The Silver Poppy

"The Silver Poppy" by Arthur Stringer is a story set in early 20th-century New York City, where a young Oxford graduate named John Hartley hopes to find his place in American literature. He meets the accomplished writer Cordelia Vaughan, who embodies the trials of chasing dreams in a lively literary world. The novel opens at a boisterous party for the artist Repellier, where Hartley feels like an outsider among the other expressive artists. As he talks with the people at the party, his dreams clash with the difficulties that writers face in America. Hartley's first meeting with Vaughan hints at his need for friendship while dealing with New York City's chaos. The story goes on to explore art, personal battles, and what it means to be real as Hartley struggles with who he is and what he wants in a world full of possibilities and problems.