The title The Poppy Wife acknowledges the poppy, an enduring symbol of the First World War. Why is the poppy so synonymous with this conflict, and still such an emotive emblem?
When Harry is taking photographs for the families back in Britain, he composes his images with care, and considers what he feels the families ought to see. Is this well-meaning editing the right thing to do, or should Harry be capturing more “authentic” images?
As she considers whether Francis could be alive, Edie is troubled by a sense of guilt. Where does this emotion come from—and does she have any good reason to feel this way?
Harry copes with his wartime experiences by recording significant events and images in a sketchbook. Does this coping mechanism help him in the long term, or does it cause more damage?
Why is Harry so determined to help Rachel, despite barely knowing her? Why is she so important to him? Do you think their encounter in the hotel is real, or is this Harry’s mind playing tricks?
The novel chronicles a progressive downward slide in Francis’s mental health. In retrospect, Harry recognizes and appreciates how much his brother was suffering and struggling, but should he have seen it sooner? Could he have done more to help Francis?
Why is Edie convinced that the man in the photograph is “so much older” than Francis was the last time she saw him? What motivations are behind that judgment?
Two of the characters in this novel—Daniel East and the photographer in Saint-Christophe du Quercy—may, or may not, be real. In your opinion, are they figments of Harry’s imagination? Or something else?
Did you expect Francis to be alive or dead? How did you feel about the ultimate revelation of what happened to him?
Francis steps in front of Harry immediately before he is shot. Is Francis acting out of a desire to protect Harry, or is he effectively trying to commit suicide? Is this an act of brotherly love, anger, despair, or a combination of all three?
In the epilogue we see the characters coming to terms with what they have experienced and learned. Do you believe that Harry can really put the war behind him? Will Edie be able to move on? Do Edie and Harry have a future together?
The events in this novel take place around a century ago, in a society very different from our own in many ways. Did the characters feel familiar to you, or distant? Were you able to empathize with their dilemmas?
Memory (and the tricks that it plays) and remembrance are themes of the novel. Now that the centenary of the end of the First World War has passed, should we still make an effort to remember the conflict, or have we lingered here too long? Can it teach us lessons for our own time, or is this history now too distant to be relevant? Has the novel challenged your perceptions of the First World War in any ways?
