book the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh

She includes a flower dictionary in case we want to use the language ourselves. Diffenbaugh is a talented writer and a mesmerizing storyteller. This novel is both enchanting and cruel, full of beauty and anger. 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.

“I would like to hand Vanessa Diffenbaugh a bouquet of bouvardia (enthusiasm), gladiolus (you pierce my heart) and lisianthus (appreciation). is the best new writer of the year.' ( Elle) 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. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them.

Now 18 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. 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. But for Victoria Jones, it's been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. 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.

Book the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh