reviews of Poppies

Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly and without law, and must be plucked where it is found, and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration. ~D.H. Lawrence

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Excellent After reading “Poppies,” I so enjoyed Hume’s writing that I ordered two more of her books from Amazon. Need I say more?

Rebecca Bondurant, Amazon.com, 5 stars

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An enjoyable read with deep feelings I received this story free from StoryCartel in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this story very much. The author does a great job using first person POV, which is not easy and often does not work as well as in this work. The character of Janet, the protagonist, comes alive for me. The relationship between Janet and her mother is like most mother/daughter relationships–complicated and fraught with pitfalls, despite the unquestionable love, which is not openly expressed.

The writing is marvelous, clear and factual, even though many moments in the story could be exploited by a lesser writer for cheap emotion. I enjoyed the narrative with such lovely descriptive turns of phrase as “The oaks gave off a gray-white heat, fiercely gripping the sky with their skeletal branches,” and “cars like M&Ms dotting its roads.”

Any reader who likes a well-written story with heart, should read this work.

Joyce, Amazon.com, 4 stars

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Great read I loved the quick read. It was gripping from the beginning and kept me on edge to see what recollection would be revealed. Well written.

Mitzi Cook Amazon.com, 5 stars

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Mothers and Other Strangers This was my first introduction to the writing of Ulrica Hume (it was a free edition offered through Story Cartel) but it definitely won’t be my last. The writing is bittersweet, humorous, literary and conjures memories that will be instantly relatable to any female that was ever encumbered with an odd and dysfunctional mum. The narrator’s fragile crush on David–a lad described as already being an adult at age 5–is completely plausible, for how often are we drawn to those who are not only different from everyone else but who also have hearts that are seemingly unreachable. Each of Hume’s characters are well drawn, multi-layered and would lend themselves to an independent film adaptation. While I’m inclined to agree with the observation that the time management was uneven in the first portion of the story, I was nonetheless caught up from the very beginning in the young girl’s quest to individuate and to analyze the circumstances of her upbringing. This is one of those rare instances when I believe a short story could be so much more and allow us deeper study of what makes the characters tick.

Christina Hamlett, Amazon.com, 4 stars

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Earlier this week, I read “Poppies,” a short story by Ulrica Hume, one of our authors on Story Cartel. Initially, I had only planned on skimming a few pages, but the first line hooked me. Before long, I was finishing the last page…Here’s the line from Ulrica Hume’s “Poppies” that caught my attention. “I was born upside down, the umbilical cord looped twice around my neck.” It’s a simple sentence, but I love it. “Born upside down.” There’s something at once whimsical and perilous and messy about that image.

Joe Bunting, The Write Practice

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Before I get started on my review, I want to say that I really like the cover art. It is simplistic, yet drew me in. I’m not really sure why, but it’s just very pretty to me.

I enjoyed this story a lot. A woman looking back on the interconnected stories of her life, some happy and some sad, of memories and people. Beautifully written.

Meghan, Amazon.com, 5 stars

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Poppies I received this book for free from Story Cartel. It was short but sweet. Beautifully written, put me right in the story. I will for sure look for more by Ulrica Hume!!

Heather Schumway, Amazon.com, 5 stars