistice Day: November 11, 1918. Every story was enjoyable and different and left me wanting more! I will definitely check out works by the authors I haven't previously read.

[Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Special Content only on my blog, Strange and Random Happenstance during A Fall of Poppies (September 2016)

The cat stands, stretches, and meows to be let out. Simple, ordinary things that punctuate the hour, the day, a year, a life. - Hazel Gaynor, "Hush"

Life changed the day war was declared, but it changed again on November 11th, 1918, when the war stopped. The problem was in four years of fighting, of death, of destruction, the world could never go back to the way it was. Atrocities were perpetrated with lasting ramifications. Bodies forever disfigured from the brutality of battle. The earth and it's people, forever scarred. To survive women and men did things they want to leave in the shadows, in the dark garrets of Paris, and in the blood soaked trenches of France. With war over for the first time in a long time hope is once again possible. A future can be contemplated, planned, dreamed of. Children will have a future. Love will have a chance to take root. From a hospital in Belgium to an artists studio in Paris, from the coffee fields of Kenya to the riotous streets of Dublin, the war hasn't just changed the world, but forever shaped the course of these peoples stories told by these different authors. The armistice has come and their voices will now be heard.

I have many short story collections and anthologies just laying about neglected. I feel really bad about this because years ago when I read Nick Hornby's selection of monologues, Speaking with the Angel, I found some amazing new voices in fiction whose books I then read and loved. But since then I've been very bad. I keep buying these books because there's one author I love and just have to read their story, so I get the book, I read the story, and then the book is relegated to my neglected, deprived, and languishing shelf. And yes, I do have such a shelf, peopled by many short story anthologies that feature Charlaine Harris and a lot of Dickens. What compounds the problem is that if I've waited too long all the author's stories spread throughout all these books get republished in their own book, like Charlaine Harris's A Touch of Dead of Patricia Briggs's Shifting Shadows, which ironically is also on this shelf. Therefore I kind of felt it my duty that while I picked this book up for Lauren Willig, I knew the other authors names and felt that it was time to read something they'd written and actually finish a book by multiple authors.

While I feel somewhat biased saying Lauren's story, "The Record Set Right," was my favorite, I have a feeling this was more to do with the fact I'd read it out of context as a kindle release prior to reading it amongst the rest of the tales. Therefore it felt like I was revisiting an old friend. But there are quite a few authors I feel will be new friends, and a few I might be reluctant to read, but none I will outright avoid. In fact I think many of these stories will work better taken out of context, because read all together the sameness of some of the writing techniques used makes them blend together into a confusing jumble. Fall of Poppies is definitely a book I'd encourage to read leisurely, a story every few days, to not only get the full impact of the narrative, but to clear your palate of the previous story. Because otherwise the structure of how so many of the first person narratives are weighted to the front of the book combined with all the HEAs and female narrators, it makes them all blend together into a jumpling mass where they all feel like they're telling the same story with the same trite ending.

Now I'm not a hater of first person narration like some people I know, in fact some dear friends I know, but it's hard to get first person right. The key is a very strong voice for the character. "The Daughter of Belgium" had a very timid narrator, followed directly by Lauren's strong narrator, there was a weird disconnect. You've been living in one characters head and you've suddenly switched to another's and it's jarring. It's like you're seeing first hand what it would be like to live in someone's head who has a multiple personality disorder, and in this instance Lauren's character Camilla is the dominate personality, while Marci Jefferson's unnamed narrator, in the vein of Du Maurier's Rebecca, is the submissive personality. In fact, so submissive she has no name! While as the book progresses there is only one more story written in first person, Jessica Brockmole's "Something Worth Landing For." So why did this book feel the need to have two of these stories back-to-back? The book starts out on such a wrong footing that it takes awhile to recover and actually become enjoyable.

Then there's the gimmicky nature of every story having Armistice Day as it's focal point. Yes, the description of the book should have tipped me off with it's themes of "renewal" and "hope." But you can build your story before or after this event, yet SO MANY chose to have Armistice Day as THE DAY the story was set. It made any story with a little time before the bells pealing away at 11AM on the eleventh novel and far more interesting. Yes, to an extent it's interesting to see how nine different authors tackle the inclusion of Armistice Day in their story, but please, think outside the box. Make it a jumping off point. Not EVERYTHING has to happen on that day. True love doesn't have to magically be found in the last minutes of the war. As for love at first sight? Every time it happened I kept thinking, what happens when they get home? What happens when the scales fall from their eyes and they really get to know this person they picked at random for their HEA? Some of the stories seriously need that something more.

Which is why those with this "otherness" really stand out. Those that are set apart just jump off the page. When a male narrator shows up it's like manna from heaven! But the ones that stood out most where those that looked at the diversity of people fighting in the war and where they were fighting. The story that stood out head and shoulders above the rest for me was "The Photograph" by Kate Kerrigan. I mean, I can seriously see this as an independent Irish film starring Saoirse Ronan and Harry Lloyd. See, I've already cast it, just make it now! What makes this story so unique is that it's set in Ireland. What's more it's about soldiers who were sent to quell the Irish Rebellion and their fight for freedom. With the greater Great War, there was a clear villain with Germany, here it's Britain against Ireland and the justifications for fighting are murkier. The Irish deserve and eventually win their independence, but those English soilders fighting them are just doing their job. It's just dumb luck they weren't sent to France, like many Irish soldiers were. Also, when Armistace happens, it's not an end to the hostilities in Ireland, it's just the beginning. This one story brings all the rest into context. It's "otherness" shows all the stories in a clearer more brillant light and elevates the whole book. So when am I getting my movie adaptation?

"The Daughter of Belgium" by Marci Jefferson ★★
"The Record Set Right" by Lauren Willig ★★★★★
"All For the Love of You" by Jennifer Robson ★★★★
"After You've Gone" by Evangeline Holland ★★★
"Something Worth Landing For" by Jessica Brockmole ★★★
"Hour of the Bells" by Heather Webb ★★★★
"An American Airman in Paris" by Beatriz Williams ★
"The Photograph" by Kate Kerrigan ★★★★
"Hush" by Hazel Gaynor ★★★

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

"November 7, 1918
Brussels, Belgium

Sister Wilkins caught my eye from across the nurse's parlor of Institut Cavell. The day I'd been dreading had arrived. The British nurse had lose much during this war, though she knew better than anyone that I'd lost more. She also knew my secret, and that I'd do anything to protect it." (pg 1- The Daughter of Belgium, Marci Jefferson)

Hard to believe the life of those who survived the Great War, must have been as both survivors and those who served in the war that came back with more lost than they had going in. History is that great teacher, opening the eyes of those who weren't born then to remember a time when so many lost so much and paid the ultimate price. For some, it was simply coming home wounded and having to face a life they would no longer have.

That is just what you will find in the Fall of Poppies, a collection of short stories by nine different authors who each take their turn at weaving a beautiful story of recollection of the Great War and the results of Armistice Day, the day the war was over and celebrations took place all over Europe. They all have the same central theme but with vastly different results. I believe my favorite was The Daughter of Belgium, a story of a young girl, Amèlie, who had been her own survivor of the war along with her young daughter Hope. Left to deal with the outcome of a hospital that was moving, Matron Cavill asked her to care for one remaining patient they couldn't move, a wounded soldier that was being hunted for treason. Her only job was to see to it that he didn't starve. It was a soldier that she despised at the horrors committed to her when the German soldiers arrived at her family's tea shop and beat and raped her family.

She finds solace in knowing if she can simply return to her family's shoppe and recover a valuable painting, she might make a life for herself and Hope once the war ends. Her only problem is that the streets are still full of German soldiers who are rebelling against the end of the war, and will stop at nothing to ensure they take all they can before they are forced to leave Belgium. It will take trusting a man she has hated since being tasked with his care when the hospital relocated.

I received Fall of Poppies by a collection of authors like Jessica Brockmole, Hazel Gaynor, Evangeline Holland, Marci Jefferson, Kate Kerrigan, Jennifer Robson, Heather Webb, Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest and personal evaluation. There truly is something for everyone in each of these stories and while they may simply be just well created fictional stories, these could very well be someone's true life story from the Great War. I absolutely LOVED it and will be adding this one to my collection of WWI novels in my personal library. I believe history is vitally important and these stories are just a part of that historical past!

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have reviewed this as I went along (and I meant to), but it just got away from me. This was just okay. The biggest problem with it as a satisfying anthology is that all of the entries were far too short, and that meant the stories themselves felt incomplete. I think it would have worked far better with fewer works of longer length.

My other complaint, and this is entirely on me, is that I expected all of the stories to have a love story at their center and I suppose they did, but they certainly weren't all of romantic love. At least two of them were parent/child, and that's fine, but like I said, not what I expected.

This was fine. I just wanted it to be great.

[Terri · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't actually read this entire book of stories. The first one was blah, but I tried again. The second and third were as bad - poor writing, simplistic solutions, banal plots. Very heavy on the happy endings, without much sense in getting there. Others might enjoy but it wasn't for me. (And apologies to the remainder of the writers whose stories I didn't read. Perhaps there is a gem, but I couldn't wade through any more...)

[Cait · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was all a very firm MEH.

[Andrea at Reading Lark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review Posted on Reading Lark 2/23/16: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2016/...

I'm not always a huge fan of anthologies, but since I have enjoyed Hazel Gaynor and Lauren Willig's writing in the past, I decided to give this one a go. Also, my knowledge of WWI is limited compared to other conflicts, so I'm always on the lookout for fiction that can provide perspective into The Great War. On the surface, the war seems so tedious to me as the men are mired down in the muck of trench warfare, but often their experiences are more complex than I originally thought. I also enjoyed that this anthology largely focuses on those on the home-front and their reaction to their loved ones being in the thick of the conflict. At its core, this is an anthology about love, but the forms of love vary between stories. Some focus on romantic love, but there are also stories of plutonic love, unrequited love, and the deep and abiding love of a mother for her child. Love takes many forms and it was nice to see that reflected in this collection. I highly recommend this one to WWI fans and those who love well written historical fiction.

Story #1: "The Daughter of Belgium" by Maci Jefferson
Rating: 4

This story focuses on Amelie, a young woman living in Belgium during German occupation. Her story begins on a bleak note as it soon becomes clear that her parents have been killed at the hands of German soldiers and she has been raped. Amelie finds herself pregnant and alone, but finds comfort in working at a nearby medical clinic. At the beginning of the story, her daughter, Hope, is three. Amelie is plotting ways to find a better life for her and her child. When the rest of the clinic workers and patients are relocated, Amelie finds herself left in charge of caring for a recovering German soldier who never speaks. She soon learns that everything is not as it seems and affection can blossom in the most unlikely of places.

"At the start of this war, Germany swept into Belgium and stripped her of dignity. Belgium had been broken, but not defeated. Deep within still stirred the will to survive, and a hope for better days." ~ Kindle Location 268

Story #2: "The Record Set Right" by Lauren Willig
Rating: 5

This was one of my favorite stories in the anthology. It begins with Millie, an elderly woman living in Kenya in 1960. She has been summoned back to her former home in England that she fled soon after marrying her husband who was injured in WWI. They flocked to Africa to grow coffee and make a new life for themselves. Millie reminisces about her past in England and finds upon her return that some of her recollections are not completely accurate. This is certainly a story about the one who got away.

"There's something comforting about caging memory, encasing it in silver frames and setting it out to fade, as if, with that, all the dissensions and scandals, the mistrust and misuse might fade, too, blurring away until only the happy outlines remain." ~ Kindle Location 658

Story #3: "All For the Love of You" by Jennifer Robson
Rating: 5

Daisy is a young American woman living in Paris with her father during WWI. In the beginning of the story, Daisy's father passes away. As she is going through his things, she finds a strange letter from a soldier she held a deep affection for, but has not spoken to in years. Her father informed the soldier that she had died from the Spanish flu. Daisy cannot believe that her father would go to such links and she is angry that she cannot ask for his explanation.

Daisy launches herself into a hunt for her soldier when she returns to America. The story also includes flashbacks to show how the relationship began.

This was another favorite in the collection. I was fascinated by the masks that were made at Daisy's place of work. Masks were created to hide the facial wounds and scars of disfigured soldiers. I had never heard of them before, but I am now intrigued enough to do some research.

"People are shocked by anyone who is different, and very few are able to hide the shock. It's rather feeble of them, to be honest, but it won't be something you have to worry about for much longer." ~ Kindle Location 1540

Story #4: "After You've Gone" by Evangeline Holland
Rating: 4

The main character of this one is Morven, a young woman of African descent who was born in Scotland. Morven moved to France to be a dancer at a young age and fell in love with her dance partner. The pair was married and blissfully happy until he joined up when the war broke out. Her husband decides he needs to step up and fight for his adopted country, but as is the case with so many young husbands, he never returns from battle. Morven is forced to find a way to survive in a war torn country. When the war ends, she hopes to go to Mississippi to live with her husband's family, but finds out that she is not welcome. A chance meeting with a handsome stranger changes her fate in an unexpected way.

I liked that this was a diverse cast of characters. It made this story stand out. It was also interesting to see the experience of the war play out for a main character with a different ethnicity than my own. While Europe was far more accepting of other races during this time period than the United States, people still faced persecution and discrimination.

"Future generations will look back and wonder what it was like to be alive in the last days of the war, of the moment when the earth churned beneath the armies of Allied forces and Central Powers heaved one last gasp of victorious violence before settling into a silence weighted with exhaustion and death." ~ Kindle Location 1800

Story #5: "Something Worth Landing For" by Jessica Brockmole
Rating: 4

This story is narrated by a male main character, John Wesley Ward, a young man who is unsure of himself and living in his deceased brother's shadow as he prepares to be a pilot. When he arrives in Europe, he is put to work fixing aircraft until its time for him to take to the skies. After a medical checkup, he meets a beautiful, tear stained girl named Victorie, who has found herself in quite the pickle. She is with child and has no husband. Before Wes knows what he's truly doing, he offers to marry Victorie and help her raise the child. My heart swelled with true affection for Wes. He was such a genuine person and he truly wanted to be a great man. I loved watching the relationship between him and Victorie blossom through letters and mutual friendship.

"Married or not, we'd known each other for exactly twelve days. Stranger things happened in the movies, but in real life, people didn't fall in love so quickly." ~ Kindle Location 2887

Story #6: "Hour of the Bells" by Heather Webb
Rating: 5

This was another favorite in the collection. It focuses on a widow, Beatrix, whose husband died in the war. Her son, Adrien, is still fighting the good fight and his continual absence fills her heart with dread and worry. Beatrix also has to deal with the fact that she is a native German who has been living in France since she married the handsome clock maker. Many in the town do not think of her as German, but as the war rages on, she finds that keeping her birth country a secret is crucial as people's fear and anger drives their decisions more than reason.

One fateful day, Beatrix receives a letter from a good friend of her son who states that after a brutal battle, Adrien was killed. The grief that descends upon Beatrix is unbearable and she begins to plot her revenge on the German troops who took her boy. The story focuses on the lengths a mother will go to for her child and the courage that lurks in the heart of every woman who has lost someone she deeply loves.

"Time's passage never escaped her - not for a moment. The clocks made sure of it. There weren't enough minutes, enough hours, to erase her loss." ~ Kindle Location 3066

Story #7: "An American Airman in Paris" by Beatriz Williams
Rating: 3

This is Octavian's story. He is an American pilot in Paris at the end of the war. Through his eyes we can understand the tremendous amount of stress and grief that befell pilots during WWI. One thing that sets Octavian apart from his compatriots is his refusal to have random flings with women in France. He begins to regret this decision after the armistice and finds himself in the path of two very different women.

Overall, this was my least favorite story in the anthology. It's well written and has some compelling moments, but it was too crass for my tastes.

"Octavian lights another cigarette, gestures for another drink, and considers the array of bottles on the wall before him, for example. Plenty of choice there, right? Except there isn't. It's all an illusion. A fellow's got to drink something, or he'll die. You can choose what to drink, but you can't choose whether to drink." ~ Kindle Location 3601

Story #8: "The Photograph" by Kate Kerrigan
Rating: 5

Yet another favorite! (Yes, I had several in this lot.) This one begins in modern day Dublin on as a family begins to honor ancestors who fought bravely for Irish nationalism. Bridie has both of her children home for the event, but things are in a tizzy due to her daughter, Sharon, bringing along her English beau who also happens to be a soldier. Sharon's brother, Frank, is livid that she would consider bringing an English soldier to an event to honor those who participated in Irish uprisings. The siblings get into quite the row leaving their poor mother trapped in the middle. She ends up letting the two hammer it out while she goes upstairs for a bit of piece and quiet.

While avoiding the maelstrom downstairs, Bridie is taken by a photograph of her Aunt Eileen. Eileen had always been a tempest who fought for equality and spoke her mind. She had never married; Bridie just figured she wasn't the marrying type, but when she discovers a photograph hidden behind Eileen's from a sweetheart who happens to be a WWI British soldier, Bridie is beyond shocked. The story then shifts to a flashback to explain the connection between Eileen and Clive, the young man in the photograph.

I loved seeing how the past was mirroring the present. I also adored the Irish setting of this one. I am fascinated by Ireland's tumultuous history.

"In the trenches you mixed only with your own - you were altogether. Everyone was on the same side. Although it was hard, the enemy was across the field, bombing and shooting at you. It was honest warfare. In Ireland you were in another man's country and on another man's soil. You were living among them and yet you could never be quite certain who the enemy was." ~ Kindle Location 4314

Story #9: "Hush" by Hazel Gaynor
Rating: 5

While I loved several of these stories and enjoyed them all, this one might be my very favorite. There is something beautiful and poignant about the writing of Hazel Gaynor. Her characters always compel me to feel and experience the story alongside them. The novel begins as midwife, Annie Rawlins, is helping to assist at an early birth that has been riddled with difficult moments. As the narrative starts she is desperately trying to get the newly born infant to take a breath. Her fierce determination for the little one to live is symbolic of how her entire country feels as the days of the war continue to drag on and loved ones hope and pray that those dear to them will return from the front. Annie knows what it's like to lose a child as her eldest son died in the war. She does not want to have to tell the young mother before her that her child has passed. She continues to fight even when it seems the little one has no fight for life in him.

The story also provides the perspective of Annie's youngest son who is fighting on the western front, her husband who is waiting for her at home, and the father of the infant. All of these men are experiencing crucial moments as well. I loved watching all the strands of this story tie together in the end.

On another note, there is a slight magical realism or paranormal moment that was brilliantly written in which Annie connects with her son during a pivotal moment. That particular moment gave me the chills and again reinforced how powerful a mother's love for her son can be.

"Another son, lost. Another mother's heart, shattered. Moments that arrive in a sudden second and roar endlessly on, forever affecting the remaining fragments of a broken life." ~ Kindle Location 4788

One Last Gripe: I wanted some of the stories to be longer since I was enjoying them so much.

Favorite Thing About This Book: I loved seeing the various forms of love play out across a historical background.

First Sentence: Sister Wilkins caught my eye from across the nurse's parlor of Institut Cavell.

Favorite Character: Annie from "Hush" by Hazel Gaynor

Least Favorite Character: Octavian from "An American Airman in Paris" by Beatriz Williams

[Heather C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been loving the trend recently for historical fiction authors to come together in between their individual works and put together anthology collections. It’s excellent for the community and the themes that the projects have focused on have been different and compelling. So far, of these collections, I have read: Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion (revolving around a single day at Grand Central at the end of WWII), A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii (the day of the volcano eruption that destroyed Pompeii), and A Year of Ravens: A Novel of Boudica's Rebellion (they year of Boudica’s rebellion). This was my 4th foray into these anthologies and this one focused on different experiences in different places at the time of the end of WWI. I’m first going to comment a bit about the book itself and then break down each of the stories a little bit as you can buy the stories that interest you individually as well as part of the collection.

This collection is structured like a standard anthology that revolves around one point in time. The stories do not connect or relate to each other as A Day of Fire or A Year of Ravens do, rather each is a self-contained, stand-alone short story. One of the things that I loved about this collection is the breadth of experiences and locales that are featured. Of the settings we are treated to: Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, England, and America. We see experiences of those who fought in the trenches, those who flew airplanes, those who stayed at home, and those who tended to the injured. I felt that the stories very well represented a little bit for each element of the war. For me, there did not appear to obviously be any strategy to the organization of the book as far as which stories appeared in which order, but with a collection that is set at a specific point in time I don’t know that this would matter much. I was well versed with the works of Marci Jefferson, Heather Webb, and Kate Kerrigan, having read two novels each and was interested in seeing how they would tackle short stories. I had heard of (and even met) several of the other authors in this collection, but had yet to have time to read their solo works – hopefully that will change after having read these stories.

The Daughter of Belgium by Marci Jefferson

This was the story that I loved the setting of the story the most as I have never read any WWI story set in Belgium. So that element was refreshing. The Germans are falling back as the war is drawing to a close and we hear about and see the devastation that is being wrought during this time: loss of property, attacks on people/women, etc. This was a story of the drama beyond the front lines, the revolutionaries and the stirring up of the homefront. The story of Mistress Cavell, a nurse who was executed for revolutionary activity, had to have drawn some interest from the author’s own life experiences as a nurse. This story brought danger and drama at every turn and contained action packed, fast-paced scenes. A great story to kick off the collection as it had a little bit of everything in it and this remained one of my favorite stories throughout the whole collection.

The Record Set Straight by Lauren Willig

This was a sweeping, epic, family drama story about dealing with love, war injuries, and family conflict. You get a lot from this story; it felt like what you should get in a full length novel which made the short length feel more robust. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel rushed at all. I spent much of the first portion of this story trying to put the pieces together of just who everyone was, which I found to be a little confusing. I thought this story was overall very well-written and had a great reveal at the end.

All for the Love of You by Jennifer Robson

This story tackles another element that you do not see reflected very often, that of dealing with war injuries, particularly those that disfigured the face. I loved learning about how these face masks were made and how they were the forefront of technology to deal with disfigurement. It was also a sweet romance story about the connections that can be made over life changing experiences. However, I did struggle to get into this story a little bit. The beginning did not grab my attention right from the start and I would have liked a better hook. I actually put this book down at this point for a couple months because I just couldn’t get into it. I thought the story picked up once we hit the flashbacks and I honestly could have done without the more contemporary of the parts of the story. I’m glad this wasn’t the kick-off story as it might have colored my opinion for the whole collection.

After You’ve Gone by Evangeline Holland

This was the second story in a row that I struggled to connect to. This one takes place in Paris with a woman who has been left behind after the loss of her cohort to various war reasons. She is simply struggling to get through day-to-day until she runs into a group of American tourists who appear interested in helping her out. I had difficulty getting into any of the characters as I didn’t feel like I had enough descriptors to draw a solid mental picture of who they were. I thought the revelation at the end should have been a little more shocking but again I didn’t understand the characters enough to feel the impact.

Something Worth Landing For by Jessica Brockmole

This was one of my favorites among this collection. This is one of two stories within this collection that focused on pilots and both of the experiences were very different. Brockmole’s story was a bit more lighthearted that what we would later see from Beatriz Williams. The relationship that transpires in this novel didn’t feel the slightest bit contrived because relationships happened differently during times of war. I loved that there is an element of the epistolary style of Brockmole’s earlier novels and I enjoyed the revelation of character that can come through in a letter.

Hour of the Bells by Heather Webb

This story was another that I enjoyed, it was evocative of what it might be like to live with the ghosts of loss – those voids that exist when someone isn’t there and what it is like to be a survivor and try to continue on. That is stressful in a normal world and even more so in a world at war. Webb’s writing brings you right into the world that she is writing about. The feelings of retribution that Beatrix feels were believable and full of pain, but I couldn’t quite place myself in her shoes.

An American Airman in Paris by Beatriz Williams

Another one of my favorites in this collection and very different than the other airman story previously seen in Something Worth Landing For. It was darker, grittier, and dirtier in not only subject, tone, language, and writing style. This story was also a bit different in that you are within the head of the main male narrator and told in retrospect. It’s a story of bravery in the face of things that go wrong and what that does to a person. Loved every minute of this and look forward to jumping into one of Williams’ full length novels soon.

The Photograph by Kate Kerrigan

This was the most different and unique story in this collection and wasn’t exactly what I expected – maybe in a good way. This story draws on Kerrigan’s tales of Irish identity and the scope of this story is set during the Irish Revolution which ran concurrently with the Great War. It carried a different tone because WWI is just a idea at the back of the storyline that is occurring elsewhere, while the Revolution is in the forefront. While I thought that it was really unique to include that element because it was occurring at the same time and involved those British soldiers who were not sent to the front which built out the whole world, I waver as to whether it felt appropriate to be included in this collection. I loved the story being told though, both the contemporary framework and the historical story: a forbidden love based on ethnicity, family perceptions, the animosity between Irish and British. My perception of the story is about the same as how I have felt about Kerrigan’s novels, story is well told, but maybe not my cup of tea.

Hush by Hazel Gaynor

As I loved the first story in this collection, just the same I loved the story that concluded it. I loved how this story juxtaposed the lack of air and quiet on the battlefield with the same experience in the birthing room. The manner in which it is written and how it moves seamlessly back and forth between the two settings brings the home front and the battlefield closer. It also addressed the experiences of being a postman during this time (which is not something I would have wanted to do at the time) as well as those who remained at home due to dissenting from the war. An excellent inclusion in the collection.

A copy of this book was received for review consideration and this review was previously posted at my blog, The Maiden's Court

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I think of WWI, for some reason, it is the scenes from Downton Abbey that surface foremost in my mind. I feel like WWII gets more creative attention, at least as I have personally encountered, and so this was a series of quick deep dives into the Great War. Coming into this book, I was already familiar five of the nine authors, some of them more than others. Given the format of this book, I'm going to deviate from my typical review formula and talk about the stories individually.

The Daughter of Belgium
Marci Jefferson was a new author for me. This was a challenging way for me to kick off this collection, because her storytelling felt abrupt to me. I know the realities of war were cold and cruel, but this story jumped in with a harshness that made me feel slapped. Additionally, there is an art to the short story, given that you have a limited number of pages to get a complete story told in a way that feels satisfying. This one felt rushed to me, because things happened over the course of three days that were beyond my threshold for suspending disbelief.
Story rating: 1 star.

The Record Set Straight
I have read Lauren Willig several times now, so her writing immediately felt comfortable, familiar. Her voice is one that particularly appeals to me. I found it very reminiscent of the wistful, melancholy tone of one of her collaborative works, The Forgotten Room. In 38 pages, Lauren told a story that spanned decades, giving all the necessary details to get the reader invested. And then pay dirt. She delivered a story that was complete, but I would have loved to get it fully fleshed out, just to see what she would have done with it.
Story rating: 4 stars.

All for the Love of You
I have read one other book by Jennifer Robson, and this followed suit: I liked it but didn't love it. This story was written well in advance of the novel I read. While I took issue with run-on sentences in The Gown, in this short story, the writing just felt unpolished. It was a sweet story, though, and one with a pacing that felt believable. I also really liked the two focal characters.
Story rating: 3 stars.

After You've Gone
I had no previous experience with Evangeline Holland and I won't have any additional experience with her works afterward. I felt like I couldn't connect with the narrator. I also felt as if I were dropped into the middle of an ongoing story and then yanked out again without warning. The twist felt icky to me. The only redeeming value in the entire thing was the cat.
Story rating: 1 star.

Something Worth Landing For
After the darker, more sobering subjects, the soul-crushing sadness of war and losses of all sorts, I felt inappropriate laughing at this one as much as I did, but the author's writing style had a cheekiness that delighted me. I would have loved to spend a full book's worth of time with Victoire and Wes, allowing their whole story to spin out before me. Upon its conclusion, I promptly went in search of other works by Jessica Brockmole. Unfortunately, her library isn't extensive and none of the novels on her list did anything to intrigue me. Bummer. Be that as it may, this one remains one of my favorites in the collection.
Story rating: 4 stars.

Hour of the Bells
I am fully aware that people often lost multiple loved ones in this war -- husbands, sons, fathers, brothers, sweethearts -- and the emotions of loss in that magnitude run deep. However, while other authors managed to convey those emotions in ways that were easy for me to find myself immersed, this one felt jagged and forced. Amplified in a way that wasn't just uncomfortable but actually pushed me away from the storytelling. It didn't make my heart ache but rather felt contrived and melodramatic. What's more, I saw the plot twist coming from approximately go. I have read a book that Heather Webb collaborated to write which I loved, but nothing by her own hand alone, so I don't know if this was an anomaly for her or if the other author of the collaboration just managed to carry her that well. Regardless, I was relieved to see this one come to an end.
Story rating: 1 star.

An American Airman in Paris
Ah, Beatriz Williams. Not only am I familiar with her, she is unequivocally one of my favorite authors. In fact, she is the reason I found myself reading this book at all, hoping for a glimpse into the amazing, complex universe she has imagined. In this, she did not disappoint, but I caution that to the reader who is wisely moving through her works in publication order, it won't initially have much relevance. As someone who discovered this lesson a little too late, I know how this story fits into the overarching narrative of her "I don't write a series but you'll be spoiling for yourself if you read out of order" collection of books. I am conflicted because in Beatriz fashion, she can be a bit vulgar, but holy moly can she tell you a story. And unlike the rest of these short stories, hers fits into another book, so you are almost getting a missing chapter from said other book, thus there is more meat to this one if you seek it out. Knowing what I already know, I was tickled to read this little nugget and gain insight.
Story rating: 4 stars.

The Photograph
I did not care for this one at all. My first exposure to Kate Kerrigan, the writing felt stilted to me. It was as if someone was yammering a story at me, rather than unwinding it before my eyes. While I appreciated the more unique viewpoint of the Irish War of Independence, which overlapped with WWI, I was unable to engage with it at all. And if the author had used quotation marks to the effect of air quotes any more, I may have actually screamed. Suffice to say, I will not be seeking out more of her work to read.
Story rating: 1 star.

Hush
Last but not least was Hazel Gaynor's contribution to the collection. I've read and enjoyed her books before, and this was no different. Her use of mirroring, which while a tad obvious, still was executed in a way that felt clever to me. I cared about the people she introduced me to, albeit briefly. She brought to life a wide array of emotions that would have been expected at the Armistice, and they felt real to me. Of all the stories, I think this one affected me the most. There was a tension that reverberated through each page, and I found myself holding my own breath until the final words.
Story rating: 4 stars.

As you can plainly see, with one exception, I either loved or hated the stories told here, for a variety of reasons. I ultimately decided to rate the book overall as an average of the individual star ratings, and when I saw the results of the calculation, it felt right. I went in, hoping I might find a new author or two to explore, but closed the book basically affirming the authors I already liked and not at all compelled to add any new ones to my TBR. (That may actually be for the best, given the volume of said TBR.) I am far and away not sorry to have received the benefit of the Beatriz "missing piece", even if it meant enduring some painful stories along the way, for which I was grateful they were at least limited in length. As I said at the outset, short-story-telling is an artform and one that is not forgiving, so I won't hold any struggles with the format against any of these authors, however, things like tone and writing style definitely hold weight in my final decision as to whether I need more of these authors in my life.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a nice collection! I don't normally read short stories or anthologies, but I'm happy I picked this up. It gave me a nice introduction to some historical fiction authors that I want to check out in the future. However I will say as a generalization from all the stories, you can definitely tell they’ve been written by authors who don’t normally write short stories. The ideas and plot seem like full length books and were just cut short.


The Daughter of Belgium
2.5/5
Not a strong start to the collection, it felt very over the top and unbelievable. Maybe because the story was short everything had to happen so fast but it just felt like too much.

The Record Set Right
3.5/5
I really liked this one by Lauren Willig! I’ve been meaning to pick up her books and this short story cemented that. It was mysterious and hopefully and I enjoyed it! Again it was a very short, short story. I wouldn’t have minded it expanded a bit but it gave me a taste of her writing style and I’m excited to pick up more from her.

All For the Love of You
3/5
I’ve read one of Jennifer Robson’s work before and enjoyed it just as I’ve enjoyed this short story.

After You'd Gone
3/5
Not a bad story. I got a little lost in the middle and didn’t know who was who and who was related to who but I got there in the end.

Something Worth Landing For
4.5/5
My favorite story in the collection! I absolutely loved the characters and the story line and I want a full story with them!

Hour of the Bells
3/5
A little bit of a strange story but still good.

An American Airman in Paris
3.5/5
This story was the whole reason I bought this book. Beatriz Williams is one of my favorite authors so I was excited to check out her short story. It was slightly disappointing only for the fact that it was so short. The ending felt very abrupt and not satisfying. I wanted a lot more to the story and more of the characters.

The Photograph
4/5
I really enjoyed this story! I haven’t read much about the Irish and British conflict especially in WW1 so it was very interesting. I also enjoyed the characters.

Hush
4/5
A good story for the collection to end on.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not going to write a full review because this is a collection of short stories and I wrote an update with a star rating on each of the stories.

I really do feel like I was immersed into that time by reading all those stories back to back. Probably twice a year (Remembrance Day and Valentine's Day) I will go back and read a story or two from this book just to bring me back to that time and those feelings.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction revolving around the First World War.

Also this book is definitely only 354 pages (357 including about the authors) and this is not the ebook edition so just know that.

[Vida · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of several short stories which center around Armistice Day at the end of WW1.
All are well written some more moving and enduring then others but each worth reading.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading, "Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I," I knew I wanted to read more Hazel Gaynor. "Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War," happened to be one of the books I found on the shelf at Barnes and Noble -- and I couldn't resist it. Not only would I get to read Ms. Gaynor's story, "Hush," but I'd get to sample short stories by other historical fiction writers.

Armistice Day provides the central thread that weaves through each story. And each story weaves a different tale, conjuring up the lives of soldiers on leave, soldiers after the war, and the lives of families who lived through the war -- still haunted and changed a lifetime after the end came. I'm so glad I picked up this little volume. I have added books authored by Beatriz William, Lauren Willig, and Kate Kerrigan to my To Read list. These little stories and the characters brought to life will stick with me -- and I will look forward to reading Ms. Gaynor's work again soon.

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month November 1918...signified the end of the war in Europe. A devasting war where so many lives were lost.

Poppies are often used for remembrance, particularly from WWI so the title of this book is particularly poignant.

The Fall of Poppies is a book comprising of nine different authors, coming together to tell the stories of love, hope and starting over.

The Daughter of Belgium by Marci Jefferson, about a young woman whose family is gone, killed in the war, who lives in the hospital, afraid to leave and is tasked with taking care of an enemy soldier when the rest of the patients and nurses move to a new hospital.

The Record Set Right by Lauren Willig tells the story of an elderly woman in 1980 who is asked to visit a lost love from WWI who is dying. The story takes the reader back and forth during these two eras to tell the story of two people separated because of a scandal and to set the story straight.

All for the Love of You by Jennifer Robson. Another story of lost and found love dating between 1918 and 1925. A young woman works with an artist who creates masks for men who have received facial injuries in the war. She meets a man, falls in love but is separated from him when he returns to the US. Her father, in trying to protect her hides letters feeling that this young man was not good enough for his daughter. Will they ever meet again?

After You've Gone by Evangeline Holland. A young woman has lost her husband in the war. Her best friends husband was also killed and could not cope and committed suicide. She is was a dancer but has not done anything since she lost her husband. When fate sets in, she meets a young American and she is enlisted in taking him and his mother on a tour of Paris.

Something Worth Landing For by Jessica Brockmole. A young man meets a woman outside of a medical department in tears. They form a friendship and because of her scandalous 'condition,' they get married. He wants her to have his name and pension in case his plane crashes. He is scheduled to fly a mission. They make a pact that she will write to him but he is not to respond.

Hour of the Bells by Heather Webb. A middle-aged woman who's husband died in The Great War and she gets a notification that her son may also have been killed. Despondent, she vows to get whoever killed her son. She is a German living in France so she must go over the border of Germany to get justice.

An American Airman in Paris by Beatriz Williams. A young pilot who hangs onto a photograph. He survives a mission but is confronted by Germans and almost killed. Saved by a young girl but in a German hospital. To him, his war is over, he heals but stays in Paris.

The Photograph by Kate Kerrigan. Takes place in Dublin 2016, a hundred years after the 1916 uprising in Ireland. An Irish family will find that there are some secrets that need to surface.

Hush by Hazel Gaynor. 1918 and a baby is born lifeless and a young man in the midst of a bloody battle. Can they both survive? Even though the war is over, nothing is normal again.

I really enjoyed this anthology of stories, each told with compassion when stories such as these can be heartbreaking and the characters long for what was lost and shows each author's talent for a great historical fiction story. As they say, "War is Hell".

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anthology about love and war, just as the title suggests, but it's not the sappy, tear-your-clothes-away kind of love. It's all kinds of love. Not just the man-woman love but also the mother-son love.

The first story, The Daughter of Belgium, focuses on a young woman in occupied Belgium who has been hiding her daughter from the invading soldiers. Her life has been pretty much destroyed. When charged with caring for a German soldier, she's rather conflicted.

I didn't like this story. I gave it two stars on Goodreads. The love was instant, came out of nowhere, and the story seemed pointless. I took nothing away from it.

The Record Set Right by Lauren Willig was terrific. It's about love...gone wrong...when misunderstandings get in the way. What I liked about this tale is that in the end, the woman ended up on top. She dodged a bullet, perhaps. She's not bitter or even remorseful, but a bit self satisfied. She did well for herself and success is the sweetest revenge. I felt this had a strong feminist tone.

All for the Love of You was unique as it showed us the intricacies of facial masks for those wounded. I loved this, the story of the shop, the people running it, the way the soldiers are respectfully treated. Interesting things came up, such as training your face not to react in a manner that makes these men feel worse than they already do. I enjoyed this. Can't say I cared for the romance though. I wasn't "feeling" it.

I enjoyed Something Worth Landing For by Jessica Brockmole so much I immediately set out to obtain her novel. The hero tells the tale, and he's such a likable guy. And the woman involved is so sassy even in her grief. They made me chuckle and root for them. This was a unique and very quick romance yet I "felt" it along with them.

An American Airman in Paris...did not do much for me. It felt weird--both the hero's obsession with the girl who'd lived in his house and his sexual stuff. I didn't finish it. After You've Gone...I found the narrative unengaging and did not finish that one either.

The Photograph was also a good tale. I could feel the love between the characters, however fleeting. The story was probably the most unique as it involved a British soldier not on the frontlines but in Ireland fighting in a conflict the rest of the book doesn't explore and also touching on the hostilities between the Irish and British. It's a tale of forbidden love.

In both Hour of Bells and Hush, the love of a mother for her children is explored. I enjoyed the former as the mother sought revenge and instead received a surprise.

Overall, the book is worth the time and read. You may find an author you've never read before and as a result, get more books on your to read, as was the case with myself and Jessica Brockmole. I can't wait to get my hands on her novel now.