This is a book that I absolutely LOVE! I first fell in love with the cover and then when I read the book ~ well, I think it's just amazing! I recommended it to my book club to read and some were not too excited to read it and admitted that they would not have pick it up to read on their own. But guess what? They all loved it too! I love when that happens. And I have found myself with an extra paperback copy of The Language of Flowers and I would love to offer it to one of my followers.
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads ~~
A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, The Language of Flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past.
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 grief, 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, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market 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.
Here are my thoughts that were first posted at the beginning of the year. ~~
And the story is beautiful as well. Victoria had to go through so much as a young child and young adult. The reader immediately wants to see her succeed and be happy. But how can she be? She feels she does not deserve to be happy.
Through her love of flowers and her knowledge of the language of flowers, she is finally able to make a life for herself but she is always fearful that it won't last. She does not want to let people get too close to her. She has had to be on her own her whole life and she learned cannot depend on anyone.
I loved how Victoria could 'read' people and was able to give them the flowers that would have the most meaning to them and would make a change in their lives. It seemed very magical or spiritual to me and it reminded me of the book Chocolat and how the shop owner, Vianne Rocher, could find the right chocolate for her customers and change their lives.
This is such a moving story. I savored the book and found myself reading it slowly so that it wouldn't have to end. I also had to take breaks from it to allow my tears to dry. This book touched my heart and made me feel like I was a part of Victoria's life.
What an amazing book!
