The Language of Flowers

Summary:

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.

We have copies in regular print, large print, and audio (on CD); find them in our catalog.

Staff Review:

Ready for something unlike anything you’ve read before? Vanessa Diffenbaugh’s debut novel skillfully interweaves the Victorian “language of flowers” with the story of a young woman growing out of a childhood spent in foster care. While working to build her new, independent life, she uses her gift with flowers to help others. Her understanding and fascination with the use of flowers to communicate emotion originated with a past foster mother; an experience detailed in alternating chapters. You will never forget Victoria, nor the meaning of sunflowers!

-- by Michelle D.