Spanning three countries and the four years of World War I, A Poppy in Remembrance is the epic story of an American woman struggling to become a journalist in a man’s world.
As she searches for where she belongs—spiritually, professionally and emotionally—Claire Meacham discovers God and love through her relationships with Oswald and Biddy Chambers, an earnest YMCA worker, and a dashing New Zealand soldier, all the while seeking that elusive byline.
Spanning three countries and the four years of World War I, A Poppy in Remembrance tells the epic story of a young American woman’s struggle to become a journalist in her father Jock Meacham’s world.
As she searches for where she belongs professionally in London, Claire Meacham meets Reverend Oswald Chambers and his wife Biddy, who open her eyes to a completely different life. Working as Jock’s stenographer, Claire journeys to Egypt in 1916, where unbeknownst to him, she volunteers at Chambers’ YMCA ministry for ANZAC soldiers.
Claire finds her heart divided between a YMCA worker and a New Zealand soldier while her reporting opportunities increase. When Jock demands she choose between her family and her faith, Claire struggles to find a balance. Chambers’ death throws everything into confusion as she and Jock transfer to France for the final year of the ghastly war.
Based on themes in the famous devotional My Utmost for His Highest, A Poppy in Remembrance explores what it means to be a Christian when faced with death, horror, the Spanish flu, and an uncompromising world.
The novel paints a realistic, accurate view of female journalists’ challenges during WWII and the tensions between a young woman seeking her dreams and faith. When her father routinely dismisses her for her work dreams and her faith, how is only-child and dearly loved Claire supposed to live truthfully, yet honorably?
Poppies mark WWI battlefields but also serve as a mythological sign of hope. As Claire survives the final days of the war in France, how will she find a way to encourage a ravaged world, a man to share it with, and that elusive byline?
For more information on the many places author Michelle Ule (biographer of Biddy Chambers), found information pertinent to her story, check out the list of blog posts here.