Golden Poppies (Yellow Crocus #3) by Laila Ibrahim

☆☆☆☆
ebook, 288 pages
Expected publication: June 1st 2020 by Lake Union Publishing
About the Book:
It’s 1894. Jordan Wallace and Sadie Wagoner appear to have little in common. Jordan, a middle-aged black teacher, lives in segregated Chicago. Two thousand miles away, Sadie, the white wife of an ambitious German businessman, lives in more tolerant Oakland, California. But years ago, their families intertwined on a plantation in Virginia. There, Jordan’s and Sadie’s mothers developed a bond stronger than blood, despite the fact that one was enslaved and the other was the privileged daughter of the plantation’s owner. With Jordan’s mother on her deathbed, Sadie leaves her disapproving husband to make the arduous train journey with her mother to Chicago. But the reunion between two families is soon fraught with personal and political challenges. As the harsh realities of racial divides and the injustices of the Gilded Age conspire to hold them back, the women find they need each other more than ever. Their courage, their loyalty, and the ties that bind their families will be tested. Amid the tumult of a quickly changing nation, their destiny depends on what they’re willing to risk for liberation.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Golden Poppies is a great example of what I wish all historical fiction could be. Far too often I'll start reading something that makes it clear that the author thought all you needed to do was state the year, add some period clothes to your characters and there you have historical fiction. You don't, and the number of terrible books that have appeared in the genre in recent years has practically ruined historical fiction for me until one like this comes along. I would have enjoyed the book just as much if it were not based on real life. The story is beautiful and heart-grabbing without pulling cheap punches like unnecessarily schmaltzy situations or dialogue.

This is book three of the Yellow Crocus series and I highly recommend that you read the other two books first. This book would read well as a stand alone BUT you're really missing out if you skip the other two. And while I know it has nothing to do with the words that are inside, I like the cover art. I m glad the publisher decided to put a flower on the front of this as they did with the first book.

Thank you NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Laila Ibrahim for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an impartial review; all opinions are my own.

#GoldenPoppies #NetGalley