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The Language of Flowers

by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
4,5824042,460 (3.93)1 / 198
"The story of a woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own past"--
  1. 60
    The Language of Flowers: a Miscellany by Mandy Kirkby (guurtjesboekenkast)
  2. 20
    Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (tangledthread)
    tangledthread: Similar story of a young woman aging out of the foster care system.
  3. 10
    The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (KatyBee)
    KatyBee: Excellent writing, main female character has a very unique 'gift'.
  4. 00
    How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr (treadsowell)
  5. 00
    Like Family: Growing Up in Other People's Houses by Paula McLain (BookshelfMonstrosity)
    BookshelfMonstrosity: Like Family is a memoir that traces the difficulties of being a foster child in California. Like The Language of Flowers, it provides readers with a moving account of young girls who triumph over adversity to find happiness as adults.
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» See also 198 mentions

English (393)  German (4)  Spanish (2)  Italian (2)  Dutch (2)  Catalan (1)  Finnish (1)  All languages (404)
Showing 1-5 of 392 (next | show all)
Frustrating but ultimately quite good.

After a few chapters I found myself needing to read near the internet so that I could google images of the flowers.

Difficult subject matter and characters with a soft storyline about the flowers to smooth out the jarring parts of Victoria's path through life.
( )
  hmonkeyreads | Jan 25, 2024 |
Thanks to my sister for recommending and sending this to me. We both share a deep love for flowers and old-fashioned ways, while still living in the tough modern world.

I could totally relate to the main character, and the suspense was pretty intense at times. The hardship she suffered through was very believable, having lived on the streets at one time myself.

But I loved the characters, and that the darkness that shadowed the plot became a highlight for the real beauty and hope. A very satisfying read. ( )
  BethOwl | Jan 24, 2024 |
A lovely story that follows the most unexpected journey, also the first book I've ever read that captures the reality of postpartum, which definitely allows mothers to connect with this character on a different level because regardless of your circumstance that time is a challenge for all mothers. ( )
  hellokirsti | Jan 3, 2024 |
A wonderful story of an orphan girl, Victoria who loves flowers and their meanings. And because she doesn't like to talk, she uses the flowers to give messages that no one understands- until Grant. A sweet tearjerker. ( )
  camplakejewel | Nov 14, 2023 |
At times I felt disturbed by this novel but overall it was a very satisfying read. ( )
  secondhandrose | Oct 31, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 392 (next | show all)
At first blush it sounds like something Dickens might have come up with, had Dickens been deeply interested in flower arranging.
 
In this absorbing and delicately wrought debut novel, Diffenbaugh heeds the creative-writing maxim: Write what you know. She has been a foster mother and has taught art and writing in low-income communities.This experience is discernible in The Language of Flowers. The idea that an angry young girl such as Victoria would actually be interested in flowers and their meanings seems implausible on one level, and yet Diffenbaugh uses to good effect the belief that evergreen hope lies nascent within most damaged kids.
 
In the end, she offers a cautionary tale about what happens to kids who've grown without families, one that strives to be honest but still hopeful. Children like Victoria may be able to survive on their own, but in order to do better than that - to thrive - they need support. But it's never too late to learn how to love.
added by Nickelini | editSF Gate, Malena Watrous (Aug 21, 2011)
 

» Add other authors (17 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Vanessa Diffenbaughprimary authorall editionscalculated
Rovira Ortega, GemmaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sands, TaraReadersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Moss is selected to be the emblem of maternal love, because, like that love, it glads the heart when the winter of adversity overtakes us, and when summer friends have deserted us. 
   — Henrietta Dumont, The Floral Offering
Dedication
For PK
First words
For eight years I dreamed of fire.
Quotations
You can't poison me or give me medicine I don't want. Or hit me — even if I deserve it.
Now, as an adult, my hopes for the future were simple: I wanted to be alone, and to be surrounded by flowers.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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"The story of a woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own past"--

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