Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Flower Says...

I have always loved flowers.  Walking into a florist shop is such a wonderful experience, from the cool temperatures, to the scents, to the colors.  So I was delighted by The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  This book combines those tactile things about flowers with the intriguing meanings behind them.  In Victorian times people would use the flowers they gave to communicate hidden meanings. 



At one of her foster parent’s homes Victoria Jones learns about this symbolic language behind flowers.  She uses them to silently convey her anger, distrust, and disgust of the people around her.  By the time she turns eighteen Victoria is lonely, disconnected, and bitter.  By accident, a local florist discovers her talent for floral arranging and hires her.  It’s only as she interacts with the customers that she discovers that her arrangements are affecting their lives.  Slowly she starts to open up, meet people, and deal with the scars from her childhood. 

The lyrical language gives the story a slightly magical feel, as if flowers really might have the power to change lives.  It also made me want to learn more about flower language and wonderfully the library has books on that too.

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