book the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh

But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what’s been missing in her life, and when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness. Following the success of her debut novel, The Language of Flowers, she co-founded Camellia Network (now Lifeset Network), a non-profit whose mission is to connect every youth aging out of foster care to the critical resources, opportunities, and support they need to thrive in adulthood. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. To write The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh found inspiration in her own experience as a foster mother. 1 The novel follows the fraught life of a Victoria Jones, who by the age of 18, had lived in 32 foster homes, and becomes a flower arranger.

It was published in 2011 by Ballantine Books. The novel was inspired by a flower dictionary, a type of Victorian-era book which defines what different types of flowers mean. Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. The Language of Flowers is the debut novel of American author Vanessa Diffenbaugh. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, The Language of Flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past.

Book the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh