First in the Poppy series. It's 1914 England and Poppy is working as a parlourmaid in a large country house. One of the son's of the household has expressed an interest in Poppy, feelings that she believes she returns, but knows any sort of relationship will be an uphill battle against the British class system. Through a meeting with her old English teacher in December of 1914, Poppy decides to become part of the Red Crosses Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) and nurse wounded soldiers coming from the front lines of France and Belgium. Meanwhile her good-for-nothing brother, Billy, has signed up and Poppy hopes this will be the making of him. Poppy is assigned to the Netley Hut Hospital at Southampton and must overcome her horror at the war wounds that she encounters there. An author note and bibliography appear at the end of the book. Well written, a great insight into the lives of war nurses and class barriers in Britain. ( )

Looks at how war is a great class leveller. Poppy was only a humble parlourmaid who decides to help Britains' war effort by training to work as a nurse for the ever-increasing wounded coming back from the European front. Her life is thrown into further turmoil as she develops a relationship with a man of a much higher class who goes off to fight as well. First in a series. Next book is called "Poppy in the Field" where she moves from England to the actual battle front. ( )