Synopses & Reviews
From a wartime brothel to the intricate high society of 1870s Brussels, Under the Poppy is a breakout novel of childhood friends, a love triangle, puppetmasters, and reluctant spies.
Under the Poppy is a brothel owned by Decca and Rupert. Decca is in love with Rupert, but he in turn is in love with her brother, Istvan. When Istvan comes to town, louche puppet troupe in tow, the lines of their age-old desires intersect against a backdrop of approaching war. Hearts are broken when old betrayals and new alliancesnot just their owntake shape, as the townsmen seek refuge from the onslaught of history by watching the girls of the Poppy cavort onstage with Istvan's naughty puppets . . .
Under the Poppy is a vivid, sexy, historical novel that zips along like the best guilty pleasure.
Nominated for the IMPAC Award. Winner of the Gaylactic Spectrum Award.
Kathe Koja's (underthepoppy.com) books include The Cipher, Skin, and Extremities; her young adult novels include Buddha Boy, Talk, Kissing the Bee, and Headlong. Her work has been honored by the ALA, the ASPCA, and with the Bram Stoker Award. Her books have been published in seven languages and optioned for film. She's a Detroit native and lives in the area with her husband, artist Rick Lieder, and their cats. Under the Poppy is currently being adapted for the stage.
Review
"The brothel of Kathe Koja's
Under the Poppy requires no time and space coordinates. It is a fictional universe unto itselfrich and bawdy and violent and sad, with a beating human heart underneath. I love Kojas daring and flair."
Louis Bayard, author of The Black Tower
"Koja can pack a lot Dickensian humor into a sentence . . . [she] takes a page from Victorian lit in her writerliness, and she reveals human nature like someone slipped her the manual."
Cleveland Plain Dealer
"This book made me drunk. Kojas language is at its poetic best, and the epic drama had me digging my nails into my palms. Its like a Tom Waits hurdy-gurdy losers lament come to life, as sinister as a dark circus."
Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing
"Unlike anything Ive ever read, a world unto itself, spun out of fevered, sensual prose and vivid, compelling characters."
Lewis Shiner
"A gothic, glam-rock take on love and sex and death that reads a little like what would happen if Sarah Waters and Angela Carter played a drunken game of Exquisite Corpse in a brothel . . . will make you want to get out your very finest crushed velvet, drink a couple bottles of wine, and do something a little bit illegal with someone very good-looking. In other words, its a winner."
Tor.com
"All the elements of a great novel are present in Kojas work: from suspense and intrigue to undying love and toxic jealousies, this highly developed read is brimming with imaginative flair and originality."
Lambda Literary
"People will probably love this book or hate itpossibly both. But let me just say that it would take an author of extraordinary talent to open with a scene of a woman being sodomized by a ventriloquists dummy and make me want to keep reading. And Kathe Koja is that talented. Five stars."
Speak Its Name
"The velvet and brocade, the rips and tears, the music and theater, you see it all as you read about what the denizens of the Poppy do to stay in business, stay ahead of the tide, stay alive."
Colleen Mondor, Chasing Ray
"Frequently changing viewpoints and fluid segues in and out of flashback illuminate actions readers have already witnessed. Part of the fun is heading into the past after knowing the future; even when you know where the story will go, you wonder what will happen next."
Ann Arbor Observer
"I loved Under the Poppy. It pours like chocolatelaced with brandy; sexy and utterly compelling!"
Ellen Kushner, author of Swordspoint
"An atmospheric tale for those who like their historical fiction on the dark and lurid side. Those readers who enjoyed Emma Donoghues Slammerkin or Sarah Waters Fingersmith will find similar themes.”
Library Journal
A page turner with riveting language and close attention to sensory detail. Set in late 19th-century Brussels, the story follows the adventures of puppeteer Istvan and brothel owner Rupert who bond as friends and lovers.”
Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
Love: its a triangle. War: is coming. Betrayal: is inevitable. Sex: watch out for the naughty puppets.
About the Author
Kathe Kojas books include The Cipher, Skin, and Extremities; YA novels include Buddha Boy, Talk, Kissing the Bee, and Headlong. Her work has been honored by the ALA, the ASPCA, the Parents Choice Award, and the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel. Her books have been published in seven languages, and optioned for film. Shes a Detroit native and lives in the area with her husband, artist Rick Lieder, and their cats. Under the Poppy is currently being adapted for the stage.