Golden Poppies

The inspiring story of two generations of American women united by their shared history and striving for a better future comes from the best-selling author of Yellow Crocus and Mustard Seed.

The year is 1894. It seems that Sadie Wagoner and Jordan Wallace don't have much in common. Black instructor Jordan, who is middle-aged, resides in segregated Chicago. Two thousand miles away, in more accepting Oakland, California, is Sadie, the white spouse of a driven German businessman. However, their families merged on a Virginia plantation many years ago. Even though one of the mothers was a slave and the other was the affluent daughter of the plantation owner, the mothers of Jordan and Sadie formed a kinship there that was stronger than blood.

Sadie leaves her disapproving husband to accompany her mother on the difficult train ride to Chicago as Jordan's mother is near death. But there are soon plenty of emotional and political obstacles in the way of the two families' reunion.

The women discover that they are more dependent on one another than ever as the harsh reality of racial differences and the injustices of the Gilded Age work together to keep them back. Their family bonds, bravery, and loyalty will all be put to the test. In the midst of a rapidly evolving country, their fate rests on the risks they are prepared to take in order to achieve freedom.