The Poppy Field by Deborah Carr- 12th Oct Rachel

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/

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The Poppy Field
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.
Purchase Link - http://mybook.to/ThePoppyField


Author Bio – Deborah Carr lives on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands with her husband, two children and three rescue dogs. She became interested in books set in WW1 when researching her great-grandfather's time as a cavalryman in the 17th 21st Lancers.
She is part of ‘The Blonde Plotters’ writing group and was Deputy Editor on the online review site, Novelicious.com for seven years. Her debut historical romance, Broken Faces, is set in WW1 and was runner-up in the 2012 Good Housekeeping Novel Writing Competition and given a 'special commendation' in the Harry Bowling Prize that year. The Poppy Field is her second historical novel.
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Website: https://www.deborahcarr.org/ 
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