Eventual Poppy Day
Libby Hathorn
Eventual Poppy Day
Libby Hathorn
Painstakingly researched and extremely well written, this is a novel that moves deftly and easily from one time period to another and yet still allows the novel to retain an overall sense of cohesion.
Respected YA author Libby Hathorn has drawn on family history and done extensive research to write a fascinating book that profiles two young protagonists, both seventeen years of age, who are related: Maurice, who went to Gallipoli and the Western Front and his great-great nephew, Oliver, who is trying to deal with difficult family circumstances but whose discovery of Maurice’s WW1 diary changes the way he sees the world.
The balance of the historical and contemporary points of view makes this title perfect for use in the classroom, but also appealing to the YA reader. Ages: 14+
Review
Savannah Indigo
Two artists, white feathers, first loves and broken promises: Eventual Poppy Day is a story about learning to look at the world in a different light. Australian writer and poet Libby Hathorn (Thunderwith) has created a story that is both realistic and full of hope. Eventual Poppy Day interweaves the stories of two 17-year-old men: Maurice and his great-great nephew, Oliver.
Maurice’s story allows us to see the brutality of World War I and its propaganda machine, but also introduces us to the camaraderie and friendship, hard won on the shores of Gallipoli and at the Western Front. It is Maurice’s story – preserved in a tin box of his sister’s – that saves Oliver from entering a downward spiral. Despite unstable family circumstances, Oliver learns to find light through Maurice’s words and artwork.
This book is educational and brilliantly researched. It is also a beautiful read. Hathorn has managed to create a story suitable for young adults who are reading books faster than they can find them. It is insightful, gripping and honest, perfect for sophisticated readers 14 and up.
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