What if there were a cure for the broken-hearted?
Welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there’s hope for even the most battered hearts to heal.
Here, in a remote stretch of the California desert, lies an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain...and keep on sleeping. After patients awaken from this prolonged state of slumber, they will finally be healed. But only if they’re willing to accept the potential shadowy side effects.
On a journey to this mystical destination are four very different strangers and one little dog: Ava, a book illustrator; Ray, a fireman; Sasha, an occupational therapist; Sky, a free spirit; and a friendly pup named PJ. As they attempt to make their way from the Midwest all the way west to the Poppy Fields—where they hope to find Ellis, its brilliant, enigmatic founder—each of their past secrets and mysterious motivations threaten to derail their voyage.
A high-concept speculative novel about heartache, hope, and human resilience, The Poppy Fields explores the path of grief and healing, a journey at once profoundly universal and unique to every person, posing the questions: How do we heal in the wake of great loss? And how far are we willing to go in order to be healed? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)
After reading The Measure (reviewed here), I wanted to read The Poppy Fields as soon as possible and I am glad I got a chance to do so recently. I liked it as much as, if not more than, The Measure. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and learning more about their backstories.
The Poppy Fields is about a place where people can sleep for a month or two in order to relieve their grief and feel better about their loss. However, people run the risk of a heartbreaking side effect. Three strangers journey there for different reasons and form a bond along the way. I don't want to say anything more to keep the rest of it a surprise.
This was a great story with a lot of nice character development. I found myself absorbed whenever I picked it up. I was so interested in seeing what would happen next and where the story would go. It was a really interesting and thought-provoking story that had some light nods to The Wizard of Oz. Would you sleep off your grief for a month or two, if you knew you could risk having a psychological side effect? Definitely something to ponder.
I did have a couple concerns, but nothing that took away from my enjoyment overall. Nikki would blend the narratives in a lot of the chapters. We'd start with Sasha's narrative and suddenly we'd get Ava's perspective and then Ray's, without a break inbetween. Also, there were a lot of coincidences like in The Measure. The ending felt kind of anticlimactic, but the story also wrapped up nicely.
Regardless of my concerns, I loved this novel and am eagerly awaiting whatever Nikki writes next!
(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post.)
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