What do you think?
Rate this book
Poplar Hill
She was cold, she was alone, and she knew she was going to die. In the middle of an epic ice storm, Kitty Stevenson, an eccentric old woman, self-exiled to rural Canada from New York society, realizes that she is having a heart attack. She had survived Nazi Germany - she can survive this too. Her neighbors mount a heroic effort to save her. She lives to tell her tale of self-reliance, incredible wealth, poverty, and escape on the eve of a World War. Kitty is ultimately confronted by what she perceives as a personal moral failure. A strong character, Kitty Stevenson is molded by the Depression and toughened by an intense encounter with Nazi Germany. In the end, she has only one story left to a tale of murder. But, "It was war, damn it, it was war."
274 pages, Hardcover
Published June 10, 2019
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 17, 2019
It began in an ice storm in Nova Scotia in 1998. Catherine (Kitty) Stevenson, beyond reach of man or beast, lay dying from a heart attack in her home on Poplar Hill. For over five days Kitty survived on aspirin and little else until help arrived and she could finally be taken to hospital.
Kitty had been a sensation, royalty of sorts, in the remote stretch of Nova Scotia near Truro and Pictou. She had never been coy about her past, but she had lived in, and through, some of the most violent times in the years prior to World War II. Her secrets were in a small valise, a gift from her mother, now nearly one hundred years old, and filled with photographs and trinkets. But some darker moments from her past lurked there, too.
Poplar Hill draws you in as Kitty recounts her life to her best friend Barb as her body slowly fails starting with her parents leaving her at a French convent for schooling in 1933, and culminating in her return to Europe in 1937 to spend what little fortune her parents had left post-depression. She went to Munich to study opera, but instead witnessed the rumblings of war as Hitler eyed Czechoslovakia and reuniting the German-speaking peoples. She met dignitaries of the day: Hitler and Neville Chamberlain, the latter by running to him to shake his hand and introduce herself. As an American she felt somehow insulated and removed from the drama and the danger.
It is the combination of both Kitty’s close proximity to history, and her emotional distance (being American) that gives Poplar Hill its storytelling edge. Glines portrayal of Kitty and her friends touring and living the life of Bacchus allows him to brush against some of the most alarming and dangerous times in the twentieth century. And before Kitty's life is done she must make a confession that has haunted her for fifty years.
There are so many stories lost with those of the Greatest Generation. Stephen Ramey Glines draws from such stories he heard as a child. Kitty Stevenson was a real person, as were many other characters in the book. The story is an amalgam of the many versions and perspectives told, but as Edward Albee said, fiction is fact distilled into truth. Glines brings us truth. Recommended.
Kitty had been a sensation, royalty of sorts, in the remote stretch of Nova Scotia near Truro and Pictou. She had never been coy about her past, but she had lived in, and through, some of the most violent times in the years prior to World War II. Her secrets were in a small valise, a gift from her mother, now nearly one hundred years old, and filled with photographs and trinkets. But some darker moments from her past lurked there, too.
Poplar Hill draws you in as Kitty recounts her life to her best friend Barb as her body slowly fails starting with her parents leaving her at a French convent for schooling in 1933, and culminating in her return to Europe in 1937 to spend what little fortune her parents had left post-depression. She went to Munich to study opera, but instead witnessed the rumblings of war as Hitler eyed Czechoslovakia and reuniting the German-speaking peoples. She met dignitaries of the day: Hitler and Neville Chamberlain, the latter by running to him to shake his hand and introduce herself. As an American she felt somehow insulated and removed from the drama and the danger.
It is the combination of both Kitty’s close proximity to history, and her emotional distance (being American) that gives Poplar Hill its storytelling edge. Glines portrayal of Kitty and her friends touring and living the life of Bacchus allows him to brush against some of the most alarming and dangerous times in the twentieth century. And before Kitty's life is done she must make a confession that has haunted her for fifty years.
There are so many stories lost with those of the Greatest Generation. Stephen Ramey Glines draws from such stories he heard as a child. Kitty Stevenson was a real person, as were many other characters in the book. The story is an amalgam of the many versions and perspectives told, but as Edward Albee said, fiction is fact distilled into truth. Glines brings us truth. Recommended.
August 9, 2019
Poplar Hill is a lovely book, part memoire, part fiction, carefully and quietly written. Set in Nova Scotia, Canada, just before the millennium, it beautifully conveys a time and a place and a small town culture of friendships and loyalties. The book focuses on Kitty, a local celebrity of sorts, who is approaching the end of her life, and recalling her youth, as an American ‘society girl’ caught up in Germany at the slow start of the second world war in Europe. Her very personal and vivid memories provide an unusual and striking perspective on the often-told stories of that time, and I found myself won over by the continuity of character from the bold, self-possessed girl in the stories to the still vibrant old lady now dying in her adopted country, amongst old friends. As a commentary of its time, the book also depicts, in the background, the complicated and professionalised business of an old person dying of natural causes in North America – multiple changes of care settings, blood transfusions, intensive care, invasive tests and monitoring – against an affectionate counterpoint of older traditions, of friendship, unburdening of old secrets and keeping vigil. This is a book well worth reading. Enjoy.
July 24, 2019
This book is so full of emotions, it's amazing. Kitty's firsthand experiences, both in the war and in Canada, are full of details, description and emotion.
The book begins with Kitty experiencing a mild heart attack over an agonizing period of two days. She's immediately admitted to a hospital, and is told she that her days are numbered.
Poplar Hill draws you in as Kitty recounts and recollects her life to her friend and neighbour Barbara, as her body slowly fails in her hospital bed. As she says, Kitty cannot die as long as she has stories left to tell.
The story begins with Kitty's parents leaving her at a French Convent School in 1933 and ends at her return to Europe in 1937.
This book is full of Kitty's intriguing tales as she goes to study opera at Munich, only to find that a war is errupting as Hitler lays his focus on Czechoslovakia. She meets the main players of the war - Hitler and Chamberlain.
And then she begins her adventurous life, touring Europe with her friend Sam, traveling in first class, spending all her German marks. Her story is full of highs and lows and the wonders are never-ending.
And then Kitty reveals her deepest, darkest secret - one she's kept for a fifty years.
All in all, if you like historical fiction and reading about the second World War, this is the perfect book for you!
The book begins with Kitty experiencing a mild heart attack over an agonizing period of two days. She's immediately admitted to a hospital, and is told she that her days are numbered.
Poplar Hill draws you in as Kitty recounts and recollects her life to her friend and neighbour Barbara, as her body slowly fails in her hospital bed. As she says, Kitty cannot die as long as she has stories left to tell.
The story begins with Kitty's parents leaving her at a French Convent School in 1933 and ends at her return to Europe in 1937.
This book is full of Kitty's intriguing tales as she goes to study opera at Munich, only to find that a war is errupting as Hitler lays his focus on Czechoslovakia. She meets the main players of the war - Hitler and Chamberlain.
And then she begins her adventurous life, touring Europe with her friend Sam, traveling in first class, spending all her German marks. Her story is full of highs and lows and the wonders are never-ending.
And then Kitty reveals her deepest, darkest secret - one she's kept for a fifty years.
All in all, if you like historical fiction and reading about the second World War, this is the perfect book for you!
June 3, 2023
Review of Poplar Hill
“Another branch snapped on the tree outside as a sense of doom overcame her.” (Pg. 30 Poplar Hill)
The narrator speaks the mind of Catherine (“Kitty”) Stevenson, and the image could stand for her life. So begins a book with two timelines – one of the Nova Scotia of 1998/99, where Kitty lies gravely ill in Shiretown Nursing Home; and one on 1930s Germany, to which she travels into the Nazi hornet’s nest.
This is a tale of intrigue, deceit, danger, espionage, and living on the edge. One would think the contemporary times would serve as relief to all of that stress. However, in the hands of author, Steven Ramey Glines, the end of Kitty’s life is fraught with its own perils and moments of harrowing decision.
The tension between life and death seems always present with Kitty. Born into great wealth, she never feels entitled, probably due to the fact that her father, founder of United Coal Company, lost his fortune in the Great Depression. The family, forced to move into the caretaker’s cottage at their liquidated mansion, develops a sense that nothing is permanent. Kitty says, “The Depression and the War colored the rest of our lives, my whole generation. Prosperity and austerity are measured against the Depression and security against our experience in or, in my case, just before the war.” As her mother did before her, Kitty had been sent off to convent school for a childhood of withholding and discipline. But it is in the travelling there that her life attitude had come through, as she had to contain all her belongings in one valise. Later, when she packs for Germany, she takes a steamer trunk in posh fashion, but when she has to flee, she does so with only that one valise. That piece of luggage – the title of a chapter - is a bellwether of her life of plenty or sacrifice.
Kitty is a woman of class, although that means nothing to her. Her son, Jimmy (whom she insists on calling James) says of her, “Mom can tell the difference between a real Gucci bag and a Chinese knockoff but is perfectly content to use something she found at a thrift shop.” Notwithstanding, she never feels above or below anyone. She can fit into any situation and make it look so effortless, Jimmy explains. Her real test was shaking hands with Hitler. She’s in Munich, as are other young Americans, to spend her father’s money which is trapped in Germany. The Nazis will not allow it to be taken out of the country in any form, so Kitty and her circle of friends live it up with parties and endless liquor. This is also Kitty’s chance to attend voice school, which she could not at home.
Yet it’s not a story of spoiled rich kids whooping it up in a dictatorship; as we shall see this bunch – cell, really - take it upon themselves to be impromptu journalists and, indeed, spies for America, which is not yet at war. Reporting what they see on the streets during Kristallnacht, they are able to sell their reports to the news outlets and earn some of their keep.
The duality between hedonism and hardship turns into a travelling show, as the group actually escape the pressures of impending war by going on vacations in the midst of diplomatic breakdowns, such as setting out for Austria the day before the Anschluss. Foolhardiness? Probably, but that’s youth! Or else, it’s their way of cheating death, as Kitty proclaims in general, adding that the fall of 1938 was the most exhilarating time of her life.
A woman of great intelligence and courage, she also exhibits calculated nerve (and impudence) in appearing at a U.S. embassy party with likenesses of the Polish, French, and British flags sewn on the bum of her dress. Most nervy of all is that she assists in aiding a Jewish family in either surviving or getting out. Her resolve will come to a shocking conclusion with a great revelation at the end of the book.
You would think her departure on the very last passenger ship out of Germany in August, 1939 would cap the story, but the later chapters of her life test Kitty as much. Diagnosed with diabetes, causing two heart attacks, and finally organ failure, she must face survival and mortality yet again.
Glines interweaves the two storylines masterfully. For example, though Shiretown is a quiet provincial nursing home, there are moments there recalling the war. Her friend, Vince, lights a match by her oxygen tank – perhaps emblematic of the tinderbox of world war. And just at the point Kitty tells of the invasion of Czechoslovakia and therefore her inability to return to Germany, Shiretown closes due to a blizzard. In the same vein, James pushes the point that we wants his dying mother’s stocks early. Could that evoke the Nazis confiscating property? And Kitty thinks Heaven is a garden, recalling her sickly delirium in which she thought geraniums spoke to her. The reader will find that in Munich she determined whether the U.S. Consulate would stay open depending on whether its flowerpots remained. Flowers mean life, and singing means life. All she ever wanted to do was to sing like an angel, and Glines implies the day she does make it to Heaven may give her that chance that she never had in the Munch Opera.
Kitty lives by the idea of ‘L’Appel du Vide,’ the idea of going to edge of cliff and having the urge to jump, so you run away. She says she looks over the cliff at the end of her life but has no choice but to jump. The circumstances are beyond her control. What is not is her voice. The author states, “So long as she could tell stories, she didn’t need to look into the abyss.” With her resolve and powers of influence that voice saved lives, including her own, in war, and later shapes the town of Pictou to carry out an unusual request for Kitty and to afford her the dignity of a final story.
“Another branch snapped on the tree outside as a sense of doom overcame her.” (Pg. 30 Poplar Hill)
The narrator speaks the mind of Catherine (“Kitty”) Stevenson, and the image could stand for her life. So begins a book with two timelines – one of the Nova Scotia of 1998/99, where Kitty lies gravely ill in Shiretown Nursing Home; and one on 1930s Germany, to which she travels into the Nazi hornet’s nest.
This is a tale of intrigue, deceit, danger, espionage, and living on the edge. One would think the contemporary times would serve as relief to all of that stress. However, in the hands of author, Steven Ramey Glines, the end of Kitty’s life is fraught with its own perils and moments of harrowing decision.
The tension between life and death seems always present with Kitty. Born into great wealth, she never feels entitled, probably due to the fact that her father, founder of United Coal Company, lost his fortune in the Great Depression. The family, forced to move into the caretaker’s cottage at their liquidated mansion, develops a sense that nothing is permanent. Kitty says, “The Depression and the War colored the rest of our lives, my whole generation. Prosperity and austerity are measured against the Depression and security against our experience in or, in my case, just before the war.” As her mother did before her, Kitty had been sent off to convent school for a childhood of withholding and discipline. But it is in the travelling there that her life attitude had come through, as she had to contain all her belongings in one valise. Later, when she packs for Germany, she takes a steamer trunk in posh fashion, but when she has to flee, she does so with only that one valise. That piece of luggage – the title of a chapter - is a bellwether of her life of plenty or sacrifice.
Kitty is a woman of class, although that means nothing to her. Her son, Jimmy (whom she insists on calling James) says of her, “Mom can tell the difference between a real Gucci bag and a Chinese knockoff but is perfectly content to use something she found at a thrift shop.” Notwithstanding, she never feels above or below anyone. She can fit into any situation and make it look so effortless, Jimmy explains. Her real test was shaking hands with Hitler. She’s in Munich, as are other young Americans, to spend her father’s money which is trapped in Germany. The Nazis will not allow it to be taken out of the country in any form, so Kitty and her circle of friends live it up with parties and endless liquor. This is also Kitty’s chance to attend voice school, which she could not at home.
Yet it’s not a story of spoiled rich kids whooping it up in a dictatorship; as we shall see this bunch – cell, really - take it upon themselves to be impromptu journalists and, indeed, spies for America, which is not yet at war. Reporting what they see on the streets during Kristallnacht, they are able to sell their reports to the news outlets and earn some of their keep.
The duality between hedonism and hardship turns into a travelling show, as the group actually escape the pressures of impending war by going on vacations in the midst of diplomatic breakdowns, such as setting out for Austria the day before the Anschluss. Foolhardiness? Probably, but that’s youth! Or else, it’s their way of cheating death, as Kitty proclaims in general, adding that the fall of 1938 was the most exhilarating time of her life.
A woman of great intelligence and courage, she also exhibits calculated nerve (and impudence) in appearing at a U.S. embassy party with likenesses of the Polish, French, and British flags sewn on the bum of her dress. Most nervy of all is that she assists in aiding a Jewish family in either surviving or getting out. Her resolve will come to a shocking conclusion with a great revelation at the end of the book.
You would think her departure on the very last passenger ship out of Germany in August, 1939 would cap the story, but the later chapters of her life test Kitty as much. Diagnosed with diabetes, causing two heart attacks, and finally organ failure, she must face survival and mortality yet again.
Glines interweaves the two storylines masterfully. For example, though Shiretown is a quiet provincial nursing home, there are moments there recalling the war. Her friend, Vince, lights a match by her oxygen tank – perhaps emblematic of the tinderbox of world war. And just at the point Kitty tells of the invasion of Czechoslovakia and therefore her inability to return to Germany, Shiretown closes due to a blizzard. In the same vein, James pushes the point that we wants his dying mother’s stocks early. Could that evoke the Nazis confiscating property? And Kitty thinks Heaven is a garden, recalling her sickly delirium in which she thought geraniums spoke to her. The reader will find that in Munich she determined whether the U.S. Consulate would stay open depending on whether its flowerpots remained. Flowers mean life, and singing means life. All she ever wanted to do was to sing like an angel, and Glines implies the day she does make it to Heaven may give her that chance that she never had in the Munch Opera.
Kitty lives by the idea of ‘L’Appel du Vide,’ the idea of going to edge of cliff and having the urge to jump, so you run away. She says she looks over the cliff at the end of her life but has no choice but to jump. The circumstances are beyond her control. What is not is her voice. The author states, “So long as she could tell stories, she didn’t need to look into the abyss.” With her resolve and powers of influence that voice saved lives, including her own, in war, and later shapes the town of Pictou to carry out an unusual request for Kitty and to afford her the dignity of a final story.
May 7, 2023
Now I want to know the “real” non-fiction story of Kitty Glines-With pictures and all the facts. I know they must be out there. If you read this you need to know that this may be written as fiction but Kitty was a real person-she may sound bigger than life, but she was one of those characters who really was bigger than life. I drive by her house every time all summer. You can see her house on ViewPoint right now if you search up Poplar Hill Pictou County. It will really bring the story to life for you!
My one question is what brought Kitty to Pictou County? Maybe I missed it, but did
she have family here or did she just land here in true Kitty fashion?
My one question is what brought Kitty to Pictou County? Maybe I missed it, but did
she have family here or did she just land here in true Kitty fashion?
May 2, 2021
An entertaining story of an old woman, KItty, who at the end of her life is living in rural Eastern Canada. The townsfolk find her eccentric, but she's definitely well liked and they seem to realize that Kitty has seen a few things in her life. She lived through Nazi Germany and always has an interesting tale to tell. The story is told from Kitty's perspective as she struggles with a heart attack during an ice storm. Her neighbors come to help and get her to hospital as story goes back and forth between present and past.
October 1, 2019
Why does it seem that some of the best life stories go unheard until days are numbered? Is it to finally set a guilty conscience free or maybe a fear of judgment if the truth is told? Poplar Hill by Steve Glines follows along as Kitty Stevenson remembers her years as a young American socialite in Nazi Germany during the beginnings of World War II. Based on real people, you’ll walk with Kitty as she journeys through Europe almost oblivious to any danger around her.
The beginning of a massive ice storm hits with a vengeance at precisely the time Kitty is sure she is having a heart attack. With no way to get to a hospital, Kitty must figure out a way to survive until the storm passes. While Kitty eventually makes it to a local hospital, it’s then she not only learns it was a miracle she’s alive but also that her days are numbered. With a new sense of urgency, Kitty decides it’s now or never to tell her final story…
As Kitty continues to deteriorate, she leaves no detail untold as she vividly recalls her time in Germany. Studying opera and instructed to “spend the family money,'' Kitty enjoys a life of privilege. Her storytelling will have you right alongside her as she attends embassy parties, travels with friends, and meets some fascinating people along the way. It’s after some of her acquaintances “disappear” and a note from home, that she realizes it may now be time to find her way back. With very little money left, Kitty manages to catch one of the last boats leaving for America just before war breaks out and she can now reflect and piece together a "story" to be told at a later date.
Now, with almost her last breath, Kitty decides the last part of her story must be told, even if in the name of war, murder was committed…
While I did enjoy this book, I was also a little disappointed. The climax of the synopsis indicating a murder was only briefly mentioned towards the end of the book with none of the details I was waiting for. However, I do believe any historical fiction fans will find this book a good read, especially with Kitty Stevenson as your guide.
The beginning of a massive ice storm hits with a vengeance at precisely the time Kitty is sure she is having a heart attack. With no way to get to a hospital, Kitty must figure out a way to survive until the storm passes. While Kitty eventually makes it to a local hospital, it’s then she not only learns it was a miracle she’s alive but also that her days are numbered. With a new sense of urgency, Kitty decides it’s now or never to tell her final story…
As Kitty continues to deteriorate, she leaves no detail untold as she vividly recalls her time in Germany. Studying opera and instructed to “spend the family money,'' Kitty enjoys a life of privilege. Her storytelling will have you right alongside her as she attends embassy parties, travels with friends, and meets some fascinating people along the way. It’s after some of her acquaintances “disappear” and a note from home, that she realizes it may now be time to find her way back. With very little money left, Kitty manages to catch one of the last boats leaving for America just before war breaks out and she can now reflect and piece together a "story" to be told at a later date.
Now, with almost her last breath, Kitty decides the last part of her story must be told, even if in the name of war, murder was committed…
While I did enjoy this book, I was also a little disappointed. The climax of the synopsis indicating a murder was only briefly mentioned towards the end of the book with none of the details I was waiting for. However, I do believe any historical fiction fans will find this book a good read, especially with Kitty Stevenson as your guide.
May 14, 2020
“For heaven’s sake Sweetie this is a book about an old lady dying in Canada”. I cannot say I was impressed by this choice of a birthday present from an old school friend. I don’t do old ladies or dying and I certainly don’t do Canada. (Such a virtuous country and so boring – it’s worse than Switzerland which at least has those shady bankers. What has Canada got? Leonard Cohen’s throaty angst?)
Actually though it’s a wonderful book. Kitty Stevenson isn’t Canadian at all she’s a New York society girl who lived in Germany just before and during World War II. As a heart attack builds during a long ice storm in remote rural Canada (where even this won’t summon an ambulance in bad weather) there are secrets she wants to tell. And what a story! As a sharp delicious counterpoint to the lives of her caring down-home neighbours who doubtless wear dungarees and eat whatever the Canadian version of hominy grits is Kitty slowly unpicks her memories of her life in Berlin as the war-clouds gathered. She’s not some right-on political activist who sees at once that what was happening is wrong and she has no wish to give up the sparkly life she’s living under the Third Reich but she’s feisty and independent and gradually the truth dawns and she has choices to make. Is she ashamed of her choice or is she proud?
The book has a hypnotic quality in the end – all of it a moment between life and death and dreaming and waking as two very different worlds collide with each other. For Kitty caught in the middle as time collapses at the end of her life both are equally real. Actually I admit they were for me too. In the end I even enjoyed the Canadians who turned out to be complicated and smart and funny as well as predictably generous. And Kitty is a character who takes you quietly like someone gently taking hold of your hair. You don’t feel at first but when you try to get away… She’s a tough cookie.
Actually though it’s a wonderful book. Kitty Stevenson isn’t Canadian at all she’s a New York society girl who lived in Germany just before and during World War II. As a heart attack builds during a long ice storm in remote rural Canada (where even this won’t summon an ambulance in bad weather) there are secrets she wants to tell. And what a story! As a sharp delicious counterpoint to the lives of her caring down-home neighbours who doubtless wear dungarees and eat whatever the Canadian version of hominy grits is Kitty slowly unpicks her memories of her life in Berlin as the war-clouds gathered. She’s not some right-on political activist who sees at once that what was happening is wrong and she has no wish to give up the sparkly life she’s living under the Third Reich but she’s feisty and independent and gradually the truth dawns and she has choices to make. Is she ashamed of her choice or is she proud?
The book has a hypnotic quality in the end – all of it a moment between life and death and dreaming and waking as two very different worlds collide with each other. For Kitty caught in the middle as time collapses at the end of her life both are equally real. Actually I admit they were for me too. In the end I even enjoyed the Canadians who turned out to be complicated and smart and funny as well as predictably generous. And Kitty is a character who takes you quietly like someone gently taking hold of your hair. You don’t feel at first but when you try to get away… She’s a tough cookie.
August 10, 2022
What an unexpected, beautiful read. A simple premise, barely a premise at all. An old lady dying (well they do that, don't they) in Canada (yes, we do that here too) in one of those Canadian communities where people actually know your name and actually mind enough to do something for you, even if they don't actually know your secrets.
In her dying days, some of Kitty's secrets come to the surface, and oh, what a story! From Germany under the Third Reich, through New York, to a remote corner of Canada that turns into home. She shines from the pages, vibrant, determined, fragile, strong. And through her life she sees so many changes, and comes to a place at the end where humanity, forgiveness, meaning, tenderness and understanding all come together. I loved all the characters in this book, including the Canadian winter that appears almost as a character in itself. I really loved this book.
In her dying days, some of Kitty's secrets come to the surface, and oh, what a story! From Germany under the Third Reich, through New York, to a remote corner of Canada that turns into home. She shines from the pages, vibrant, determined, fragile, strong. And through her life she sees so many changes, and comes to a place at the end where humanity, forgiveness, meaning, tenderness and understanding all come together. I loved all the characters in this book, including the Canadian winter that appears almost as a character in itself. I really loved this book.
May 9, 2021
We often forget to ask the dying to tell their stories. Poplar Hill is a poignant, funny reminder to do just that. We also often assume those stories are less than interesting. Poplar Hill is a warning to avoid making assumptions. With the heroine, Kitty, counting down until her own end, the story often wanders but, Glines masterfully endears her to her audience in a way that we don't mind at all. Kitty's story offers a completely new perspective on what life in Europe was like for ex-patriots in the days leading up to and in the early days of WWII. If you're a fan of history, you'll enjoy Poplar Hill.
April 22, 2025
Reading Poplar Hill felt like listening to an older woman spill her life story—one that's full of pain, pride, and secrets. Kitty’s honesty is brutal at times, but that’s what makes her so compelling. She’s been through more than most, and the way she tells her story is so raw and real. I especially appreciated how the book didn’t try to make her perfect. She’s complex, and her reflections on morality during wartime hit me hard. A quiet, powerful book.
April 22, 2025
This book took me on an emotional ride. The opening scene during the ice storm immediately put me in Kitty’s shoes cold, scared, and stubborn as hell. Then it shifts into her past, and that’s when it really got me. The writing is so thoughtful, so intimate, it almost felt like reading someone’s diary. I cried more than once. Especially at the end. It’s not a feel-good story, but it is a truthful one. And that’s what made it beautiful.
April 22, 2025
Poplar Hill isn't just a story about Kittyit's a story about surviving what life throws at you. Her journey through wealth, poverty, war, and self-imposed isolation is so layered. I found myself pausing to reflect on things she said, especially her regrets and the choices she made. It made me think about the stories we carry, and what we choose to hide. Thoughtful, heartbreaking, and absolutely worth the read.
April 22, 2025
I picked this up on a whim, and I’m so glad I did. Poplar Hill is unlike anything I’ve read lately. Kitty is a fierce character sharp-tongued, independent, and unapologetically herself. Her voice drives the whole book. I loved the contrast between her present struggle and her past life in Nazi Germany. And when she finally tells that story near the end? I had to put the book down and sit with it for a while. Haunting and incredibly well done.
April 22, 2025
Kitty Stevenson is not your typical heroine. She’s complicated, and that’s exactly what makes her interesting. I love how Glines lets her flaws show without judgment. You see all the pieces of her her resilience, her trauma, her guilt. The way the story unfolds through memory gives it this emotional weight that sneaks up on you. It’s the kind of book that slowly gets under your skin and makes you think long after you're done.
June 21, 2019
Poplar Hill
I like this book review:
book review by Toby Berry in U.S. Review of Books
"The Depression and the War colored the rest of our lives, my whole generation."
Kitty Stevenson resided in Germany before WWII as an American socialite, a woman somewhat oblivious to the worst of the Nazis, as if seeing it too closely prevented its clear focus. She managed to leave Nazi Germany on the last boat to New York, arriving just days before the Germans invaded Poland. Now, in Nova Scotia, Canada, she is dying of heart failure, determined to tell her life story to her best friend. This story inside of a story lets readers get to know the delightful main character, Stevenson, when she is both young and old. Glines skillfully weaves the two stories together. Seamlessly, readers go from the 1930s to the 1990s as Stevenson lives her daily hospice life and her memories aloud.
World War II historical fiction has been written in many forms, but penned from the perspective of a naive, young American woman is unique. Likewise, end-of-life stories are plentiful, but from the calm, matter-of-fact, optimistic Kitty Stevenson's perspective, readers get a taste of the scene as "splendid altogether," at least in a bittersweet way. Poplar Hill is a northern rural area not far from Halifax, and the descriptions of the rough life and energy it takes to exist up there is a story in itself. "Rescuing Kitty Stevenson had become a county-wide effort...The highway department was going to get the causeway open...then start on Scotch Hill...with two plows and five salt trucks." Wartime choices made, secrets, guilt, and living life like you mean it are all themes explored in this deep novel. But it isn't just the "what" but the "how" that makes this book exemplary. A truly professional writer touches deeply, and when Glines describes Stevenson's bedside last breaths, a tissue box is highly recommended.
I like this book review:
book review by Toby Berry in U.S. Review of Books
"The Depression and the War colored the rest of our lives, my whole generation."
Kitty Stevenson resided in Germany before WWII as an American socialite, a woman somewhat oblivious to the worst of the Nazis, as if seeing it too closely prevented its clear focus. She managed to leave Nazi Germany on the last boat to New York, arriving just days before the Germans invaded Poland. Now, in Nova Scotia, Canada, she is dying of heart failure, determined to tell her life story to her best friend. This story inside of a story lets readers get to know the delightful main character, Stevenson, when she is both young and old. Glines skillfully weaves the two stories together. Seamlessly, readers go from the 1930s to the 1990s as Stevenson lives her daily hospice life and her memories aloud.
World War II historical fiction has been written in many forms, but penned from the perspective of a naive, young American woman is unique. Likewise, end-of-life stories are plentiful, but from the calm, matter-of-fact, optimistic Kitty Stevenson's perspective, readers get a taste of the scene as "splendid altogether," at least in a bittersweet way. Poplar Hill is a northern rural area not far from Halifax, and the descriptions of the rough life and energy it takes to exist up there is a story in itself. "Rescuing Kitty Stevenson had become a county-wide effort...The highway department was going to get the causeway open...then start on Scotch Hill...with two plows and five salt trucks." Wartime choices made, secrets, guilt, and living life like you mean it are all themes explored in this deep novel. But it isn't just the "what" but the "how" that makes this book exemplary. A truly professional writer touches deeply, and when Glines describes Stevenson's bedside last breaths, a tissue box is highly recommended.
February 29, 2020
This story resonated with me on so many different levels. I don’t want to spoil the story for you so I won’t share how. I am an avid reader of biographies and historical fiction. My last 3 novels have been set during WW2, Poplar Hill was the icing on the cake.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews