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.

I loved the dual storyline/timeline of a WW I nurse, Alice, and a present day trauma nurse, Gemma. It was a beautifully written historical novel, that looked into the lives of these 2 different characters, who are remarkably similiar. Love, loss, and rebuilding life. Held my attention until the very last page! Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

It is rather apt that I should be able to read such a book when we are so close to the centenary of the end of the First World War; the war to end all wars, although we now sadly know this not to be true.

The Poppy Field is set in two time periods - both present day and war time - and tells the story of two strong women, both of whom have seen unimaginable things in their roles as nurses.  One works on the frontline, tending injured soldiers whilst the other is a trauma nurse who is seeking to work out what she wants from her life.  Both show tremendous courage in the face of an uncertain future after dealing with trauma and tragedy, both professionally and personally.

The two women are linked across the decades by a series of letters, written by Alice Le Breton from her frontline hospital and discovered by Gemma as she renovates an old farmhouse in France.  Despite the different expectations placed on them by society, both women seek independence, stability, peace and love.  Alice's letters bring to life a time long since gone by but never to be forgotten as she sees the impact of war on hundreds of young men, some of whom will never again return home.  In present day, Gemma is dealing with her own tragedy and can relate to Alice's life, despite the fact that they lived almost a century apart.  With the help of Tom, an ex-military man who is assisting her with her renovations, and Alice's letters, Gemma attempts to create herself the life she never knew she wanted.

The Poppy Field is such a lovely novel - I always enjoy novels set during the war and this is no exception.  I really loved the way that Alice's letter linked her time with the present - I felt that this was beautifully and seamlessly achieved.  I therefore have no hesitation in recommending this book, which is published today!

I enjoyed this book as I have not read a lot of books about World War I. It was very interesting and well written, and the descriptions of the places were very vivid. This was a very good story and I am excited to read another book by this author. I highly recommend it.

I found myself totally engulfed in this dual POV WWII book. I read this book in one setting because I couldn't wait to see how Gemma and Alice's stories collided. This is the go to historical fiction release of October and cant be missed for true fans of the genre.

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.

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.

A poignant, immersive and captivating novel set in the present day and during the First World War, The Poppy Field is an exceptionally written and highly compelling tale that is sure to stay with you and linger in the mind long after the last page is turned.

Fate has dealt Gemma a very cruel blow. Coping with the death of her beloved fiance was hard enough, but finding out that he was not all that he seemed left Gemma desperate for sanctuary and escape. With her father wanting to renovate a dilapidated farmhouse in France, she volunteers to be on site to help out should there be any problems and inconveniences. Her new life in France might present its own challenges as Gemma does not speak the lingo, but getting away from it all is just what she needs at the moment. However, little does Gemma realise that her time in Doullens, a tiny French village next to the Somme, is going to force her to not just reevaluate her life, but also to find the courage to be in charge of her own destiny and make her own choices.

When she had agreed to take up residence in the farmhouse, Gemma had been ill prepared for the derelict state her new house was in. Everything might be going to rack and ruin, but Gemma will not be deterred. She is determined to see this renovation through and she engages the services of fellow Brit Tom who, as luck would have it, happens to be a contractor willing to help her out. As the farmhouse is slowly given a new lease, a startling discovery is made of the letters and diaries of young nurse, Alice Le Breton, who during the First World War worked in a casualty clearing station near the front line.

Alice’s story is one of love, hope, daring and courage during a time of great danger and despair, which provides Gemma with great comfort, consolation and inspiration, when she is at her lowest ebb. But will Gemma manage to overcome all the obstacles standing in her way and forge a new path for herself? Or will old ghosts prevent her from moving forward?

The Poppy Field will take your breath away! Deborah Carr is a gifted and talented writer who deftly and effortlessly juggles two narratives and imbues them with heart, pathos and searing emotion. An engrossing novel that brings to vivid and colourful life the pain, misery, frustration and heartbreaking repercussions of war, The Poppy Field is a stunning read that touches the heart and will have you reaching for the tissues.

Wonderfully researched, vividly told and absolutely enthralling, The Poppy Field is a compulsively readable novel I will not easily forget!

This is a story about a woman finding herself via the medium of a voice from the past. A stranger’s love story helps Gemma to acknowledge that she needs to take what she wants with both hands and to live life with no regrets.

Gemma finds a metal box full of letters from Alice, a VAD during WW1, written to her paramour. My great-grandmother was a VAD in France in the Great War, and now and again she would speak of a Canadian love she met and lost there, so the read had sentimental value for me. The love letters become a path of discovery and make Gemma more aware of her own needs and desires.

The connection to the farmhouse, the area, and a very handsome contractor, make Gemma feel even more as if she has found a place to call home. Instead of seeing the content of the letters as Gemma reads them the reader is taken into the past to WW1 and the life of Alice Le Breton. There are parallels between the lives of the two women, which is what fascinates Gemma, despite the many years that separates them.

I have to give Carr her dues for combining fact with fiction, especially when it comes to the more harsh realities of WW1. Facts such as; the short life expectancy of a pilot, the flimsy material the planes were made out of and the fact the pilots couldn’t see where they were going or flying, and the vicious use of gas as a weapon. How frightened the soldiers were by the noise, the brutality and hopelessness of the situation, and how limited the medical professionals were when it came to saving lives.

Carr reminds us how brave both the volunteers and the enlisted were, and how many lives both in the UK and abroad were devastated by the Great War.

It’s an emotional combination of historical fact and fiction with romance and love at the very core of both tales.

It’s been a while since I’ve read an historical novel, so with the centenary of Armistice Day approaching, The Poppy Field was a perfect choice. With a dual timeline, the setting for this third-person narrative juxtaposes the tranquillity of a rural cottage in France 2018 with the same location 100 years ago, where the devastation and horrors of WW1 are only too evident.

In the present day, Gemma is a trauma nurse whose world is torn apart when her lover is rushed into the hospital where she works after a road accident. When he dies and Gemma discovers he wasn’t the man she thought he was, she takes a sabbatical refurbishing the run-down farmhouse that her father has inherited from his cousin. There she finds an old tin box containing two batches of love letters; the first batch between a young woman called Alice Le Breton and a Lieutenant Peter Conway, and the second between Alice and a Captain Edgar Woodhall.

Like Gemma, Alice is also a nurse, albeit under very different circumstances, and the first thing that struck me about Alice’s story was the level of historical research the author must have carried out. There are some epistolary style scenes, but the past element of this narrative is mostly told in a flashback style where I felt like I had been transported back in time to the make-shift hospital tents. The attention to detail with Alice’s story made me both shiver and gasp: I could almost smell the gangrene and taste the blood. As well as this, the realistic historical context makes you really appreciate just how different it must have been to have lived during that era. The way Alice, as a volunteer nurse, is answerable to the matron for her private life, almost like she was a prisoner rather than somebody who has given her free time to help others. This felt a very personal story and really brought Alice’s character to life.

As well symbolising the story’s setting, the book’s title is also a metaphorical emblem of hope and survival against all odds, and as Gemma unravels the mystery of the two sets of love letters, as well as Alice’s identity, parallels between the lives of the two women draw closer together. Packed with both heartbreak and passion, this emotive narrative will leave you reaching for the tissues; but will Gemma’s heart finds a way to mend and flourish amongst the fields of poppies?

Not only is The Poppy Field a wonderful tribute to the heroes of WW1 but also to those who continue to serve and sacrifice themselves today. The realistic characterisation, particularly from a historical perspective, makes this novel an ideal story for a screen adaption.

This is my first introduction to the work of Deborah Carr and it ticked all the boxes for me. I love reading historical fiction and especially stories set around pivotal moments in history, events that changed the world we live in now. 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. During the summer I had the privilege to visit many of the war graves and commemorative monuments around Flanders Field. I was deeply moved by the graves and the traces of a war that etched scars across the country. My husband was a member of the armed forces and I could totally emphasise with the families and loved ones that were left behind during times of conflict. The constant fear of the unknown was a daily battle.
The story is set in two time zones; the present day and then we travel back to 1917. Gemma has recently left her nursing job back in the UK following a very emotional break-up. She has agreed to help oversee the renovation of an old farmhouse that has been left to her father. The farmhouse is in Doullens, France, not far from the Somme. A chance to escape her life in Brighton proves to be the best medicine for Gemma.
The farmhouse is pretty derelict and Gemma has quite a job on her hands but with the help of a fellow Brit living in the French village they start the task of renovating the property. An unexpected find is made in one of the outhouses; a tin box full of letters dating back to 1917. Curiosity peaks Gemma's attention with these letters and she is keen to learn about the author and recipient of them. Gemma slowly learns from the letters the emotional, brave plight of Alice Le Breton, a young VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment) originally from Jersey who worked in a casualty clearing station near the frontline in Northern France.
I was captivated by the scenes the author portrayed back in 1917: it was atmospheric and you could feel the bravado from these young volunteer girls witnessing scenes they never could have imagined. The days in the makeshift wards were relentless and there was little escape for the VADs. Gemma felt a kinship with Alice, they were both nurses working under extreme pressure and conditions so for Gemma to learn of Alice 100 years on must have really brought to home the differences in life in medicine back then and now.
Deborah Carr's novel was very raw and honest at times revealing war in it's true colours. Alice's story must have been very similar to many back in WWI. Love finds a way during the dark days of conflict bringing glimpses of hope for the future. These moments must have been cherished by many. I adored both sides of this story, the present day with Gemma overcoming her heartache and finding inspiration in the farm and letters and to Alice's story that was just so tragically beautiful. Heart-breaking and utterly captivating.

"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.

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.

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 (I researched a little – you can find more here on the language of stamps). 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.

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.

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.

Moving and emotional? Meh.

I did not like the part of the novel set in modern times. The romance seemed so contrived and honestly had my eyes rolling at the plethora of awkward encounters between our two prospective lovers.

The half of the novel set during World War I was definitely the more interesting part, but even after a bit, it felt too predictable.

By the end, everything was wrapped up with a perfect bow on top. It was too easy. I wanted more drama, more conflict.

All in all, it wasn't a terrible book and could be considered a "clean" romance, if you're into that.

I don't really see myself recommending this to patrons, primarily because there are so many other outstanding books set in the same time period.

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.

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.

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.