Perfect Winter Reading

I may have spent several days of my beach respite indoors but I was not alone.  I found a comfy quilt to  cuddle up with and brought out some friends I brought along to keep me company.

I don't know what I expected when I picked up The Language of Flowers; it was not what I had anticipated... and I loved every word of it.  Upon entering this novel one might think the sole purpose  is to bring to light the dysfunction of our foster-care system.   I am not one to say it was not Vanessa Diffenbaugh's purpose, as I understand she is personally familiar with the system.  Though I do believe it does show the plight of so many foster children, once past the introductory first pages, I found this message to serve more as a path to the power of being loved, loving, and forgiveness.

Victoria Jones has been shuffled from foster home to foster home.   To her social worker she is nothing more than a folder marked failure.   For many of her young years Victoria was used, neglected and ignored until, given one last chance, she arrives at the farm of vineyard owner Elizabeth.  With Elizabeth, a woman fighting her own demons,  she finds her place, her voice.  She finds a mother's unconditional love, but like so many times before disappointment eventually finds her.  After a tragic incident Victoria is removed from the home she has begun to call her own.

At eighteen an emancipated Victoria  finds herself alone, without a home and without money.  Using the knowledge she learned from Elizabeth of flowers and their power she begins to find herself and her destiny. Victoria comes to learn so often things have more than one interpretation, be it someone's departure or the meaning of a yellow rose.

In The Language of Flowers we walk the narrow line between conflict and redemption; a story of sadness and faith, sprinkled with a little magic.  Victoria's tale will follow me for many days.

*****

I have had Crossing on the Paris on my "to read" list since first finding it on the new release table in the bookstore.   Reading  Dana Gynther's debut novel described as a cross between "The Titanic" and "Downton Abbey I was sold.  I was not disappointed.

Crossing on the Paris , a beautifully written character based novel,  gives us the tale of three women separated by age and social class as they journey across the Atlantic aboard the SS Paris.   Having spent thirty years in Paris, the elderly and dying Vera Sinclair questions her decision to return to America as she settles into her first class suite along with her attentive maid and beloved dog.  Constance Stone, after an unsuccessful trip to Paris to retrieve her wayward sister,  finds comfort alone in her second class accommodations for the voyage back to her two daughters and inattentive husband.   Lastly, we find Julie Vernet, a  young Le Harve resident, at the rail waving to parents who have already discussed renting her room, before descending down to steerage to find a cot in the servants dormitory.   During the voyage each woman will meet someone who will force her to confront a past as she is faced with life altering events.  The outcome of their decisions will send them colliding into one another giving us a heartbreaking yet hopeful ending.

Either of these books would make great reading on a winter's day.

Enjoy!