This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Reviewed by Susan Lobban
Poppy Day’s life revolves around her two young children and her soldier husband. Being an army wife was not her original life plan, but Poppy has made a lovely family home at Barracks and she knows that one day Mart will have a safe 9-5 job.
After a wonderful family Christmas and a New Years Eve spent in the loving arms of her husband, life really couldn’t be better. Poppy had a terrible childhood with no parental love and has always dreamt of creating her own loving family. Family life now is even better than Poppy could ever have imagined.
When Poppy discovers a lump in her breast she is sure it will be nothing – she is only 32 after all. However, tests prove otherwise. Poppy is determined to keep this to herself and carry on caring for her family regardless. Everyone needs her, so she does not have time to be ill. People beat cancer all the time – why can’t she? Poppy has fought before to keep her family together and she will do so again.
On receiving this book I could not wait to start. The cover itself was gorgeous and drew me in immediately. Once I read the synopsis, however, I was concerned that the subject matter would be too upsetting, especially as I am a mum of two young children and this is a mother’s worst nightmare. I needn't have worried as the story of Poppy was written in such a way that I felt uplifted by her sad plight rather than depressed.
I had read Poppy Day previously so I knew of the main character’s history, but this book could easily be read as a standalone novel, too. A number of years have passed since the first book and, to be honest, I preferred Poppy in her thirties. She has grown from a young newlywed to the kind of wife and mother that readers can admire. She has never approved of Mart’s choice of career, but she has made the best of the situation and knows that one day things will be different. Unfortunately, that life change is sooner than she thinks and it is a devastating one. Poppy and Mart were a joy to follow even though the situation they found themselves in was anything but. My heart broke for them as Poppy’s illness progressed, however the love within this young family really shone from the pages.I absolutely loved Will You Remember Me? from start to finish and could not put it down. It’s a beautifully inspirational read, which highlights that just because your body has given up, it does not mean that you have to. Even after you have finished the last page, the message from the book remains – there is good to be found in every little moment of life. Poppy’s story may be fictional, but the disease she suffers from is not. I will certainly find this book hard to forget.
10/10