Melanie Dobson delivers an incredibly gripping time-slip novel in “The Wings of Poppy Pendleton,” a story spanning more than 100 years and bringing together several families.
In 1907, Amelia Pendleton is preparing to celebrate her daughter Penelope’s fifth birthday when tragedy strikes. Her daughter, also known as Poppy, goes missing during the massive celebration at their castle on Koster Isle in the Thousand Islands, seemingly never to be seen again.
In 1992, Chloe Ridell is living in Koster Isle’s caretaker’s cottage, left to her by her Grandpa Cade, while also running her grandparents’ candy shop on the mainland. When reporter Logan Danford comes asking questions about Poppy’s disappearance so many decades ago, she wonders what the story has to do with her. And when she finds an unexpected surprise on her island, her world is quickly turned upside down.
Filled with many twists and turns, Dobson brilliantly creates two interwoven worlds filled with mystery and intrigue. She develops great characters that are inspirational and purely evil.
She also fills “The Wings of Poppy Pendleton” with a number of great themes, like mistakes can be reshaped for good; God will never let us down and He has a plan and purpose for us all (“While Chloe’s earthly father might have failed, Nana liked to say, her heavenly father would never fail her. Instead of scattering the pieces of her life, God would help her mold them into something good”); you need to clear away the weeds for your heart to heal; God gives us a choice to bring either good or evil into the world; we need to embrace peace and healing; and only a seed of courage is needed to overcome fear. The story does contain some tough subject matter dealing with abuse and exploitation, so be aware if this is a triggering matter.
Fans of dual-timeline novels, as well as authors like Amanda D*kes, Jaime Jo Wright and Kate Morton will love “The Wings of Poppy Pendleton,” which is due out Sept. 19.
Five stars out of five.
Tyndale House Publishers provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.