The Great Husband Hunt

by Laurie Graham

Book Overview

From the author of the acclaimed The Future Homemakers of America comes a funny and moving novel about a high-spirited, unconventional woman whose life is a celebration of passion's triumph over prudence. What hope is there for Poppy Minkel? She has kinky hair and big ears-and an unquenchable lust for fun. Her mother Dora despairs of ever finding her a husband, despite the lure ofthe Minkel family mustard fortune. Social mores, duty, and ear-correcting...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446691321
• ISBN13: 9780446691321
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Warner Books (NY)
• Length: 358 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 13 years and up

Customer Reviews

very entertaining

I love the way Laurie Graham writes. I really enjoyed her book, The Future Homemakers of America, and thought this would be similar, but the style of writing is different. I recommend both books. They made me wish I had more time to read.

The Great Husband Hunt

Poppy, the main character in The Great Husband Hunt, is not always likeable, but she is certainly unforgettable. Both Poppy and the colorful quirky cast of characters, who surround her, make reading this book an entertaining adventure. The events of the last 90 years are seen through the eyes of an often self-centered but never dull figure, who goes from a young girl to a woman of a certain age while the reader laughs,sighs and rolls his/her eyes, but is never bored.

Don't be misled by the cover

This is not a romance! The title and photo on the cover could mislead you. But this is a clever book, a marvelous character read. And I loved it. I think Laurie Graham has captured the ultimate eccentric spirit in Poppy, who is modeled somewhat on Peggy Guggenheim, according to Graham's interview at the end of the novel. (By-the-way, author Graham now resides in Venice, the home of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum.)I am reminded of the Mitford novels and biographies, not Jan Karon, but Nancy Mitford, i. e. Love in a Cold Climate, The Pursuit of Love, Don't Tell Alfred. And of the Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia. There is even a taste of the absurditiy of AbFab of BBC TV.For certainly Poppy has genuine feelings, as expressed by her loss of her father and the confusion over his double life, and she belabors her having been controlled by her mother and her aunt. But she is a strong and willful rich woman, a mustard heiress who seems to have no sense of conventional behavior at all, especially as it concerns her daughters, or husbands. She buys her way through life, but it isn't all despicable. In fact, her ways as an avant garde originator/fashion designer, and discover and seller of art, are not so foreign to those who actually fill that world even today. Witness the emergence of design of all kinds in the world of cable TV channels and realize what entertainment value it must provide to not only stay on the air but multiply and clone itself into more and more programming.There is a definite message in this journey the reader takes with Poppy at the helm, and it is the importance of one's family after all. In addition there is a sense of history, as in the effect of world events on culture. But the humor and oddity in the story line keep this from being a maudlin tale. The whole set of characters is no more eccentric than any other good novel, often a Southern tale. But the mix of Jewish and Christian culture with the art world and the world of the wealthy makes for a fun read. Poppy is an addictive flower of a protagonist, both reprehensible and sympathetic.

Great Book

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, and I loved how it explored Poppy's entire life. It started in the early 1900's when Poppy was only 15 and she lost her father in the Titanic and then it took us through her life up until her 70's. We learn about her 2 husbands, her 2 kids, her mother and sister, her aunt, and her stepbrother. The author gives a lot of information about all the characters in the book. Good Book!!

The Great Husband Hunt

I truly loved this book. Couldn't put it down and wanted to keep "Poppy" going. But, it has been published under the name: "The Undesirables" and a different cover, which I'd bought. Imagine my surprise, when I'd ordered some additional books, by Laurie Graham and received, "The Great Husband Hunt", to be one and the same. That was annoying!