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The Poppy Girls

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.


A brand new saga from the author of A Christmas Miracle on Sanctuary Lane!
Richmond, Surrey, 1940. Overhead, the Battle of Britain rages. Below, at the Poppy Factory, disabled WWI veterans assemble remembrance wreaths while working on a secret wartime project.
Meanwhile, on the estate where the men live, three of their daughters are coming of age.

Studious Carrie wants nothing to do with war and is intent on going to university. Sarah, the daughter of a war hero, is desperate to get involved on the home front and prove her worth, while newcomer Mabel likes to keep herself to herself.
These young women have nothing in common, but as the Blitz begins, everyone within the factory walls and on the estate must do their bit to help, and they are thrown together in ways they couldn’t ever have imagined.
When the security of their home and their own futures are in jeopardy, can the Poppy Girls put aside their differences for the greater good?
Praise for the Sanctuary Lane series:
‘This superbly plotted saga has all the ingredients of a heartwarming and engrossing read’ Maisie Thomas

'I was hooked from the start. The meticulous period detail and true-to-life characters had me immersed in the action, and I didn’t want the story to end. A joy to read' Vicki Beeby


© Kirsty Dougal 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critics Review

A heartfelt, compelling tale of courage and community
Woman's Weekly
Vivid descriptions and a resourceful heroine, together with one of Kirsty Dougal's trademark deftly written plots, all add up to a real page-turner that will draw readers in from the first page
Maisie Thomas, bestselling author of The Railway Girls
A remarkable page-turner of friendship, community and pulling together in tough times. Dougal’s characters are a pleasure to know – it’s almost as though you’re at the Poppy Factory!
Claire Dyer
A wonderfully poignant and emotionally gripping coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of home front Britain. With multi-layered, relatable characters, family, friendship and the Poppy Factory community, it's filled to the brim with resilience and wartime spirit. A sure-to-be treasured read for saga and women's historical fiction fans
Rose Warner, author of The Teacher Evacuees
Praise for Kirsty Dougal
:
This superbly plotted saga has all the ingredients of a heartwarming and engrossing read
Maisie Thomas, author of Christmas with the Railway Girls
I was hooked from the start. The meticulous period detail and true-to-life characters had me immersed in the action, and I didn’t want the story to end. A joy to read
Vicki Beeby
A wonderful wartime family saga not to be put down
Reader Review *****
Author Kirsty Dougal
Narrator Gemma Lawrence
Duration 10 hours and 15 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781405979092
Format Audiobook
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Genre Generational sagas, Historical fiction
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

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