Poppy is a six-year-old girl who lives with her mother in a run-down suburban neighbourhood. One day, they move into a luxurious mansion with her mother’s new partner. This new ‘Daddy’ or “Mr Rich”, as the young girl calls him, makes Poppy’s every wish come true. He showers her with gifts, washes her hair three times a week and takes her on long journeys in his big car, just the two of them. He tells Poppy that he loves her and can talk to her like an adult. Poppy’s mother is happy. She can finally buy anything she wants. In fact, everything would be just great, if it wasn’t for one thing…
Literary criticism from “Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung” newspaper:
“Poppy is a powerful and daring novel based on a true story. This tale of mind games, abuse and resilience is heartwarming, unbearable, powerful and extremely alarming all at the same time, and its endearing heroine Poppy plays an inspirational role.
Poppy’s story is profoundly touching and makes you unbelievably furious. The book stands out due to its often brilliant use of observational comedy, which never contradicts the harrowing circumstances that Poppy has to face.
Society is blind to what is happening and the authorities are powerless, allowing the culprit to remain at large. At the heart of this confrontation, the young girl is left alone to deal with her trauma.
This novel is not about baiting or voyeurism and does not contain the dramatic scenes typical of thrillers. Nevertheless, it is still sure to give more sensitive readers sleepless nights due to its shocking and resonating impact. It creates a sense of suspense that remains strong right through to the final chapter. In this book, the thrill is less about spectacular plot elements than it is about the relationships with and between the individual characters involved.
The end of the book has a somewhat nasty surprise in store. By creating this dissatisfaction with the antagonist and particularly underlining the incapability of Poppy’s mother to face up to her life, this novel by Astrid Korten succeeds in creating a literary world of child abuse tainted by harrowing circumstances. Although it takes aim at the offender, Korten also uses the story to target the inherent taboos of society itself.
In Poppy, Astrid Korten gives abuse a voice and successfully uses her light yet cutting tone to allow readers to imagine the unimaginable. She illuminates a dark topic and knows how to use humour to tell a harrowing story.”
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