This book is a fictional autobiography of Poppy Minkel who is a mess.  She has kinky hair and big ears.  What hope is there for her to find a husband some day?  Poppy's mother took on this challenge the day after Poppy's twelfth birthday.  She made Poppy wear ear-correcting bandages and would not allow her to eat candy or anything that would make her gain weight. When Poppy turned sixteen she would have some work done on her nose.  Her skin was also a mess so her mother saw to it that she had Gomper's Skin Whitener painted on her neck.  Even though the label said it should be done only once per week, Poppy's mother thought "what do they know - they haven't seen Poppy's neck".

Poppy and her family received word that her father has died on the Titantic.  Poppy and her mother go through a grieving stage.  Her mother soon abandoned the search for a husband for her daughter.  Poppy's rebelliousness really takes off and the book takes us through Poppy's life as she moves to such places as New York and Paris. 

Poppy does marry a writer named Gilbert but soon got rid of him for Reggie an Englishman who is related to the royal family. 

Does this relationship with Reggie turn out better than her first?

The story will take you through Poppy's life from the 20's to the 70's and from one World War to the next.  In the 70's Poppy reflects back on her life.

Author, Laurie Graham takes the reader through Poppy's life which is almost like a roller coaster.  The writer does an excellent job with the characters and from the very beginning you just have this picture in your mind of what a mess Poppy really looked like.  This story is amusing and will make you laugh several times.  This is a book you will enjoy reading!

REVIEWED BY NANCY EATON

DO NOT REPRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR, NANCY EATON