The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh will be released on August 23. The Galesburg Public Library received an advance copy to read and review.
I loved the first half of this book. It deserves five stars. It was original, creative, and narrated by an interesting main character. The narrator has spent her life in foster care. The book opens with her 18th birthday, her last day in a group home. The story flips back and forth between how she copes after she leaves the home and the time as a child years before when she was almost adopted. The woman who almost adopted Victoria taught her the Victorian language of flowers, in which each flower and plant carries a secret meeting, and this language becomes a very important part of Victoria's life.
It was hard for me to put the book down - I really wanted to know what had happened in the past and what was going to happen in the future. Unfortunately, midway through the book takes a downward slide toward what is in my opinion a tidy and predictable conclusion. While I was disappointed, I still recommend it. It would be an absorbing read on the beach or on a flight, and I'm sure many readers will love it. I look forward to the author's next novel.
P.J. O'Rourke advises "Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
Let Galesburg Public Library staff and friends guide you in finding those books.
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