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Poppy
A fictional account of a family's encounter with mental illness, this is the story of Poppy, a young mother forced to spend years in a sanatorium against her will.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
5 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Drusilla Modjeska
26 books49 followersDrusilla Modjeska was born in England and lived in Papua New Guinea before arriving in Australia in 1971. She studied at the Australian National University and the University of New South Wales completing a PhD which was published as Exiles at Home: Australian Women Writers 1925-1945 (1981).
Modjeska's writing often explores the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction. The best known of her work are Poppy (1990), a fictionalised biography of her mother, and Stravinsky's Lunch (2001), a feminist reappraisal of the lives and work of Australian painters Stella Bowen and Grace Cossington Smith. She has also edited several volumes of stories, poems and essays, including the work of Lesbia Harford and a 'Focus on Papua New Guinea' issue for the literary magazine Meanjin.
In 2006 she was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, "investigating the interplay of race, gender and the arts in post-colonial Papua New Guinea".
Modjeska's writing often explores the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction. The best known of her work are Poppy (1990), a fictionalised biography of her mother, and Stravinsky's Lunch (2001), a feminist reappraisal of the lives and work of Australian painters Stella Bowen and Grace Cossington Smith. She has also edited several volumes of stories, poems and essays, including the work of Lesbia Harford and a 'Focus on Papua New Guinea' issue for the literary magazine Meanjin.
In 2006 she was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sydney, "investigating the interplay of race, gender and the arts in post-colonial Papua New Guinea".
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 4, 2013
I have just reread this after 20 years or so. It made a strong impression on me when I first read it, and this time I have been riveted on almost every page by a sentence, a thought, a recognition. I know that I will read it again soon, and make notes this time.
Modjeska writes superbly. Her prose shines. Her quest to understand her mother, Poppy, leads her into psychologically and emotionally complex territory and eventually, we feel, to partial understanding of herself, her mother and fragments of other close relationships between women, and men and women.
I would like to be clearer about the lines between fiction and fact, but ultimately, the story and its telling hold without knowing the distinctions.
Modjeska writes superbly. Her prose shines. Her quest to understand her mother, Poppy, leads her into psychologically and emotionally complex territory and eventually, we feel, to partial understanding of herself, her mother and fragments of other close relationships between women, and men and women.
I would like to be clearer about the lines between fiction and fact, but ultimately, the story and its telling hold without knowing the distinctions.
September 21, 2012
Really interesting, sometimes heartbreaking, read.
There is so much to take in here, she (Modjeska) really did have so much to work with in remembering her mother. Letters, diary entries, interviews. A mixture of feminist academia and beautiful language that I'm sure I will find myself thinking of often as I try to piece my father's life together in my own writing.
There is so much to take in here, she (Modjeska) really did have so much to work with in remembering her mother. Letters, diary entries, interviews. A mixture of feminist academia and beautiful language that I'm sure I will find myself thinking of often as I try to piece my father's life together in my own writing.
September 27, 2015
It has been with a growing frequency that I have written about my awareness of myself as a reader. I am sure this is something that was discussed at university, but, until it really hits you how influential you are on your reading outcomes I don’t think it actually sticks.
This awareness was made obvious again recently when I re-read Poppy by Drusilla Modjeska. It had been at least 10 years since I had read this book, and since then my life has changed. I am no longer just a daughter, struggling to find myself in this world, I am also a mother. I am not sure how much being a mother has changed my reading of this book, I even think being a blogger and reading more for pleasure rather than study has changed the way I relate to it. It was odd, remembering how I used to feel and realizing how different that was to now.
The first time I read this account (based in fact, but partly fictionalized) of Modjeska coming to terms with the life of her dying mother was a very emotional read for me. Mothers and daughters. I am sure we have all been there. Unless we’re a son, not a daughter, and then I have no idea.
This time, however, I was more attuned to the writing aspects of the story. Whose story was it whose voice should be heard and would be more reliable in telling the truth? What was the truth of Poppy’s journey? Through interviews with Poppy and those who knew her, and through the diaries left by Poppy and her lover for the later part of her life, Marcus, Modjeska tries to piece together why it was that her mother had a breakdown whilst Modjeska herself was still a child, and why she went on several spiritual journeys to try and heal that part of herself that needed healing.
I say several spiritual journeys, because, although Poppy’s stay at the Ashram is the only spiritual journey that she decisively makes, if you look at all the turning points in her life there is a spiritual aspect to each of them. The visit to Crete and the identification with the myth of Ariadne, the stays at Pilson, a community run by a man of religion, Marcus, her lover and another man of religion, and then the Ashram.
It isn’t just through the spiritual the Poppy seems to seek fulfilment and her own voice. Modjeska frequently notes the books that Poppy was reading and how they must have had some influence on the woman she became. I have a long list of reading to follow on from this book, some based on Poppy’s readings, some on Modjeska’s. There are books on feminism, books on writing and text and books about mental illness. I don’t know when I will find the time to read them all, but they are on the list.
In the end, I was not sure whose story this was. Yes, we have Poppy, the mother, a woman who suffers, perhaps due to the expectations of both herself and society but somehow finds the right thread and makes her way out of the labyrinth, but equally we have Modjeska, the daughter, carrying the burden of the mother and finding her own way. Poppy continually tells her that the questions she is asking are the wrong ones. What is important? What are the right questions? Does it matter? I am still greatly in love with this story, but for different reasons. Reasons I’m sure will change, again, as I follow my own thread through life out of the labyrinth.
(I have to tell you that I own two copies of this book, but I have no idea where either of them are and had to borrow this book from the library as I had an overwhelming need to read it. I am glad I did. And if I ever find those two books again I will give one of them away. I am pretty sure it is through sharing this book that both copies have gone missing.)
This awareness was made obvious again recently when I re-read Poppy by Drusilla Modjeska. It had been at least 10 years since I had read this book, and since then my life has changed. I am no longer just a daughter, struggling to find myself in this world, I am also a mother. I am not sure how much being a mother has changed my reading of this book, I even think being a blogger and reading more for pleasure rather than study has changed the way I relate to it. It was odd, remembering how I used to feel and realizing how different that was to now.
The first time I read this account (based in fact, but partly fictionalized) of Modjeska coming to terms with the life of her dying mother was a very emotional read for me. Mothers and daughters. I am sure we have all been there. Unless we’re a son, not a daughter, and then I have no idea.
This time, however, I was more attuned to the writing aspects of the story. Whose story was it whose voice should be heard and would be more reliable in telling the truth? What was the truth of Poppy’s journey? Through interviews with Poppy and those who knew her, and through the diaries left by Poppy and her lover for the later part of her life, Marcus, Modjeska tries to piece together why it was that her mother had a breakdown whilst Modjeska herself was still a child, and why she went on several spiritual journeys to try and heal that part of herself that needed healing.
I say several spiritual journeys, because, although Poppy’s stay at the Ashram is the only spiritual journey that she decisively makes, if you look at all the turning points in her life there is a spiritual aspect to each of them. The visit to Crete and the identification with the myth of Ariadne, the stays at Pilson, a community run by a man of religion, Marcus, her lover and another man of religion, and then the Ashram.
It isn’t just through the spiritual the Poppy seems to seek fulfilment and her own voice. Modjeska frequently notes the books that Poppy was reading and how they must have had some influence on the woman she became. I have a long list of reading to follow on from this book, some based on Poppy’s readings, some on Modjeska’s. There are books on feminism, books on writing and text and books about mental illness. I don’t know when I will find the time to read them all, but they are on the list.
In the end, I was not sure whose story this was. Yes, we have Poppy, the mother, a woman who suffers, perhaps due to the expectations of both herself and society but somehow finds the right thread and makes her way out of the labyrinth, but equally we have Modjeska, the daughter, carrying the burden of the mother and finding her own way. Poppy continually tells her that the questions she is asking are the wrong ones. What is important? What are the right questions? Does it matter? I am still greatly in love with this story, but for different reasons. Reasons I’m sure will change, again, as I follow my own thread through life out of the labyrinth.
(I have to tell you that I own two copies of this book, but I have no idea where either of them are and had to borrow this book from the library as I had an overwhelming need to read it. I am glad I did. And if I ever find those two books again I will give one of them away. I am pretty sure it is through sharing this book that both copies have gone missing.)
October 4, 2012
This is a story that is part-biography, part-memory, part-imagination. At least that's how I understand it. Modjeska is trying to make sense of her own life, her mother's life and her mother's experiences with mental illness. It is very moving and I've gone on to read other books by Drusilla Modjeska because of this story. She weaves in bits of fact with her own theories, memories and suppositions in order to make sense of life. It is beautifully written but perhaps some would not like the liberties taken with another person's history.
March 9, 2008
Just couldn't get into this one... I found it frustrating that this wasn't a novel nor a biography but something of a mixture of fact and fiction. I also found the wide variety of people introduced and referred to with little explanation a bit confusing. And in the end, being in holiday mode, I just gave up!
November 3, 2010
This is Hailey.
The book Poppy is about a deer mouse named Poppy.
Poppy is daring and adventerus.
An important event is when Poppy meets a porcupine named Ereth, and Ereth shows Poppy the way to Mr.Ocax the owl.
Poppy must defeat Mr.Ocax to save her family.
I think Poppy would be a very good book for everyone to read.Especialy for people who like mice!
The book Poppy is about a deer mouse named Poppy.
Poppy is daring and adventerus.
An important event is when Poppy meets a porcupine named Ereth, and Ereth shows Poppy the way to Mr.Ocax the owl.
Poppy must defeat Mr.Ocax to save her family.
I think Poppy would be a very good book for everyone to read.Especialy for people who like mice!
January 29, 2008
Modjeska's bio here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drusilla...
(Drusilla was one of my writing teachers at UTS)
Moved me to tears.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drusilla...
(Drusilla was one of my writing teachers at UTS)
Moved me to tears.
February 21, 2021
Some interesting themes that are considered and explored- love, belonging, relationships, responsibility, the role of women & mother, sense of self. However, I think she is trying too cover too much and the book drags on. I spent the last third of it wishing it would end. I found the writing style difficult to understand at times and hard to follow who was who. A lot of straight extracts of letters. Highly disappointed to find out at the end that parts are actually fictional when I was under the impression this was non-fiction.
May 2, 2022
I picked this up, thinking it was a biography of the author's mother, with the difficulty in finding information about her. Discovering that it was largely fiction mixed with genuine historical fact was uncomfortable for me. Other authors have handled this in a way that makes it clear where historical research starts and ends and where fantasy begins, for example Murder in Matera.
In the end it is more about the author coming to terms with the loss of her mother and figuring things out. This I can relate to.
In the end it is more about the author coming to terms with the loss of her mother and figuring things out. This I can relate to.
January 23, 2020
Modjeska's prose is unfailingly poignant. It was like reading and looking very closely into each patch of a quilt or a tapestry, each with different shapes and colours and patterns that go beyond the stretch of truth and imagination.
May 8, 2017
A really honest account of a mother - daughter relationship. Beautifully written, lyrical, but never difficult.
November 3, 2024
I love women
August 28, 2021
It has been with a growing frequency that I have written about my awareness of myself as a reader. I am sure this is something that was discussed at university, but, until it really hits you how influential you are on your reading outcomes I don’t think it actually sticks.
This awareness was made obvious again recently when I re-read Poppy by Drusilla Modjeska. It had been at least 10 years since I had read this book, and since then my life has changed. I am no longer just a daughter, struggling to find myself in this world, I am also a mother. I am not sure how much being a mother has changed my reading of this book, I even think being a blogger and reading more for pleasure rather than study has changed the way I relate to it. It was odd, remembering how I used to feel and realizing how different that was to now.
The first time I read this account (based in fact, but partly fictionalized) of Modjeska coming to terms with the life of her dying mother was a very emotional read for me. Mothers and daughters. I am sure we have all been there. Unless we’re a son, not a daughter, and then I have no idea.
This time, however, I was more attuned to the writing aspects of the story. Whose story was it whose voice should be heard and would be more reliable in telling the truth? What was the truth of Poppy’s journey? Through interviews with Poppy and those who knew her, and through the diaries left by Poppy and her lover for the later part of her life, Marcus, Modjeska tries to piece together why it was that her mother had a breakdown whilst Modjeska herself was still a child, and why she went on several spiritual journeys to try and heal that part of herself that needed healing.
I say several spiritual journeys, because, although Poppy’s stay at the Ashram is the only spiritual journey that she decisively makes, if you look at all the turning points in her life there is a spiritual aspect to each of them. The visit to Crete and the identification with the myth of Ariadne, the stays at Pilson, a community run by a man of religion, Marcus, her lover and another man of religion, and then the Ashram.
It isn’t just through the spiritual the Poppy seems to seek fulfilment and her own voice. Modjeska frequently notes the books that Poppy was reading and how they must have had some influence on the woman she became. I have a long list of reading to follow on from this book, some based on Poppy’s readings, some on Modjeska’s. There are books on feminism, books on writing and text and books about mental illness. I don’t know when I will find the time to read them all, but they are on the list.
In the end, I was not sure whose story this was. Yes, we have Poppy, the mother, a woman who suffers, perhaps due to the expectations of both herself and society but somehow finds the right thread and makes her way out of the labyrinth, but equally we have Modjeska, the daughter, carrying the burden of the mother and finding her own way. Poppy continually tells her that the questions she is asking are the wrong ones. What is important? What are the right questions? Does it matter? I am still greatly in love with this story, but for different reasons. Reasons I’m sure will change, again, as I follow my own thread through life out of the labyrinth.
(I have to tell you that I own two copies of this book, but I have no idea where either of them are and had to borrow this book from the library as I had an overwhelming need to read it. I am glad I did. And if I ever find those two books again I will give one of them away. I am pretty sure it is through sharing this book that both copies have gone missing.)
This awareness was made obvious again recently when I re-read Poppy by Drusilla Modjeska. It had been at least 10 years since I had read this book, and since then my life has changed. I am no longer just a daughter, struggling to find myself in this world, I am also a mother. I am not sure how much being a mother has changed my reading of this book, I even think being a blogger and reading more for pleasure rather than study has changed the way I relate to it. It was odd, remembering how I used to feel and realizing how different that was to now.
The first time I read this account (based in fact, but partly fictionalized) of Modjeska coming to terms with the life of her dying mother was a very emotional read for me. Mothers and daughters. I am sure we have all been there. Unless we’re a son, not a daughter, and then I have no idea.
This time, however, I was more attuned to the writing aspects of the story. Whose story was it whose voice should be heard and would be more reliable in telling the truth? What was the truth of Poppy’s journey? Through interviews with Poppy and those who knew her, and through the diaries left by Poppy and her lover for the later part of her life, Marcus, Modjeska tries to piece together why it was that her mother had a breakdown whilst Modjeska herself was still a child, and why she went on several spiritual journeys to try and heal that part of herself that needed healing.
I say several spiritual journeys, because, although Poppy’s stay at the Ashram is the only spiritual journey that she decisively makes, if you look at all the turning points in her life there is a spiritual aspect to each of them. The visit to Crete and the identification with the myth of Ariadne, the stays at Pilson, a community run by a man of religion, Marcus, her lover and another man of religion, and then the Ashram.
It isn’t just through the spiritual the Poppy seems to seek fulfilment and her own voice. Modjeska frequently notes the books that Poppy was reading and how they must have had some influence on the woman she became. I have a long list of reading to follow on from this book, some based on Poppy’s readings, some on Modjeska’s. There are books on feminism, books on writing and text and books about mental illness. I don’t know when I will find the time to read them all, but they are on the list.
In the end, I was not sure whose story this was. Yes, we have Poppy, the mother, a woman who suffers, perhaps due to the expectations of both herself and society but somehow finds the right thread and makes her way out of the labyrinth, but equally we have Modjeska, the daughter, carrying the burden of the mother and finding her own way. Poppy continually tells her that the questions she is asking are the wrong ones. What is important? What are the right questions? Does it matter? I am still greatly in love with this story, but for different reasons. Reasons I’m sure will change, again, as I follow my own thread through life out of the labyrinth.
(I have to tell you that I own two copies of this book, but I have no idea where either of them are and had to borrow this book from the library as I had an overwhelming need to read it. I am glad I did. And if I ever find those two books again I will give one of them away. I am pretty sure it is through sharing this book that both copies have gone missing.)
June 26, 2013
Having read Poppy>, I am now even more of a fan of Drusilla's writing style than I was before. Poppy> is part fiction, part truth - I guess like most stories. Drusilla says that her intention when writing the book was to write a biography of her mother, but that she was 'drawn irresistibly into dream, imagination and fiction. . . To stick only to the facts seemed to deny the fictional paradox of truthfulness, and the life that the book was demanding.' (p.317) So whatever it is, her truth or her fiction, or something in between, the story is about her mother, Poppy, and inevitably ends in becoming a reflection on who she is as a daughter. I really enjoy Modjeska's lyrical writing style and that is probably what kept me most engaged in the book.
The story line weaves back and forth between the UK and Australia, just as Drusilla did in real life. (She was born in England in 1946 and moved to Australia in 1971.) The difficulties that come from the daughter's relationship with her mother and other family members is the focus of the narrative. The hardest part is probably when her mother becomes ill and she must watch her, vulnerable and weak and come to terms with what this means for her as a daughter. The opening line of the book is: 'The first wound comes with the cutting of the umbilical cord', and I guess that is what the book is about - separation, emotional wounds and the continuity/discontinuity of families.
The story line weaves back and forth between the UK and Australia, just as Drusilla did in real life. (She was born in England in 1946 and moved to Australia in 1971.) The difficulties that come from the daughter's relationship with her mother and other family members is the focus of the narrative. The hardest part is probably when her mother becomes ill and she must watch her, vulnerable and weak and come to terms with what this means for her as a daughter. The opening line of the book is: 'The first wound comes with the cutting of the umbilical cord', and I guess that is what the book is about - separation, emotional wounds and the continuity/discontinuity of families.
October 25, 2014
Currently re-reading Poppy by Drusilla Modjeska. Loved the book in my university days and didn't know then, but do now, that I would revisit to teach in my prose writing class: Fictionalised Biography. I really do appreciate the intricate weaving of dense and insightful, beautiful language that the author brought in through the discovery of letters, diary entries, interviews, and then culminating all that with her imagination to fill in the gaps of her mother's life. I'm just wondering with all the effort that everyone takes on Facebook these days (posting travels, family news, pictures of the kids, grandchildren, etc.) if anyone has the idea of storing this information for later generations in a journal or blog. Just in case FB disappears or postings are lost. In fact, that is what I am going to suggest to my class when discussing journal writing.
Helen Hagemann
Helen Hagemann
December 12, 2011
Re-reading this 19 years on, coincidentally as I try to pin down my position on my mother and our relationship. The book holds folded scraps of paper of my notes from when I was planning to write my thesis on Modjeska. How would my life have been different if I had finished it? Poppy is an immensely rich work, well worth reading again and again.
August 7, 2015
A story obsessed with the hows and wherefores of its own telling, in a way that became a distraction from the content.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews