GREAT READS

The Language of Flowers: A Novel

Vanessa Diffenbaugh.

In Vanessa Deffenbaugh's debut novel, "The Language of Flowers," you will read about unforgettable characters and how their lives connect and intertwine in the past and the present. The main character, Victoria, has been in foster care since she was an infant and she is finding her way in life as a young adult on her own. She has learned about the symbolic meaning of flowers from one of her foster mothers, and she has a special gift for flower arranging and helping people choose flowers to convey meaning in their lives. She finds a job and a place to stay, and she has a unique relationship with a young man who grows and sells flowers at the flower market.

Throughout the book, there is something that happened when Victoria was eleven years old that affects many aspects of her present life. As the story unfolds, she eventually tells what happened and begins to mend and rebuild connections with those involved. As she becomes a young mother herself, she struggles to care for her child, and finds love and support from those in her past.

Readers who enjoy reading Kristin Hannah and Barbara Delinsky will certainly enjoy reading this "making peace with your past" novel.

Recommended by Kristi Burr