The Poppy Field

by Deborah Carr

‘One to Watch’ Good Housekeeping

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

Young nurse, Gemma, is struggling with the traumas she has witnessed through her job in the NHS. Needing to escape from it all, Gemma agrees to help renovate a rundown farmhouse in Doullens, France, a town near the Somme. There, in a boarded-up cupboard, wrapped in old newspapers, is a tin that reveals the secret letters and heartache of Alice Le Breton, a young volunteer nurse who worked in a casualty clearing station near the front line.

Set in the present day and during the horrifying years of the war, both woman discover deep down the strength and courage to carry on in even the most difficult of times. Through Alice’s words and her unfailing love for her sweetheart at the front, Gemma learns to truly live again.

This is a beautifully written epic historical novel that will take your breath away.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, World War I, Ebooks, War, France

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 12, 2018

About the author

Deborah Carr a USA TODAY bestselling author of historical fiction and published by HarperCollins One More Chapter division.

She lives on the island of Jersey with her husband and three rescue dogs and is one of The Blonde Plotters writing group.

Reviews

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

10☆ Evocative, Powerful, Emotional, romantic..... Highly recommend!

The Poppy Field is an evocative, powerful, emotional, read about heartbreak, war, effects of war, romance and new beginnings. I couldn't put it down. I was completely captivated.
It's not often I go above the ☆ ratings but this book deserves way way more than 5☆s.

A gripping, poignant and emotional look into the lives of two women. Both decades apart but linked together by nursing.
Gemma a young trauma nurse, and Alice a Casulty volunteer nurse in the war.

Gemma....A present day nurse.... escaped to Doullens, Northern France to heal her broken heart. Taking a sabbatical from nursing, she offers to help her Father by renovating her Uncles Farmhouse, but she has no intentions of staying....

Tom... A sexy contractor.... helping her with the refurbishment of her Dads Old Farmhouse. Clearly has a soft spot for Gemma. He becomes her hero when he helps with the renovations.

Gemma is shy, not very confident, independent and has very little self worth left.
Tom is confident, handsome, strong, mysterious, and appears to be hiding something.
There is an obvious sexual chemistry between them, if only both would let their walls down.

But just what is Tom hiding? Can Gemma uncover the pain she sees behind his eyes?
Can Tom and the charming farmhouse convince her to stay?

During the rennovations Gemma discovers, Inbetween one of the gaps in the floorboards, a gorgeous red poppy. It's vibrant red, Gemma is curious to think someone had lost such a beautiful broach. But who does it belong to?

Also whilst rennovating, Inside a very well hidden cupboard in the old barn, Gemma & Tom discover a small Trunk.
Inside is two bundles of letters tied up with ribbon addressed to Alice Le Breton who was writing to a Lieutenant Peter Conway and the second bundle of letters to a Captain Edgar Woodhall.
Just who are these mystery men?

Alice Le Breton a Casulty Nurse in the war.
Her mother wanted her to get married, but Alice left her fiancé to join and become a Nurse. Her Casulty Clearing Station was so close to the Somme.
Alice's letters had extra snippets on the back of most of the letters, written by Alice. They added insight into her day/life as a Nurse on the frontline.
Alice Is ambitious, strong, courageous, kind, patient, and very good at her job.

What I love most about this book is the harsh realities of war!
Deborah has written a vivid rich real story about the trauma, heartache, reality of the casualties of war.
She hasn't held back, and certainly doesn't sugar coat anything.
These are my favourite books, as you literally feel every earth shatter, every patient scream, the haunting atmosphere so powerful and real.

The pace just flows effortlessly, the characters are beautifully written, relatable and endearing.
The historical aspect is perfect. The romance is heart warming
I can't praise The Poppy Field enough!
I highly recommend this captivating read!

Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/1...

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

In a book market that is constantly flooded with historical romance/fiction of the Second World War, it's always refreshing to get my hands on a book set during the First World War. A dual narrative, The Poppy Field taking place in 2018 and the war years &aftermath of 1916-1919. The two women, both nurses, also seem to have similar love experiences. The Poppy Field was an ok read for me, it was heavy on the romance, but does focus on the tragedy of the trenches and the thousands of wounded men during WWI. I am the outlier in the reviews, but it might be a case of both romances have been told in hundreds of other books.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a lot of both non-fiction and historical fiction about WWI during the 100th anniversary of the War. This book is a continuation of that project.

The story is about a modern-day trauma nurse who volunteers to help her father renovate a run down farm house in Doullene, France. She uncovers the story of Alice, a nurse, during the Somme offensive. The story is divided between WWI and the present time. I was primarily interested in the WWI nursing part of the story. I found the book most enjoyable.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine hours and forty-two minutes. Stephanie Beattie does a good job narrating the book. This is my first experience with the author, Deborah Carr, and the narrator, Stephanie Beattie.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover of this book is just gorgeous! An amazing read this takes place in modern times and through letters Gemma discovers in a distant relatives home she is fixing up. The letters take us back to WW I. Two sets of main characters really pull on our heartstrings. Epic historical romance has us pulling for nurse Alice who sees it all in her line of nursing duty. The human spirit is strong it may be crushed for a time but as humans we recover,have resilience and move on. We have to to survive! This amazing book is only the author's second book but she wrote it as if she has been writing for many years! I will definitely be reading this author's other book! Highly recommended historical.
Movingly beautiful historical fiction commemorates the 100 year anniversary of WW1.
Pub Date 12 Oct 2018
I was given a complimentary copy of this book from HarperCollins through NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions expressed are my own.

[May · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely read… at a time when that was just what I needed. Set in contemporary France, Gemma finds a box of letters from WWI hidden under the floorboards of an old farmhouse she is restoring. The back and forth between then & now worked easily. The plot was no surprise. The characters enjoyable.
All of this makes this novel perfect for a rainy afternoon.

[Claire Louisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been a much higher rating but I felt that the writing let the story down. I really loved the actual story, essentially two romance stories, one set in the present day and one set 100 years ago during WWI in France. Both were good stories, Gemma in the present day meets Tom when she travels to France to renovate an old farmhouse that has been left to her father. There she finds some old letters, which leads to us meeting Alice who falls for Ed during the war. The farmhouse ties them together, but we don't find out how until much later in the story, and then not when we think we will which confused me slightly as I was expecting Alice's story to pick up where Gemma finishes her chapter. An enjoyable novel that I feel could have been better written.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a copy in return for an honest review.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ehh, I was very excited to read this book. I love historical fiction and the premise of finding 100-year-old WWI letters hidden in an old home was promising. Sadly, the writing was slightly wooden. The pace of the book both dragged and was forced at the same time. I was not able to connect with the characters. I found myself skimming over dialogue and through pages. This book just wasn't for me.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been longing to read The Poppy Field ever since I laid my eyes on the cover. Poppies are simply beautiful and the connection they have with war time makes them even more poetic. I’m keenly interested in stories based around the war from the ‘outside’ point of view and being a nurse myself made this a double blessing of content.

Deborah writes with such compassion, the sense of despair, loss and grief leap from the pages. She has obviously undertaken a lot of research into this era and how the situation pulls everyone into acting with an urgency to deal with the casualties, while we take for granted the glamorous service received in A&E these days back then it really was a desperate fight for life under the most gruelling of circumstances. The poor sanitation, the absence of antibiotics, all care being administered in cold shelters basically made from tarpaulin in areas with the threat of more fighting going on.

This is a wonderful tale of nurses on different timelines .. Gemma in the present day leaves behind tragedy and all she knows and travels to France to renovate an old house she has inherited. While doing some clearing she discovers a box of old letters, written a hundred years ago belonging to Alice who was a volunteer nurse’s aid who worked at the grim end of the front line.

While reading these letters and switching lives we get a real feel of the heartache and emotions of the time. Absolutely fascinating comparing life then and now. I was spurred on to keep reading with a desperate sense of wanting to now what happens next. There are so many books that involve old houses and letters, don’t let that put you off, this is stunning.

I knew this was going to be a cracker before I started but it completely exceeded my expectations.

Thanks to the author, publisher, netgalley and Rachel from Random Resources. I read and reviewed voluntarily.

[Elke Eelbode · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aanvankelijk was ik wat onzeker over dit boek, maar gezien past present verhalen mij erg aanspreken toch dit boek ter hand genomen en dat heb ik me zeker niet beklaagd! 2 mooie verhaallijnen waarin heden en verleden elkaar opnieuw tegenkomen, een ontroerend boek dat vlot leest. Ik vond het best zijn 5 sterren waard.

[Grace J Reviewerlady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story, and a timely reminder of the suffering of the first world war.

Gemma is a trauma nurse in today's NHS; affected by her work, she has taken a sabbatical to renovate a french farmhouse which needs extensive work. While there, she discovers a hidden box of letters from 100 years ago from a young VAD nurse stationed nearby. As the story progresses, there are similarities between life then and now.

Both heartwarming and heartwrenching, this is a delightful read. A timely reminder of how easy life is in the 21st century and how much we all take for granted. I couldn't pick one tale over the other as they are both equally intriguing and meld together seamlessly. Both timelines are fascinating. I warmed to the characters almost immediately; it's a hard novel to put down as each chapter spurred me on. The author has done an excellent job of catching the reader's attention and keeping it 'til the very last page. A very satisfying read, and not one I shall forget in a hurry. Totally recommended, and five full glowing stars.

My thanks to Rachel's Random Resources both for providing my copy and including me in this blog tour. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

[AnnMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Poppy Field is a stand-alone book by Deborah Carr.

It is the story of two women Alice, whose story happens during WW1 and Gemma whose story takes place in 2018.

Gemma is a trauma nurse taking time out from her job to get over the loss of her fiance. Her father suggests she go to France to oversee the renovations and eventual sale of the farm that his recently deceased cousin owned. She jumps at the chance. During her time there not only does she meet the handsome handyman, Tom, who she contracts to do all the renovation work needed, but they also find an old tin full of letters addressed to a man called Ed.

Alice is the woman who wrote the letters. Through them, Gemma reads all about Alice's experiences as a volunteer nurse during the war. One of those experiences was nursing Ed back to health and consequently falling for him. Of course, nurse/patient relationships are frowned upon so the letters told of how they managed to see each other.

Reading about Alice's trials and tribulations during the war helped Gemma to realise that her own life could be so much worse. Between the letters and her budding relationship with Tom, Gemma starts to re-evaluate her life and what she wants from it.

The story is set in France at the farm and small town close to it, and the place sounds absolutely idyllic. The Poppy Field is the name of the book, and the poppy field exists a short distance from the farmhouse. Some beautiful moments happen there both for Alice and for Gemma.

I enjoyed how the stories of the two women intermingled, and although I could understand that Gemma wanted to savour reading Alice's letters, I wanted to yell at her to get a move on so I could find out how Alice and Ed's relationship faired.

It was fascinating reading about life as a nurse during WW1 and about what both they and the soldiers endured. It was pretty emotional reading. That was one of the reasons I loved how Alice and Gemma's stories alternated, there was some light amongst the darkness. The romance aspect of the story was sweet, believable, and a joy to read.

The book wasn't perfect, there was a continuity issue once or twice, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been on a kick for World War I novels lately, so I have been reading all I can get my hands on. Maybe with Armistice Day coming this week? Anyway, they are good and kind of new to me history since we here in America study more about World War II in our schools than we do World War I.

This is a duel timeline story, 1918 follows the love story of Alice and Ed. Alice is a volunteer nurse working on the front in Doullins, France. Ed was brought in from the line and Alice was his nurse. As you can expect nurses were not supposed to fall in love with their patients, so their feelings had to be kept secret. Correspondence became their connection with her in the field hospital and him sent back to the line, but eventually they got their time together. With all wars, there is always tragedy, and always just this close, but in time happiness comes, and Alice eventually found much happiness.

The second story happens in 2018, when Gemma is sent to Doullins to clean up the house her father's uncle left him. It is in the barn that Gemma, and her contractor, Tom, find the tin of Alice and Ed's letters and the amazing love story they left behind. The farm must be magic, because it is there that Gemma and Tom fall in love, and just like Alice and Ed find that the farm is just not a place they can leave.

This was a good book. There were quite a few typos, mixing up of character names especially, but ones I could let my proofreader eyes overlook. It was a good love story, that was beautiful while it lasted. I would give this book 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4) and recommend to those that like WWI, life on the front, and some romance thrown in.

I received this free copy from NetGalley, HarperImpulse, and Deborah Carr, all opinions are my own.

[Erin (Historical Fiction Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews at: http://historicalfictionreader.blogsp...

Deborah Carr’s The Poppy Field is a bittersweet romance about secrets, survivor’s guilt, and the fortitude required to move forward after unimaginable loss.

A dual period piece, the novel follows a modern-day trauma nurse who unwittingly uncovers the story of a volunteer who worked at a casualty clearing station during the Somme offensive. The stories have interesting symmetry, but I felt the historic half of the narrative the stronger of the two.

Gemma and Alice have interesting backstories, but I’d have liked to see more depth in both Tom and Ed. That said, two of the supporting characters, Odette and Jack, struck me as particularly compelling and I liked how their actions spoke to their individual characters.

All in all, I found The Poppy Field light and predictable but satisfying in its own way and could easily recommend it alongside Diney Costeloe’s The Lost Soldier.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told over two time lines, 1916/1918 and 2018, The Poppy Field is an engaging and well told story of the horrors of the first world war, and is a particularly poignant read in this, the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1.

In 2018 Gemma, an NHS trauma nurse, has taken leave from her job following a traumatic and distressing experience. She comes to Doullens in Northern France to renovate an old farmhouse on behalf of her father who has inherited the building. Gemma is at a crossroads in her life, she’s not sure that she wants to return to nursing or even what she could do if she didn’t but her first job is get the house habitable and ready for sale. With this she has the help of local handyman Tom, a very (handsome) considerate and kind man but with his own traumas to deal with.

Hidden under the floorboards, Gemma finds a box of letters, written by an Alice Le Breton to a Captain Edgar Woodhall. Gemma is fascinated by Alice’s story and becomes a little bit obsessed with them.

In 1916 we meet Alice Le Breton, a VAD (volunteer nurse) stationed at a casualty clearing station near Doullens, near the Somme. Its from Alice that we hear about the horrific casualties that that the endless stream of ambulances bring in. The difficult working and living conditions – the wards being hit by the nearby shelling, the strain on the nursing staff and doctors trying to save lives and ease the men’s suffering with limited equipment – all were vividly and sympathetically described. Against this backdrop, there is a lovely romantic thread which I was eagerly following and hoping for a perfect outcome.

There were several parallels between Gemma and Alice. Both were nurses, both had left home to try and make a new start, and both had mothers who seemed callous and cold. There was one time when I was wishing all sorts of curses on Alice’s mother! At first the link between them seemed tenuous but as the story goes on, the house and the surrounding poppy fields have more relevance.

As much as I liked Gemma and was keen to know how her story would end, it was Alice who engaged me the most, she was compassionate, brave and wasn’t afraid to speak up where necessary. I would have loved to have seen more of the content of the letters – for me this would have enhanced the romance element. I knew that soldier’s letters were censored before being sent to friends and loved ones but I hadn’t realised that a similar same thing applied to the nurses. Their incoming mail was opened by Matron and scrutinised. Any kind of relationship between nurse and patient was strictly forbidden and could result in the nurse being sent home.

I really enjoyed this captivating and emotional story. The level of research and detail shows through and the sense of place and drama were superbly done. I definitely recommend it for readers who favour this genre.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

The cover for this book is fantastic, it completely draws you in, and after reading the blurb, I knew it was a book I wanted to read.

I have read a few books by this author and she has a brilliant writing style and way of bringing the characters to life. This one was no different and I loved everything about it from the scene setting, through to the excellent characterisation and the storyline – everything about this book worked for me and I loved it – it is a brilliant piece of historical fiction.

Five stars from me, I really enjoyed it and it is definitely a book that will stay with me for a while – very highly recommended!

[Tatiana Sevciuc · Rating 1 out of 5]

Predictable.
Too much unnecessary love. I wanted every character to die.
This book can be a drinking game based on how many time these characters say " I love you" to each other.
I would be drunk in 5 mins

[Misfits farm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemma arrives in France in order to restore the house of a deceased cousin of her Father’s, having left her nursing job in Brighton behind. Her family live in Jersey and so there is the French connection. The house is in a far worse state than she imagined. She is glad to get away from England- she has left tragedy and heartache behind- her boyfriend was killed in a car accident and she was in the trauma team and found out more than she bargained for. She bumps into Tom in the hardware store when trying to find someone to do up the house as the original contractor has let her down and a friendship beings not least as he is the only person here she has contact with. When they unearth a trunk full of old letters, Gemma is taken back in time. In 1916 Alice and Mary are nurses at the casualty clearing centre in Doullens Northern France having volunteered and both wishing to get away from their controlling parents. It is forbidden to fraternise with the patients but one Alice becomes rather sympathetic to and a friendship begins. We learn of this part of the story through the letters that Gemma is reading and chapters alternate between then and now. I am not usually into historical fiction however this one is very different switching between the two. The understanding of Gemma trying to get her head around what Alice and Mary are facing when she herself has been in a trauma unit with all it modern facilities and there they are in sparse conditions with no antibiotics and only canvas over their heads. Of relationships and time, of friendships and trauma. The very best way to learn a little history A beautifully written highly enjoyable read.
For more reviews please see my blog http://nickibookblog.blogspot.co.uk/
or follow me on Twitter @nickijmurphy1

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love a story with a dual timeline and, although I may have read many others triggered by the discovery of long-lost letters, I really did enjoy this one. I will confess though that the present day story of Gemma, with her tragic past and need for a fresh start, managing the farmhouse renovation at Doullens, didn’t capture my imagination quite as much as Alice’s wartime story did. Although a lovely romantic story, very well told, I would have rather liked a tad more depth, more obvious evidence of the trauma she was recovering from – but then I guess it might just have detracted from the darker parts of the historical thread and lessened the “light relief” the thread delivered. There were though some clever links and “echoes” between the two stories – and I particularly liked the way the stories were linked by location, especially the poppy field itself that has such deep meaning for both lead characters.

The historical thread is really excellent – full of well-researched detail about the realities of the human impact of war, with a nice balance between Alice’s personal story and the day-to-day lives and experiences of those dealing with the constant influx of casualties. Although told in the third person, Alice has a clear and distinctive voice – she’s kind and compassionate, feisty and brave, knows her own mind, and I really liked her. The supporting cast isn’t drawn in quite the same detail, but that’s just fine – this is very much Alice’s story, and she draws your eye (and engages your emotions) throughout.

The hospital scenes were extremely well done, capturing the worsening condition of the casualties brought in with the introduction of mustard gas, the problems caused by the lack of sanitation, the sad loss of men despite injuries that appeared to be minor, the efforts to provide care with inadequate accommodation and insufficient resources. And I liked the fact that those caring sometimes cried – at the scale of loss, and the limitations on the care they were able to give. Against this vivid backdrop, there’s a sad and rather beautiful love story, its progress made so much more difficult by the stifling rules and regulations. The ending, I thought, was quite perfect – suitably emotional, but nicely uplifting too, with a message of hope for the future.

I was quite fascinated by some of the historical detail. I never realised that relationships between patients and nurses were so strictly governed – and this was the first time I’d read about messages conveyed from the front through the way stamps were stuck on envelopes. And I had no idea that the victims of gassing were tethered, their arms strapped to their beds – horrific, and particularly moving. The book also brings home – with some force – how close to the front the casualty clearing stations were, the reverberations prolonging the distress of those impacted by it.

There was a great deal about this book that I really enjoyed – and it’s certainly a very fitting tribute to the many who lost their lives, and to those who tried to save them against the most dreadful odds.

[Frankie · Rating 5 out of 5]

have read many stories set during the WW1 era but I think that this could be one of my favourites, it is simply stunning and one of those rare books that I did genuinely have a weep over. The last couple of pages will break even the most hardened of hearts. This is a powerful, emotional and incredibly poignant and romantic book that will leave the reader with a lump in their throats and feeling completely overawed by the unimaginable heart-break and loss and yet at the same time it is hugely satisfying.

The Poppy Field is split between two era’s and follows two different but incredible woman who are both facing a tough and emotional time. Linked together through nursing, present day Gemma is a NHS trauma nurse, she is feeling the strain and is struggling by what she has experienced in her job. She needs to get away from everything she has seen and try to move on, so she agrees to help er father renovate an old farmhouse in Northern France. She only see’;s this as a break to basically clear her head, she doesn’t intend of staying in France. That is until two thing’s happen.

One, she meets Tom, the supremely handsome contactor who has agreed to her her with the refurbishment; and two she finds an old box in the house that is full of letters from a woman called Alice who was a volunteer nurse during the great war. I think reading about and getting to know Alice through these old letters is so good for Gemma, she isn’t overly confident, she is definitely stuck in her shell and reading about what this amazing woman went through is a soothing balm for her. As Gemma and Tom get on with renovating the house, Tom is very smitten with shy Gemma, he sees something in her that she unfortunately doesn’t see herself; that she is a wonderful woman.

As much as Gemma and Tom’s story is beautifully touching, I was particularly drawn to Alice. It was her story that found impacted on me, Alice left home and her fiancé to volunteer with the nursing corpse which just happened to be next door to the Somme so she saw some real horrors. The letters she had been writing were to two men, Peter and Ed, both we come to learn are such an integral part of her life. Through her own words we get a glimpse of her life, of her experiences and most importantly we get a real sense of the strong, patient, kind and utterly brilliant woman that she was.

This book is incredible, it is a beautifully written, utterly mesmerising and beautiful story that captures the readers attention and takes them on a heart-wrenching journey through both of these amazing women’s lives. This is the first time I have read Deborah Carrs work and I can say for certain it will not be the last, her writing is gift we all need to receive.

A captivating, poignant and beautiful book.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed getting to know Gemma, discovering why she is alone in a run-down farmhouse in the Somme area of France and what had happened to make her run away from her old life. It is soon apparent that her sadness and vulnerability are only partly masked by her independence. Fate, or maybe the farmhouse itself, leads her to local builder Tom, who soon begins to help her with her task of restoring the house, so her father can sell it. Tom and Gemma both have secrets from their past, but it’s the discovery of a box of letters, hidden in an outbuilding on the farm, that help them decide what they want for the future.

The letters take us back to 1918 where volunteer nurse Alice Le Breton is working in a casualty clearing station not far from the frontline trenches. Just like Gemma, I too became absorbed in Alice’s life; the exhaustion, the relentless convoys bringing in more wounded men, the strict rules imposed on the girls by Matron and the nursing sisters. Deborah’s writing brought to life the horrors of trench warfare from the point of view of the nurses, most of whom had little training or experience before the war. The dirt, the lice, the infected wounds and then the gas attacks, meant there wasn’t much for them to look forward to, especially as fraternising with the patients was forbidden.

Alice was dedicated to her job, independent and determined to live her life to the full, despite the risks involved, and I didn’t want to stop reading until I discovered what became of her after the war ended.

This book switches from one era to another, which worked well for me, and I also enjoyed seeing the similarities between Gemma and Alice, as well as discovering places with Gemma in 2018, that Alice had visited in 1918. This is a well-researched book that I think is a beautiful tribute to mark the 100thanniversary of the end of the First World War.

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Poppy Field truly a moving book, set around two remarkable nurses, and though this book is labeled under the historical romance genre, but I would honestly put it under women's fiction, because even though I love and review romance regularly, The Poppy Field is SO much more than to be pigeonholed into a just one category.

We begin with Gemma; a modern-day trauma nurse, who is betrayed by the man she cared for! And on top of that has to deal with a mother who has less personality than a piece of ice! But she took a break from her hospital, to take care of a piece of property her father inherited in a small village in France, after finally managing to find a contractor to work on the crumbling house, she finds letters, that take her back to WW1.

And those letters belong to Alice; who is a WW1 auxiliary nurse, serving in a small town in chance! Who is finally free of her overbearing mother and falls in love, but things don't go to plan, and she finds that her life has changed forever!

I cannot even express just how much this book moved me! It sucks you right it, and you feel like one minute you are in modern-day France and the next moment you are in the middle of a WW1 field hospital, with bombs, pain, and blood everywhere.

I could literally go on about The Poppy Field FOREVER! But instead, I'm going to give it 5 stars and demand that you buy this truly beautifully painful book.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A beautifully written epic historical novel that will take your breath away" is quite something for a book to live up to. The poppy field deserves every word of praise above and more. I was sucked in from the first when Gemma arrives in France to renovate an old cottage belonging to a distant family member. It was when she discovers a tin of old letters though that the real treat begins. I loved the parallels between the lives of Gemma and Alice and longed to find out the connection between them. The story of the nurses' work in the casualty clearing station during WW1 shows the tremendous research that the author has done to make it seem authentic as well as showing the futility of war and the horrific loss of life. I don't mind admitting that it brought me to tears. The story reminds us that in wartime there isn't always a happy ever after for everyone but there can be a happy right now. We all need to seize happiness when we can. Brilliantly researched, engaging, beautifully told, I can't recommend this book enough.

[Cassie May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on behalf of 3 Degrees of Fiction Blog
The blurb promised a breath taking story and breath taking it was. In the beginning the book was a bit slow, but when the letters were discovered, I fell into the rabbit hole and did not come back out. The time jumps were very well written and I was there. In the modern times as well as in the past and I could imagine everything so good! The author truly is a word artist.
The characters were slow to show their shining points. In the beginning they were a bit bland, but through the story we got more and more information on them and the blandness of the beginning developed into colorful personalities with hidden depths and so much backstory that my head was spinning from time to time.
The parts written during WWI broke my heart. God, it really felt as if the author was talking from experience and I shed more than one tear during reading and after, when I thought about the book. I really enjoyed to see how reading the letters helped Gemma to overcome her own trauma and regain her will to live her life in the fullest.
All in all this was not an easy read, but a recommendable one. If you are looking for something more in your book, this one is definitely the book for you and you will not regret picking it up.

[Stacy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written story that captures love amidst the struggles of life and war. It is written in dual time zones and allows the reader to observe the life of two women and the story seamlessly passes between the two keeping the reader engaged and eager to read on.

Alice's story is emerged in the struggles of World War 1 and is a heartbreakingly beautiful love story. Gemma's story has similar echoes to that of Alice's showcasing two brave women in two different era's of time discovering their inner belief and strength in life.

The Poppy Field is a passionate and captivating read. I loved each and every single word and found myself in tears due to its emotional strength. A perfect tribute to World War 1 in its centenary.

[Kimberly (kimmerthebooknerd) · Rating 3 out of 5]

World War Two, France, love and war. When one thinks of historical fiction, these items must be on the checklist.
I adored the story of Alice and Ed. Gemma and Tom were definitely pinpointed in the beginning. You knew the outcome before it presented itself. I feel Alice was the more prominent character and story line. Quick read and it kept my interest.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read for an honest review.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Delighted to have an early copy from netgalley in return for an honest
What a fantastic book, One of the best I've read this year. 5*++
Gemma's renovations in the French farm house turn up an unexpected surprise and the story that it follows from ww1 to today is a FANTASTIC rollercoaster of emotions and insight to a voluntary nurse I can't praise this unputtable down book enough it deserves more ** than I can give it
I highly recommend. book 5*++

[Skyesmum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!
It kept me from all my chores simply because it was just so heartwarming and I was desperately trying to find out which direction Alice's and Gemma's lives would take them.
Beautifully written. I love WW stories very much and have read many of them. This one didn't disappoint.

Thanks to Netgalley, Deborah Carr and Harper Impulse for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderfully written gem this is! The story alternates between modern day France and WWI France. Modern day Gemma and WWI Alice find that their lives are intertwined through letters that Alice wrote. This story is both heartbreaking and full of hope and happiness.

Many thanks to netgalley and HarperCollins for this advanced readers copy.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and 1 / 2 stars

Gemma, originally from Guernsey but now relocated to Brighton is a trauma nurse. She is burned out on her job and taking a break. Also after a disastrous affair and an additional personal trauma, she has had enough. She tells her father that she will go to Doullens, France to oversee the renovation of an old cottage that belonged to a relative. It hasn’t been lived in for years. Doullens is near the Somme where some horrific battles were fought during WWI.

The cottage is very dilapidated and in poor repair. She is disheartened. She meets Tom in the hardware store and he agrees to come out to look at the place. He is a contractor. There is one old building that has a painted shut door. Opening it, they discover a box. In the box are letters written by Alice LeBreton, a nurse stationed in France during WWI. Gemma becomes entranced with Alice’s letters and the little notes that she has written on the backs of the letters. She is immersed in Alice’s story.

Meanwhile her father wants to put the cottage up for sale, or at least rent and keeps emailing her to ask is it ready yet? Gemma has fallen in love with the place and doesn’t want to leave. She doesn’t want to go back to nursing, but she is ill-equipped to do anything else. She has become quite attached to Tom who is doing most of the renovation work.

I usually don’t read romance novels (no heaving bosoms or sculpted manly chests for this girl), but this book is so much more than that. I would class it as romance light. It is more about war and its horrible effects on both those injured and those treating the injured. The medicines available in the early 1900’s were nothing compared to what we have today. Gemma, and Tom too, were saddened to think that they could have done so much more for the soldiers if they only had…The courageous men who fought the war and the brave women who cared for them are depicted in this book in a highly skilled manner. The reader may be reading a “romance light” novel, but there is so much educating also going on that it cannot be ignored.

The writing and plotting of this book was done very well. The transitions were done well and the book was written logically and linearly. It was informative as well as being entertaining. I liked Gemma and Tom and was pleased to see Gemma learning a great deal about herself while also growing into her personality. Tom was a delight. Alice was a courageous woman with a contagious likeableness about her. I liked this book very much and look forward to reading more novels from Deborah Carr.

I want to thank Harper Collins/HarperImpulse and NetGalley for forwarding to me a copy of this wonderful book to read, enjoy and review.

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This present day/historical flash back novel will appeal to fans of Anita Shreve, Kathryn Hughes and Kate Morton. The lives of two very strong women – both nurses, both facing difficult situations – are examined during a crucial time in their lives. Alice is a nurse during the second world war who falls in love with Ed, a British soldier. Gemma, in present time, is also a nurse who takes a sabbatical from her highly demanding job in a Brighton casualty ward to renovate a derelict farmhouse in France for her father. While there, Gemma meets Tom, another ex-pat Brit, who happens to be a builder/renovator. During the renovations, Gemma finds some relics and letters which cause her to try to find out more about one of the farm house’s former inhabitants, Alice, and her romance with Captain Ed. The writing is good, but I couldn’t get emotionally invested in the characters – they just did not seem real to me. This book will appeal to readers who do not like overly descriptive steamy love scenes, and who prefer to get a gentle mix of history and light romance. For fans of historical fiction, it is at least well written.