'An irrepressible adventurer, Poppy is a comic combination of innocence and pluck, but although this is a brisk, breezy read, it's also a novel with serious bite.' Daily Mail The new novel from the bestselling author of THE FUTURE HOMEMAKERS OF AMERICA. One unforgettable woman and her wayward path through the twentieth century. What hope is there for Poppy Minkel? She has kinky hair, out-sticking ears, too yellow a neck and an appetite for fun, and her mother Dora despairs of ever finding her a husband, despite the Minkel's Mustard fortune that seasons these dubious attractions. When Daddy disappears, Poppy's tendency to the unusual is quietly allowed to flourish. World War I opens new horizons. 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.