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Laurie Graham
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The Great Husband Hunt Kindle Edition

by Laurie Graham (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
From the author of The Future Homemakers of America comes the hilarious and moving story of one unstoppable woman's unforgettable ride through an ever-changing century..

What hope is there for Poppy Minkel? She has kinky hair, big ears, skin that's too sallow, and an appetite for fun. Poppy's mother, Dora, despairs of ever finding her a husband, despite the lure of the family fortune offered by Minkel's Mighty Fine Mustard.

Correctness, duty, and Dora Minkel Ear Correcting Bandages are the weapons in this husband hunt-and they serve as torture to a girl who has her own hazy ideas about beauty, love, and marriage. After the sudden death of her father, Poppy's rebelliousness bursts into full bloom. From one World War to the next, from New York to Paris, she'll invent her own extraordinary life with never a moment of self-doubt...as acclaimed author Laurie Graham treats us to a rollicking, exhilarating celebration of passion over prudence.
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  1. Print length
    370 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grand Central Publishing
  4. Publication date
    December 2, 2008
  5. File size
    2.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Graham's humorous fictional autobiography of Poppy Minkel, the tart-tongued heiress ("Jewish, to just the right degree") of Minkel's Mighty Fine Mustard, is a Zelig-like romp through the 20th century. Poppy's irrepressible voice recreates her world with a disarming bluntness that often abandons propriety for a good laugh ("education is a greatly overrated thing") while never sidestepping the essential truths of any well-lived life (e.g., "No one can be expected to look at difficult art without a glass in one's hand"). Graham's enjoyable The Future Homemakers of America toasted the delights of long-term friendship between women and exhibited the author's flair for nostalgic historical fiction. Her new novel views history through Poppy's wide, self-obsessed eyes, painting a lyrically linear portrait of a flawed, believable character who never abandons her quest to be a "heroine." Poppy's "memoir" begins with her grief over losing her father on the Titanic, barrels along at a great pace through WWI, the 1920s, the 1930s, WWII, the 1960s and ends with a sanguine widow's observations in the late 1970s. Poppy's evolution through heiress/shop girl, fashion "originator"/wife, aviatrix/seductress, mother/art gallery owner/widow proceeds at a dizzying clip. Married first to a rake she meets while selling ties at Macy's, Poppy divorces him after their first child is born and takes up with a Brit distantly related to the Royals. Their affair results in a surprise pregnancy and leads to a second, happier marriage. Poppy weathers many losses, but her friendship with her stepbrother Murray-most beloved of her family members-teaches her a great lesson: "In life you have to look ahead and not behind." Graham's protagonist is much less conventional than the book's title leads readers to expect; those looking for ordinary historical romance will get more than they bargained for.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Poppy Minkel-Minton Catchings Merrick is every bit as eccentric as her name. Heiress to the Minkel Mighty Fine Mustard fortune, she's a fey flibbertigibbet living in the shadow of her pampered sister and under the glare of her domineering mother and aunt. Though the dynamic may be pure Cinderella, there's no fairy godmother, glass slipper, or Prince Charming coming to her rescue. Poppy manages to make her own way in life, despite a disastrous first marriage and the death of her second husband. Indeed, from the sinking of the Titanic to the 1929 stock market crash to the Nazi terrors of World War II, Poppy has always found herself in the thick of things, yet armed with an indomitable spirit and a rebellious nature, she manages to survive and thrive where lesser women would fail. Charting the course of Poppy's life against such a historically rich backdrop, Graham takes a sometimes silly, sometimes serious tone in this capricious exploration of one memorable woman's life. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001MT5NRI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition (December 2, 2008)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 2, 2008
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.9 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 370 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0446691321
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

About the author

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Laurie Graham

Laurie Graham

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Laurie Graham's social comedies have been described as a cross between Victoria Wood and Alan Bennett. She was first published at the advanced age of 40 and is the author of 18 novels. In 2019, the changing face of big house publishing obliged her to go the independent route.

She now publishes her own books.

Laurie is an occasional contributor to the Daily Mail, the Spectator, and the quarterly magazine, Slightly Foxed, and blogs on her own website, http://www.lauriegraham.com

Born, bred and buttered in Leicester, she now lives in County Dublin, Ireland.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
37 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • I. A. Cheatham
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Great Husband Hunt
    Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2003
    Verified Purchase
    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!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Barb B
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable read, memorable characters.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    This book made for an enjoyable read, despite a character that was unusual at best. The American publisher changed the title and cover photo to something our public would "get", as we don't understand irony! "The Great Husband Hunt" has almost nothing to do with the story and the photo is insipid cheesecake. Had I seen the cover first, I'd never have bought the book and was pleasantly surprised at the content. The Unfortunates (British title) is surprising, witty, and an interesting look at the life of the "fortunate" class of the 20th century.
    One person found this helpful
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  • LCS
    3.0 out of 5 stars okay not great
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2017
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    It is okay--not a book that really satisfies or you would want to read again.
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  • dikybabe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Don't be misled by the cover
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2004
    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.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Barbara Brophy
    4.0 out of 5 stars Going to read all Laurie Graham's books - fun!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Fun book to read! Loved the main character in the beginning, then began to loathe her, but soon loved her again towards the end - just a product of the time/situation. I could have done a better job of editing this book, though - some big errors (maybe the online translation though)
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  • BuytheBook
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing but praise
    Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2009
    I'm still shocked that some people did not absolutely enjoy this book. It is my second Laurie Graham novel and I cannot wait to delve into another. I love the wit, and appreciate range of characters, as well as relatable storylines. Thank you Laurie Graham; I'm looking forward. What fun!
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  • C. Henry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful on so many levels
    Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2009
    Story starts off light and fluffy, then reader realizes the depth of the story camouflaged by the zinging oneliners. Still savoring the characters.
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  • Kirstin G. Larson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, even when annoying
    Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2004
    The Great Husband Hunt, while the title is seriously flawed, is a fun, quick read. The main character, Poppy is a woman that you will love to hate. Uneducated, spoiled, and self-absorbed, she is also fun, impulsive, and hedonistic. Born into an affluent family in the early 1900s, she experiences all of the highlights of the 20th century; the sinking of the Titanic, 2 World Wars, Vietnam. She bounces through life with a carefree, unconcerned attitude, and, in spite of herself, everything always seems to work out in the end. There were times when I found myself disliking Poppy so much, I wondered if I wanted to finish the book. A few pages more, though, and I'd have forgotton all about how much she ticked me off and get caught up in her next adventure. Now, don't we all know people just like that??
    Don't let yourself get too caught up in the historical details of this book. After all, it is just fiction! Let go a little, and, hopefully, you'll enjoy this as much as I do.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • judith brown
    5.0 out of 5 stars ... can't help loving them and wanting them to be happy and do well
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 16, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Laurie makes characters who are a mixture of monster and a delightful child- you can't help loving them and wanting them to be happy and do well. On a more serious note she also describes the way some jews have dipped in and out of their religion according to the fashion of the day.
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  • E A HENWOOD
    4.0 out of 5 stars The great husband hunt
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 22, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I enjoyed this book. It was well written as always but not quite as engrossing as some she has written
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  • Gaynor Renwick
    3.0 out of 5 stars Name change
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I was rather disappointed on ordering this to find that it is The Unfortunates by another name, which I had already read. Still, there are some extra notes about the author at the end which are interesting. The book itself was a "used" order, so didn't cost much and it was in very good condition, so no complaints really....I should have read the other reviews before I bought it!
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  • Jeannie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    love all her books
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  • TeeJay
    3.0 out of 5 stars Sumer Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    as a fan of Laurie Graham I looked forward to reading this book. I enjoyed it but wouldn't rate it as highly as some of her other titles.
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