The Songbird

by Valerie Wood

Poppy Mazzini's lovely singing voice and good looks lead her to her great ambition—to go on the stage and see her name top of the bill. She becomes a music hall star both in her native town and in the south, and even performs in Paris, to tremendous acclaim. But when her first love becomes engaged to someone else, Poppy is devastated. She disappears, believing that she will never return to her life of stardom. But her fame cannot be kept a secret.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction

409 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Val Wood, formerly published as Valerie Wood is the award winning author of romantic historical novels set in and around Hull | City of Culture 2017

Val Wood

Reviews

[Bookmaniac_60]

I'M hooked. My emotions were put to the test when reading, the story was absolutely beautiful.

Poppy was so sweet and young but a woman at heart and mind.
Anthony was so sweet and a gentleman to poppy, I fell in love with him myself.

All the characters were so loveable, well for a few who made my blood boil.
Charlie or Charles whatever his name is was a douche, he wanted to defile poppy just because they were no longer with their parents and he toyed with her feelings.

Val wood knows how to pull the audience in,and am so in love with her work.

[Judith Ring]

I find Val Wood books “easy reads” no great emotional trauma which some books offer. She writes historical novels set in and around Hull, however the protagonist in this story moves to London. It’s Val Woods usual style and I consider her one of the better authors for this genre. However I did get rather bored halfway through and then the story perked up again. As with most of her novels the outcomes are very predictable, but there were a few plot turns in this novel. If you haven’t read Val Wood and this is your genre I’d recommend this book.

[josephine Hunt]

Very good

I enjoyed the story but found I skipped a few lines to get to the storyline. The latter part of the story was good.

[Kayleigh Goodyear]

A good read as always from Val wood. Although her books are all kind of similar they wr enjoyable to read

[Valerie Valente (Pate)]

It had been suggested to me more than once that I should read some of Valerie Wood’s novels. They are mostly set in the region where I currently live, East Yorkshire and The Humber. They are also historical in nature, usually focusing on Victorian, working class families.

My mother-in-law lent me a handful of them, and first I embarked upon “The Innkeeper’s Daughter”. Less than two chapters in, however, I put it aside. Colloquial dialogue often grates on me (I recall first coming to despise it as I read “Huckleberry Finn” in high school), and for some reason that novel seemed to be squeezing it in whenever possible; really overemphasizing it. I very nearly called my forage into the world of Valerie Wood quits after that experience, but I was eager to learn the appeal of her works. I chose “The Songbird” from the pile and gave her one more try.

"Songbird" is not a bad novel. It’s a bit of fluff; and a pleasant bit of fluff if indeed it’s fluff you’re after. Poppy is a young singer from Hull who wants to make it in the theatre. Her mother is dead and her father runs a coffee shop in town. She is madly in love with her brother’s best friend before imparting upon her career. The people she meets along the way will open her eyes, but just like Dorothy, she also learns to truly appreciate her home and those who love her.

The writing isn’t grand, yet it’s very readable. I believe that most of Wood’s dedicated readers are also from the Hull area and simply love to see their familiar haunts incorporated into a story. Wood certainly does her history, and is eager to show off her knowledge. I felt at times that she was inserting location details that were irrelevant to the story, purely for this “travelogue” type purpose.

It was all very twee and tied bow-like at the end. Wood’s readers do seem to love a happy ending. In conclusion, I believe I have found the simple magic of her appeal - a bit of nostalgia, a light and decent romance, and a map of Humberside. Personally, I don’t feel I have time to spend on any more of her quaint creations; but I wouldn’t frown upon those who enjoy a nice, warm-hearted story to cozy up with on a night.

[Louisa Charlotte Phillips]

One of her 'nicer' books, by this I mean no upsetting events, unlike many of Val's books. This was an enjoyable book to read.

[Seema Sharma]

Beautiful bold story of Poppy Mazzini who moves from Hull where his father manages a bakery to realize her dreams of music star.

[Cyd]

A wonderful book of a girl who finds herself. As the book progresses she grows into a young woman and learns who her real friends are. Magnificent.

[Valerie Peacock]

Great

Another good one by Val Wood. Love all her books. Great writer. Now on to the next one of hers

[Jennifer]

disappointed a bit with the ending but it was a good read!

[Debbie]

Very good read.
Thanks

[Maureen]

excellent