A Pride of Poppies

Nominated for the 2016 Lambda Award for an LGBT Anthology, A Pride of Poppies (2015) is a collection of modern WWI short stories compiled by Julie Bozza where the authors explore the war through the eyes of the LGBT community. Critics praise the collection for introducing readers to new voices. A popular Australian writer, Bozza is best known for writing about everyday experiences and how people find themselves through friendship. Before writing full-time, Bozza worked in HR and taught multiple eLearning courses. She has been nominated for various writing awards.

A Pride of Poppies contains 13 stories told by 10 different authors. The stories explore a broad range of characters across the LGBTQIA spectrum. Bozza authored two stories, “No Man’s Land” and “Lena and the Swan, or the Lesbian Lothario,” and a short introduction to accompany the anthology.

The first story, “No Man’s Land,” begins on a cold November morning. The intersex protagonist, Drew, attends his annual checkup with the family doctor, Dr. Marsh. Drew hates the checkup because he hates exposing his genitalia to the doctor. He feels awkward enough without the doctor examining him every year.



Dr. Marsh, however, is sympathetic toward Drew. He disapproves of Drew’s family’s decision to raise him as a boy without questioning what Drew wanted. Now, Drew feels too old to live a different life. He enlists in the British Army, despite the humiliation and ridicule he will endure during the obligatory medical examinations. Despite Dr. Marsh’s best efforts, he can’t talk Drew out of his decision.

That night, Drew talks over his decision with his partner, Henry. Henry urges him to reconsider because he is worried that Drew will die during combat. Although he is too old to enlist, Henry swears he will find a way to join the British Army if Drew insists on signing up. The story ends with Drew wondering if he should accept Dr. Marsh’s offer of a medical exemption, or if he should be the man his family wants him to be.

Eleanor Musgrove’s “The Man Left Behind” also follows a character who feels obliged to enlist. The main character, born Henrietta, who secretly identifies as male, wants to join the front lines. Knowing that the British Army won’t accept her because she was born female, she joins a team of farm laborers instead. On the farm, she meets a woman who accepts her for who she is, and they fall in love. For the first time, Henrietta openly identifies as Henry.



Bozza’s second story, “Lena and the Swan, or the Lesbian Lothario,” centers on an openly gay woman, Lena. Like many women, Lena finds herself in a new job doing manual work typically reserved for men, because they are all away fighting on the front lines. Lena and the other women prove there is no such thing as man’s work; women can do anything.

Some stories in the collection touch on political issues. One such story is “War Life” by Z. McAspurren. The nameless narrator works in a bomb-making factory with many other women. Although she knows it is an important job, she feels unfulfilled and directionless.

Before WWI, the narrator was a passionate Suffragette. She dedicated her life to reforming the British electoral system; now she feels that her work doesn’t matter. She gave up her life and her individuality to support the war effort, knowing it’s unlikely she will get anything in return. The longer she works in the factory, the more she realizes that she is not the only woman who feels that way.



Not all the stories take place in towns and cities. Some are set in the trenches or at the Front itself. In “Break of Day in the Trenches” by Jay Lewis Taylor, the events unfold over a very short timeframe in the trenches. Two officers of vastly different ranks support each other as the bombs go off around them, offering a snapshot of officer camaraderie during trench warfare.

Other stories, such as “Inside” by Eleanor Musgrove take place in British internment camps. This story centers on Germans struggling to survive in a British prisoner of war camp, and the unlikely love stories that unfold at a time when every day could be the last. A Pride of Poppies includes perspectives from all sides of WWI.

The final story, “Ánh Sáng,” takes place primarily in French Indochina. When the main character, Minh, receives a draft notice, he must leave behind friends and family, including Thao, a young man he has romantic feelings for. Minh leaves his hometown and serves on the front lines in Europe, though he doesn’t feel any connection to the war. Minh cares only about is his homeland and what the war means for his family and friends back home. The story ends on a hopeful note, with Minh looking forward to a brighter future.