From the author of the acclaimed The Future Homemakers of America comes a funny and moving novel about a high-spirited, unconventional woman whose life is a celebration of passion's triumph over prudence. What hope is there for Poppy Minkel? She has kinky hair and big ears--and an unquenchable lust for fun. Her mother Dora despairs of ever finding her a husband, despite the lure of the Minkel family mustard fortune. Social mores, duty, and ear-correcting bandages are the weapons of Dora's husband hunt, but they only serve to torture a girl who has her own ideas about beauty, love, and marriage. Then, her father dies on the Titanic. And as WWI opens up new horizons, Poppy's tendency toward the unconventional finds room to blossom. Without a moment of self-doubt, Poppy reinvents herself in step with the unfolding modern century.