The Unfortunates

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The eagerly awaited new novel from the bestselling author of THE FUTURE HOMEMAKERS OF AMERICA. What hope is there for Poppy Minkel? With her kinky hair, out-sticking ears, too yellow neck and appetite for fun, her mother Dora despairs of ever finding her a husband, despite the Minkel's Mustard fortune that seasons Poppy's dubious attractions. Correctness, duty and Dora Minkel Ear Correcting Bandages are the weapons in the Great Husband Hunt -- and a torture to a girl who has her own hazy ideas about beauty, love and marriage. When world events intervene, Poppy's tendency to the unusual is quietly allowed to flourish. Her mother, meanwhile, finds comfort in a bottle of Tilden's Extract and the commanding ways of Aunt Fish. World War I opens new horizons for Poppy. With never a moment of self-doubt, she invents her own extraordinary life in step with the unfolding century. Narrated by a heroine as original and enchanting as Sally Bowles, THE UNFORTUNATES is an hilarious, sweeping celebration of passion's triumph over prudence.