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 … 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.
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Praise for The Language of Flowers
“Instantly enchanting . . . [Diffenbaugh] is the best new writer of the year.”—Elle
“I would like to hand Vanessa Diffenbaugh a bouquet of bouvardia (enthusiasm), gladiolus (you pierce my heart) and lisianthus (appreciation). In this original and brilliant first novel, Diffenbaugh has united her fascination with the language of flowers—a long-forgotten and mysterious way of communication—with her firsthand knowledge of the travails of the foster-care system. . . . This novel is both enchanting and cruel, full of beauty and anger. Diffenbaugh is a talented writer and a mesmerizing storyteller. She includes a flower dictionary in case we want to use the language ourselves. And there is one more sprig I should add to her bouquet: a single pink carnation (I will never forget you).”—Washington Post
“A fascinating debut . . . Diffenbaugh clearly knows both the human heart and her plants, and she keeps us rooting for the damaged Victoria.”—O Magazine
“Diffenbaugh effortlessly spins this enchanting tale, making even her prickly protagonist impossible not to love.”—Entertainment Weekly
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Great story with many layers about love, trust and relationships. I loved learning about the meaning behind flowers and how this empower the character in the story.
I was pulled in and I didn’t want to come out.
Like Tracy Chevalier, Vanessa Diffenbaugh does her homework. Then she cleverly weaves what she’s learned–in this case, what flowers signified to both giver and receiver in Victorian times–into a compelling plot. Her work is deepened further by allowing us a glimpse into the world of foster children, who are in danger of wearing a cloak of “unwanted” and “unloved” for the rest of their lives unless they’re lucky enough to cross paths with caring, understanding human beings. Diffenbaugh reminds us that we’re all flawed, but it’s better to be imperfect together than imperfect alone.
This is a great Book club discussion book and I learned so much about flowers and their meaning.
A must read!!! Love love love it!
This is the story of Victoria, who grew up in foster care until she was placed with Elizabeth. She finally felt loved and wanted but was removed from Elizabeth’s care after tragedy struck. Fast forward to Victoria at age 18, when she emancipated from her group home, became homeless, and eventually got a job at a florist shop. People discovered her talent for selecting the perfect flowers based on the flower’s meaning. I really liked this novel. As a former foster mom, I recognized RAD in Victoria and the things she did to keep people at a distance. The author is talented and the characters were realistic. Victoria learns to relate to people through flowers and she picks up some other skills, like photography and running a flower business, along the way. In the end, she even learns what is feels like to love someone like Elizabeth loved her.
Loved it until the end. Still worth a read.
Not a book I would normally read but did so for my book club. So glad that I did. What a lovely, lovely story. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.
Very well written. Despite the main character’s troubled personality, the author told her story with compassion.
The author did an exhaustive research of flowers and plants and their symbolic meaning. She then wove these meanings into the life of a young girl in foster care her entire life. There are surprises, and of course includes the rebellion and anger of someone in foster care her entire life. Yet there is redemption, though no spoilers. Like many good books, things wrap up at the end.
My entire book group loved this book about meaningful relationships. It is beautiful and memorable.
Loved the translation of emotions with flowers
Amazing
This isn’t a well known book. Everyone in our book club liked it and that doesn’t happen very often. This book is about life and about flowers. It has a unique story.
Enjoyed this book
This book is very sad. The story backtracks from the present to the past. It is really hard to read sometimes. I believe the ending has a ring of hope.
Very emotional and intense about a traumatized child with a parallel story about the meaning of flowers.
Gets a little wordy and starts to drag out toward the end, but an easy read if that’s what you are in the mood for
It made me cry…..a lot. The experiences of foster children can be so sad and hopeless. She was such a resourceful and talented girl. I couldn’t believe it turned out satisfactorily. I feared it was going to be tragic.
A sad story of love, abandonment and renewal.