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In 1962 Virginia, with the world teetering on the brink, a schoolteacher searches for strength and hope in this moving tale by the New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday.

Poppy Turner has spent more than a decade teaching children grammar and arithmetic. Suddenly her days are steeped in fears that reach well beyond a classroom filled with air-raid drills and anxious young faces. As a mother-to-be, she worries about bringing a child into a time of such turmoil. To find stability, she will have to decide if she’s willing to look more closely at her own past.

Kristina McMorris’s Poppy’s Story is part of Good Intentions, a riveting collection of stories about the instincts, fears, and fierce love inherent in motherhood from award-winning, bestselling authors. Read or listen to each in a single sitting.

44 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2023

About the author

Kristina McMorris

22 books2,576 followers
KRISTINA MCMORRIS is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of two novellas and seven historical novels, including the million-copy bestseller Sold on a Monday and, most recently, the instant international bestseller The Ways We Hide, selected as Target’s top-five reads of 2022. A recipient of more than twenty national literary awards, she previously hosted weekly TV shows for Warner Bros. and an ABC affiliate, beginning at age nine with an Emmy Award-winning program, and owned a wedding-and-event-planning company until she had far surpassed her limit of "Y.M.C.A." and chicken dances. Kristina splits her time between San Diego and Portland, Oregon, where she’s the proud mom of two teenage boys who recently stripped her of her longstanding boast of being “tall for an Asian.” For more, visit KristinaMcMorris.com

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5 stars
317 (24%)
4 stars
511 (39%)
3 stars
377 (29%)
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74 (5%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
Profile Image for Angela M is taking a break..
1,360 reviews2,150 followers
June 24, 2023
3.5 stars

Amazon Originals Good Intentions Collection of short stories is a series of seven stories reflecting on motherhood. When I saw that Kristina McMorris wrote one of the stories, I knew I wanted to read it as I have read and enjoyed three of her novels. Poppy is a minor character in her novel The Ways We Hide and reading this has me adding that to my list . Poppy is a wonderful teacher who loves children, yet she is anxious about what kind of mother she will be, fearing the world she lives in as the Cuban Missile Crisis looms in 1962. She’s also fearful of the kind of mother she will be given the secret of her past that she has kept from her husband. A story of identity, motherhood and family.

The kindle versions of the seven stories are free to prime members .
Profile Image for Rosh.
1,959 reviews3,359 followers
July 17, 2024
In a Nutshell: A short story that tells us more about Poppy, one of the minor characters in the novel, ‘The Ways We Hide’. Works perfectly as a standalone. The story has some interesting themes, but I would have like a greater exploration of certain emotions and a limited range of topics. Decent as a one-time read.

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Plot Preview:
1962, Virginia. Ever since the news highlighted some potential danger to the US through the USSR and Cuba, Poppy has been left unsure of her pregnancy. She wonders not just whether it is the right time to bring a child into the world, but also whether certain events from her past make her the right person to be a mother. As the story progresses, she realises that unless she faces the past, she cannot prepare herself for the future.
The story comes to us in Poppy’s third person perspective.


This is the second standalone story in the 'Good Intentions’ series, described on Amazon as “a riveting collection of stories about the instincts, fears, and fierce love inherent in motherhood.”

The introductory note by the author reveals how she came up with the decision to write Poppy’s Story. Until I read this note, I had no idea that Poppy was a minor character in the author’s WWII novel, ‘The Ways We Hide’, a book I have read but only remember vaguely. Thankfully, the story is a standalone, and though there are allusions to Fenna Vos, the main character from the novel, there is no gap in understanding the events of this story even without knowing who Fenna is.

I liked Poppy’s character, especially her portrayal as a teacher and her struggle to accept some events from the past. However, as she takes so long to ponder over an important decision, a substantial portion of the story feels very repetitive in its exploration of her thoughts.

Moreover, the story took on too much. I don’t want to reveal much beyond the missile uncertainty, but there seemed to be a wide array of things troubling Poppy, and this overload of topics killed the importance of each individual issue.

One hurdle in connecting with Poppy came from my side. I have no idea about the “Cuban Missile Crisis” of 1962, and the story doesn’t offer any details except the bare minimum. (Not that I blame it – it is just a short story of 44 pages, after all.) Perhaps those who are aware of the events of 1962 will be able to understand the environment Poppy lives in and the reason for her reaction.

I did, however, connect slightly better with her fears about the impending motherhood. The world always seems a scary place when you think of bringing a baby into it, so it was interesting to see how Poppy grappled between her past trauma and her present confusion to ensure her future peace of mind. Then again, did I feel emotionally impacted by Poppy’s fears? No. Somehow, the writing keeps her distanced from us.

Poppy’s husband Everett could have been an interesting character, but we barely get to know him. The story is, as the title suggests, Poppy’s, and Poppy’s alone. But certain more details about their married life and Everett’s general nature would have helped us understand why she was so unwilling to trust him with her news. It couldn’t have been just that one reason.

All in all, a decent story with some good themes, but it doesn’t pack as big an emotional punch as I had hoped for. It might have worked better had I connected more with Poppy. If you read this, I hope you do. It’s free, so there’s nothing to lose at least in the financial sense.

2.5 stars.

This standalone story is a part of the ‘Good Intentions’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.

This collection is not going well for me so far. Fingers crossed for the next story! All the remaining stories have strong ratings on GR, so I do have hope.


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Connect with me through:
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Profile Image for Ceecee.
2,421 reviews2,034 followers
December 9, 2023
No 2 in the Amazon Good Intentions series of short stories. It’s set in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis which adds edginess to the storytelling. It’s a bitter sweet story of motherhood with Poppy as the central character. Understandably, she is unsettled as the world teeters on the brink which leads to much reflection. As for that cover - brilliant!

Kindle Unlimited read
Profile Image for Deborah.
633 reviews83 followers
May 2, 2023
So Sweet.

Another salute in the form of a short story about Moms and Mothers Day. Poppy is pregnant but hasn’t told her husband even though she knows he will be thrilled. Poppy first has to find the answers about the woman who gave her up for adoption.
Profile Image for Obsidian.
2,997 reviews1,067 followers
August 15, 2023
Loved this story taking place during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

We follow the character of Poppy and her trepidation of finally being pregnant. There's a reason why Poppy is hesitant to tell her husband and why she wonders if she will be a good mother. Great read!
Profile Image for Kristina McMorris.
Author 22 books2,576 followers
Read
May 11, 2023
At its core, POPPY'S STORY is a heartfelt tribute to mothers (in various forms) and teachers. Although it's a standalone story, readers of my novel THE WAYS WE HIDE will surely recognize the main character (now as an adult), along with mentions of Fenna Vos.

As explained in my Author's Note, in the epilogue of THE WAYS WE HIDE, Fenna wondered what ever became of her dear childhood friend, Poppy. Well, this story is the answer to that question. I hope you enjoy reading about Poppy's journey as much as I enjoyed writing it!

(Free for Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible members.)
Profile Image for Kasa Cotugno.
2,537 reviews544 followers
September 7, 2023
Poppy, a dedicated teacher in 1962, seeks to find answers to her own background as she holds back telling her husband about their future. Sweet and evocative, this is another of the Good Intentions series of stories from amazon focussing on mother/daughter relationships. Not particularly original in content, but well done.
Profile Image for Maria Lew.
345 reviews13 followers
April 28, 2023
Absolutely Wonderful, (learn the past to help the future)

In "The Ways We Hide" we are introduced to Poppy. In this beautiful short story she is a teacher & married to Everett Turner. We learn about her present and a little about her past. We learn about Adeline Sutcliffe, she likes yellow colored roses and her favorite flower is the poppy. In this story Poppy tries to learn what happened to her when she was 3 years old before she has her own child. Will she discover what truly happened?

I enjoyed the audible narration by Megan Tusing. This is my sixth book 📖 by the wonderful @Kristina McMorris, it's absolutely beautiful, as all of her other novels that I've read.

Teachers spend so much time with our children. They help with not just the teaching of numbers, words, science, history, and so much more. They teach children the love of knowledge and they help them feel safe in this crazy world 🌍. We all must learn to deal with the thrill of the unknown and the sense of promise that lies ahead, as Kristin McMorris says.

I love pineapple upsidedown cake too. Enjoy ❤️.
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,277 reviews8 followers
May 2, 2023
A visit from an old friend

I loved the character Poppy from The Ways We Hide and missed her when she moved away. Meeting her again in this story was like reuniting with an old friend. I'm glad she found happiness, peace and love after her troubling start in life. Wonderful story!
Profile Image for Rebecca.
2,797 reviews132 followers
May 10, 2023
Schoolteacher Poppy worries about bringing a child into such a tumultuous time as the Cold War.

Poppy's Story is part of the "Good Intentions" collection of short stories about "the instincts, fears, and fierce love inherent in motherhood from award-winning, bestselling authors." Based on a minor character from The Ways We Hide, which I have not read, I was touched by this tender look at motherhood in the 1960s. Unfortunately, there are similar parallels to the fears of nuclear war faced then and the fears of school shootings now.

Location: Virginia

Audiobook, Free on Kindle and Audible
Profile Image for Maria Vargas.
292 reviews40 followers
December 1, 2023
How we became a family is no one’s business but ours, Mama told her more than once, the first time brightly pointing out in a mirror that they even shared the same nose. You see? It was always meant to be!

Poppy is a wonderful teacher and there's no doubt she would be an amazing mother too. We soon learn that she was adopted by a lovely couple that did everything to give her the best life she could ever want.

But it doesn't matter how loved she was by her adopted parents, she felt stuck with the nagging questions of why her real mother abandoned her... she didn't love her? Poppy found that the only way to move on and enjoy the news of been pregnant is to find and talk to her birth mother.

“Heavens, Poppy. Every mother-to-be worries she won’t do things right. If you weren’t concerned, then I’d really be worried about you.”

This is the point where I dropped some stars to the rating, while I understand Poppy's desperation for answers... the way she just treated the lady made me mad.
Profile Image for Christine Savukinas.
442 reviews18 followers
May 24, 2023
Very sweet story about motherhood and how no matter what your family history, no one is truly prepared for their first child. Poppy was an orphan and she is very concerned about how motherhood will make her feel and act. She realizes when she shows her fears that she is not alone.
This short story is part of the Amazon Good Intentions collection.
Profile Image for Courtney.
473 reviews2 followers
September 18, 2024
I really disliked the writing - instead of feeling like it was set in 1962, the dialogue and descriptions just beat you over the head with listed products and current events from the time without creating a believable atmosphere. I also didn't find the story worth reading at all, but I did not read the original novel Poppy appeared in either, so that might be why.
Profile Image for Sue Dix.
626 reviews20 followers
April 30, 2023
The eternal question: is there ever truly a safe time to bring a child into the world? And also: as parents, will we, will I, be enough? Struggling to reconcile her past and to face her future, Poppy finds answers that are not perfect, but are good enough.
Profile Image for Luba.
164 reviews9 followers
February 11, 2024
mir gefällt es nicht, wenn Geschichten um jeden Preis als eine feel good Geschichte geschrieben werden, obwohl da ein schweres Thema verhandelt wird und als Konsequenz dessen sehr viel Tiefe verlieren
Profile Image for Theresa Petty.
305 reviews6 followers
March 2, 2024
I am enjoying this collection about mothers from Amazon. Two short stories in and I love these different aspects of motherhood that have been captured in these beautiful stories. Excited to continue. Also, this story makes me want to read the original book that Poppy was in. Maybe sometime soon.
Profile Image for Kai (CuriousCompass).
591 reviews23 followers
July 14, 2024
Set during the Cuban missile crisis, this tells the story of a young teacher pregnant with her first child, attempting to meet her birth mother for the first time and break the news of her pregnancy to her husband. Sweet, heartwrenching, and well written, I almost teared up a little.
Profile Image for kayce ⟡.
284 reviews5 followers
December 31, 2023
This is a sweet story set in the 1960s. It is rich in the atmosphere of the time and a character that is both relatable and admirable. I enjoyed this short story and felt hopeful after finishing it.
Profile Image for Brianna Bello.
442 reviews3 followers
April 11, 2024
I loved this short story. Poppy’s longing to be a mother but also how terrified she is. Her hopes to finally meet her birth mother only to be crushed with the realization that she will never get answers due to her birth mothers condition. And finally, her acceptance and excitement at the end. It was so beautiful to see it all come together in the end.
Profile Image for Shenelle Anderson.
31 reviews5 followers
September 4, 2023
Super sweet short story about fear of motherhood, nervousness about the future, and coming to grips with the past.
Profile Image for Angieleigh.
826 reviews121 followers
May 4, 2023
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I decided to read this, but it's one of the best short stories I've ever read in my life. One that I will revisit time and time again.

One of my favorite episodes of Call the Midwife has to do with the impending Cuban Missile Crisis because Trixie finally steps out of her comfort zone. I'm reminded of that because while it's a focus in this short story, it's not actually THE main focus. Poppy needs to step out of HER comfort zone in order to accept the changes that are going on in her life

Kristina wrote this emotional story about a woman who can't come to grips with her past, but when she finally does, it's the most beautiful moment .
Profile Image for A.C. Hill.
167 reviews
July 10, 2023
I really liked this short story! It was a brief glimpse into the life of this character, but I left it feeling like I understood the details of the setting very well.
945 reviews4 followers
June 15, 2023
Schoolteacher Poppy Turner is uncomfortable with the lie she told about how desks really can protect you from bombs, especially considering the lingering Cuban Missile Crisis. However, she is more distracted by the fact that she is pregnant and cannot bring herself to tell her husband Everett. Her parents had always encouraged her to keep her adoption a secret. The idea of being abandoned by people who didn’t want her felt shameful. Now, though, the mother-to-be is compelled to find answers and uses the time Everett is away to travel to the nursing home of one Adeline Sutcliff. Unfortunately her biological mother is senile and Poppy must look inside herself for the next steps of her journey.
* * * * *--------------* * * * *--------------* * * * *
This tale confronts the whirlwind of emotions and doubts brought out by pregnancy. Is now the right time? Will I be a bad mother? How can I protect another human? What will my spouse think? Poppy worries about all of this. However, I did not connect as much to this tale as others from the Good Intention collection. Problem one is that the author is revisiting a character from another work without context or background development. The second problem is the distance held from the topics at hand. Wanting and being unable to get pregnant can be devastating for couples. The text mention that struggle for Poppy and Everett but this isn’t about that. In fact, she didn’t tell her husband for four months, hiding the truth and prolonging his pain. There is a strong parallel between teaching children grammar and arithmetic, treating their recess injuries, and watching them grow up and being a more traditional mother—but again not what this is about although a character points out the similarities. Adoption can leave big scars on a person, and they struggle for closure and understanding. Yet, by hiding how Poppy words things with her husband and the secrets he shared in return, readers are not privy to the raw emotions of a reveal. It happens, it allegedly goes well, but it’s kept at a distance. Doesn’t mean this is a terrible short story, just comparatively not as strong.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kitty.
553 reviews3 followers
November 3, 2023
Another quick audiobook from the Amazon series for Mother’s Day. I like how all of these stories explore all of the complicated ways women can be mothers and have relationships with their own. This one delivered on that theme.

In a quick amount of time, I did get invested in Poppy’s story and cared about where it went. The mystery behind her hesitation in motherhood was established and peeled back delicately in so very few pages. I was impressed at how character driven this novella is, and how it kept me engaged in a genre I don’t usually pick.

The husband character, and really the only male character with spoken lines, was a little superficial and boring. Which I guess if it were a commentary on gender switching and how women are treated this way in literature, I could get behind. But in this instance, it just felt like there weren’t enough pages to get into his history. Why include him at all? He only needed to exist really for the moment she tells him about the pregnancy.

It was enough to get a taste for the author, but I don’t know if I’d read more of their work.
Profile Image for Terry.
208 reviews1 follower
May 3, 2023
Great Read

This short story is a sequel of sorts, or better yet like a bonus story to the author’s previous novel, ‘The Ways We Hide.’ Poppy appears as a side character in that story, and here the author gives us a look into Poppy’s life once more. I haven’t read that book, but after reading this one I’m pretty intrigued. I was in no way lost, so if your like me with no prior knowledge don’t fret as this is a standalone story. The author pretty much tells you this exact same thing that I’m saying when you first start reading. Just letting anybody who might just be reading this before diving in. Any how…

A really touching story about a mother to be coming to terms with having a baby when the world is being topsy-turvy, and the trauma and stigma of her early childhood. I think it’s a very positive outlook on motherhood, and the genuine fears or concerns, that a has on a person. And figuring out the motherhood comes in many different forms.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Edwards.
5,502 reviews9 followers
May 29, 2023
(this is my favorite of the bunch, but that is just my reason, you get yours, go on) I just wished to say that due to the lower stars doesn't mean (please read these, awesomeness!!) that story is any less or whatnot, just for me ...that i am rating it a bit different, hope that makes sense??!

"Motherhood is a journey with a map. ... ...growing pains that can change the lives of both mother and child in ways they never imagined."

"Poppy's Story" by: Kristina McMorris is about or placed in 1962, Virginia ...so for that HUGE reason, cause being from or held in (took place in) VIRGINIA is huge, huge, HUGE!!! lol. get to reading ... I am guessing this was due to Mother's day. right?? read these through KU and i will be getting rid of that service in June ...11th i think? i will figure it all out. i always do.

1. Poppy's Story
2. A Planned Occasion
3. Mother Country
4. Deluge
5. The Magician
6. The Road Home
7. The Days Before Us
Profile Image for Tibby .
1,035 reviews
Read
June 20, 2023
I thought this was touching look at how the stories we know and tell of our lives impact how we feel about ourselves. Poppy was adopted as a very young child after being left by her mother at an orphanage. Her adoption isn't exactly a secret but no one really knows she's adopted, including her husband.

As an adult Poppy is struggling with air raid drills with her young students and a husband she loves, but isn't emotionally intimate with. It's 1950s white America, pretty much what you'd expect. When Poppy discovers she's pregnant her past makes her question her our motherhood journey that is just beginning. She seeks out her biological mother to get answers, but instead discovers that maybe the answers don't matter which leads her to open up to her husband who himself was feeling insecure about his own role as father and husband.

I was skeptical at first, but found the ending with the opening intimacy between the Poppy and her husband refreshing and uplifting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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