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Publisher’s Summary
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. Now eighteen and emancipated from the system with nowhere to go, Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But an unexpected encounter with a mysterious stranger has her questioning what’s been missing in her life. And when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.
What I Loved about The Language of Flowers
I’m in the midst of moving, which means packing, packing, packing. Ugh. I wanted a book that didn’t require too much attention, but kept my interest. Kind of like a beach read, but instead of lounging by the sea, I’d be knee deep in bubble wrap. The Language of Flowers, the debut novel of American author Vanessa Diffenbaugh, was perfect. The writing is excellent and the characters were relatable. I was able to listen for hours at a time while sorting boxes and trying to figure out which of my possessions brought me enough joy to justify schlepping to the new house. My only disappointment was the end. I felt like the second to last chapter was the better ending. The last chapter was superfluous and felt a little forced.
Anyway, I liked Victoria from the get-go. At times she seemed hell bent on self-destruction, but understandably so. The story flip-flops between Victoria’s youth in the foster care system and her early years as an adult. Someone she meets in her youth teaches her the language of flowers. This knowledge is central to the story and her survival. Frankly, at first the idea that flowers could convey a particular expression seemed a little corny to me, but I quickly found it believable. I loved the dictionary of flowers at the end of the book. It made me want to stop packing and take a trip to a florist to pick out a bouquet that would convey inspiration (angelica), enthusiasm (bouvardia), and strength (fennel). Ha! I need all the help I can get to make it through this move!
Novel Adventures to Pair with The Language of Flowers
The Language of Flowers is set in California. After Victoria leaves the foster care system she is left homeless. With no money and nowhere to go she finds shelter in McKinley Square, a park that sits atop Potrero Hill in San Francisco. Ultimately she finds work at a flower shop helping the owner pick up flowers at a wholesale market. Grant, who is central to the story, is a flower grower who sells flowers at the market.
Lucky for us, the San Francisco’s wholesale flower market is a real place with origins dating back to the late 1800’s and one of only five grower-owned wholesale flower markets in the U.S. If you’re in San Francisco, you can stop in. You won’t find Grant there, but you can use Victoria’s flower dictionary to make your own “Message” bouquet. If San Fran is a bit of a hike, get inspired to take a class on flower arranging. Or maybe just take a quick jaunt to your local florist? I wonder how they’d react to a request for a bouquet that speaks to you?
Victoria’s flower dictionary is something she creates by photographing flowers all over San Francisco. When she couldn’t find certain flowers in the wild or at the flower market, she “captured images of many of the remaining, elusive plants at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park.” This San Francisco conservatory is the oldest public wood-and-glass conservatory in North America. If you’re not in the Bay Area, let The Language of Flowers motivate a visit to a garden, conservatory, or arboretum in your hometown. Here in Philadelphia, we took a trip to nearby Longwood Gardens.
If you’re looking for an easy, enjoyable novel that will inspire you to fill your world with flowers and stroll through gardens while thinking of love, redemption, forgiveness – giving and getting, you won’t go wrong with The Language of Flowers.
For more fiction gardening books, check out this post.
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