Interesting, heartfelt, original
A rare and beautiful book, The Language of Flowers is a perfect choice for book club.
Victoria is a product of the foster care system, an
indignant young woman with no ambition or drive or even likability. She has
never been adopted into a family, and will age out at age eighteen. This novel
really made me think about what happens to all of the children who age out of
the foster care system.
Placed at The Gathering House, the indignant Victoria is
expected to get a job; she has 6 weeks to do so. To my chagrin, the obtuse
Victoria doesn’t even try to find work which means that she must leave the
gathering house. It is difficult to see someone who refuses to help or fight
for herself, Victoria is her own worst enemy.
Hidden deep inside her brain, Victoria’s redeeming quality
is a flower dictionary, her very own language of flowers. Victoria admits that
she is a “thistle-peony-basil kind of girl” which translates into misanthropy,
anger and hate; well the girl doth know herself. Eventually her talent with
flowers is recognized and she is hired part time at a florist. Soon townspeople
are asking for Victoria at the flower shop as she truly has a way with flowers.
For the old man who wants his granddaughter to stop sulking Victoria creates a
lily of the valley bouquet (return to happiness). The obstinate Victoria does
not let things happen easily for herself but her life is a journey, and we all
hope for a Victoria to have a Celandine, Cosmos, and Laurel life.
I don’t want to give too much away, you should read The Language of Flowers or pick this for your book club. And it really is quite fun to flip
through the flower dictionary at the back of the book.
Book Club Ideas:
· Wine
· Flowers—lots of flowers! (Trader Joes is a great resource)
· Flower Trivia* (create it using the flower dictionary in the back of the book)
*Have a bouquet prize!
· Research your area Gathering Houses (they do exist), right before my book club the one in our local area opened, I had the article at the meeting.
