The Poppy Field Diary

By: Carey Richard

Narrated by: Susanna Burney

Silver Medalist 2015 Independent Publishers Awards

Book of the Year Finalist 2014 Foreword Reviews

Finalist 2015 Indie Excellence Book Awards

Semi-Finalist 2015 Kindle Book Awards

Mississippi Library Association 2015 Fiction Award

From award winning author Carey Richard comes his debut literary fiction - a compelling journey through the beautiful fields of the human heart. Kirkus Reviews describes it as, "A highly personal story that mines the psychology of betrayal and forgiveness..."

Afghanistan was a beautiful land until greed and ambition pillaged its fertile valleys. She was beautiful, too. Betrayed and broken, she journeyed through 40 years of nomadic longing as her picturesque village disintegrated along with her hope. Unlike her beloved land, she at last discovered her place of rest.

Though she remains unnamed, her Poppy Field Diary is a story for everyone who has ever loved. We dream, we hope, and we fall in love, only to hurt the thing we cherish most. But a few rare and beautiful relationships survive that lonely journey through the minefields of passion to discover intimacy, kindness, and forgiveness.

©2014 Bonhoeffer Publishing (P)2015 Rick Zachary

Critic reviews

"....his prose sings lyrically." ( Kirkus Reviews)

40 years in the life of an Afghan woman

Any additional comments?

I was provided a free copy of this book in audio format from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book narrates the life of a woman in Afghanistan. She is the daughter of an atypical marriage, since her father was French. Her mother has inculcated on her the value of love and this will be the goal for this woman. This is a book about dreams, hope and love.

The story starts in the 60's, when this woman meets her future husband Emir, and she dreams of how her life will become. Things start to get complicated for Afghanistan and this woman, and her search for true love will only lead to broken dreams. Only in accepting what she has got she will find new hope.

This is one of the most beautiful books I have read this year, and my favorite so far. The story is beautifully told, with many flashbacks and enough background information. It is narrated in first person and we often suffer about how life is treating her. Born of a mixed marriage, she got a glimpse into the Western culture, and her dreams will not fit in her own culture reality. For us it may seem a foreign world, but we see that in her own heart it is also for her.

But this is not only this woman's story, but also about her country. We witness the changes in Afghanistan in the last 40 years, and how the land gets broken and how things change under different rulers. Carey Richard has written a wonderful piece of history along with a story about love, grief and loss.

There is no name given to the woman in this story because the book is written in first person like a personal diary, and in fact, this could have been the story of any woman in Afghanistan, despite her different origins.

The narrations was also beautifully done. Susanna Burney really becomes this Afghan woman, and her subtle accent makes it believable. It would have been a five star narration if it were not for the occasional mouth clicking noises that could have been edited out.

I really enjoyed this book and how it was narrated. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a well written book with the added value of an extraordinary narration.

Mesmerizing Story, Beautiful Writing

I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads and the publisher for an honest review. This process was new to me, and I really wasn't expecting much. Well, I am amazed at how wrong I was and how much I loved this story of an Afghan woman's life. I would think about it while I was not listening, amazed at how astonishingly beautiful the writing was. Additionally, I could not fathom that a male author could portray a woman's life and feelings so deftly and realistically. To greatly add to the enjoyment, the narrator, Susanna Burney, captured the main character's personality and persona expertly.

In summary, The Field of Poppies Diary is an Afghan woman's life story, from her youth up to recent times. While this is most definitely a love story, it is certainly not what I'd call chick-lit or what I think of as the "romance" genre. Yes, LOVE plays a major role in this story, but we experience so much more, as we learn about the gender roles, the politics, the war, and the devastation that the country experienced over a span of many years--all through the eyes of the main character. We get to intimately know her as she narrates her life story to us while the years roll by. It is very emotionally moving and at times, I was moved to tears, while at other times I shared in her joy. If I had any minor quibbles with the overall experience, it might be that occasionally, I felt she was just too perfect. However, I became so attached to her and involved in the story that it did not affect my rating at all.

I hope that my review does this book justice. I really want to convey that this is a very special book which I strongly recommend. You really can't ask for more than great writing, interesting subject material, and a perfect narration!

Wonderful book that stays with you

I LOVED this book. I have been very interested in Afghanistan lately, after reading Khaled Hosseini's books, and this book was just as good. It is a story told across the decades in Afghanistan, so it is interesting to see the different changes that have happened in the country under different rulers. This is a heartbreaking story of love, loss, and forgiveness that really stays with you. I listened to the Audible version, and the narrator was really good. I'm really interested in checking out other books by this author, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has read and enjoyed books by Khaled Hosseini.

Incredible!!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend it to the whole world.

What other book might you compare The Poppy Field Diary to and why?

Fortune is a Woman possibly

What does Susanna Burney bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love Audible and audio book reading. I can almost see the story in my mind as I read. She is a fantastic narrator.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

To Learn the Real Meaning of True Love

Any additional comments?

This book is astounding and incredible. The story line is spot on. It is my understanding this is the first book by the author and, in my opinion, I don't know how on earth he can get any better. The description of everything was amazing and kept my full attention. GREAT JOB CAREY RICHARD. Hey, your cousin, Janet Hill, is a very dear friend of mine.