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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Started out interesting but then dragged.
Great book. Highly recommend.
Eloquent and poetic rendition of broken characters who struggle to love themselves.
enjoyable story.
Interesting characters.
I loved this book. The main character Victoria was so fragile but I couldn’t help but like her and groan each time she sabotaged her opportunities. It was well-written, transitioning from past to present. At times it was painful and I wanted to skip ahead to find out if one of Victoria’s bad decisions had diastorous results. (That’s the good thing about it Nook, it is harder to flip ahead than a tranditional book.) My one crticism is that Elizabeth was perhaps too saintly to be true but overall, the characters were well-developed and true-to-life.
Loved the definitions of the flowers and how they fit into the story. Hated the sadness of kids in bad foster care. The story skipped from one period to another Willy Nilly sometimes. I felt like I was fighting with Victoria to grow up as adjusted as possible .
Hard to follow. I skimmed to the end.
I found this book fascinating since I knew very little about the language of flowers. The interplay among the various characters showed depth and insight into the human condition.
This book made me feel so many things. It is beautifully written, raw, powerful. I highly recommend this book.
A great read, not to mention all of the information about flowers.
MOST INTERESTING PART WAS READING ALL THE TYPES OF FLOWERS AND THEIR MEANINGS
Beautiful story
Fascinating information about flowers and their meanings which added another layer to what was already a very interesting story line. Great Book Club read!
I enjoyed all of the characters, every one was an interesting person who dealt with challenges they faced. The meaning behind each type of flower was interesting. Continue reading after the book ends to learn more about the flower meanings and the authors research.
This was a great book. Makes you think.
You will remember this book.
The Buildup of the story, way it goes between present and past of the characters and weaves in the meaning of flowers was great, but ending was pretty predictable and somewhat anti-climactic
I started to read this book truthfully because I loved the cover. What a great read. I regularly recommend this book for a something different to read. You won’t be disappointed, and you might even learn something. 🙂
I really enjoyed this book. I had to pace myself because I didn’t want it to end. I am very much looking forward to the authors next book