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The Language of Flowers

Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Goodreads Author)

4.09 · Rating details · 206,581 ratings · 20,675 reviews

The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating mistrust and solitude. 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 flowe ...more

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Hardcover, 323 pages

Published August 23rd 2011 by Ballantine Books

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Jan 26, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: those who liked "Raw Blue" by Kirsty Eagar

Recommended to oliviasbooks by: Nomes

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, e-version, family-grief-or-other-disasters, adult-fiction, debut

The elegantly worded The Language of Flowers made me invest quite a lot during the first chapters, but gambled all my affection away later on. I will try to explain how this unceremonious drop around the middle of the story came to pass after introducing Victoria to you.

There is nothing victorious about Victoria apart from the fact that she survived to see her eighteen's birthday. Even social worker Meredith sees her only as a failure she personally doesn't deserve. A dark blotch on her white s ...more

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Oct 25, 2011 kari rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Too much folding! “He folded himself into a chair. She folded her feet beneath her. He folded over in exhaustion placing his head on the table. She folded over in pain. She folded herself underneath the bush.”
How about: “He sat in a chair. She pulled her feet beneath her. He slumped over in exhaustion. She bent over in pain. She curled herself underneath the bush.”
Really, another verb is needed here and fold/ed was most overused. Yes, I am nitpicking, but since I was bothered enough to comment, Too much folding! “He folded himself into a chair. She folded her feet beneath her. He folded over in exhaustion placing his head on the table. She folded over in pain. She folded herself underneath the bush.”
How about: “He sat in a chair. She pulled her feet beneath her. He slumped over in exhaustion. She bent over in pain. She curled herself underneath the bush.”
Really, another verb is needed here and fold/ed was most overused. Yes, I am nitpicking, but since I was bothered enough to comment, the overuse of it was noticeable and bothersome.

Synopsis:
Foster child ages out of the system, plants a garden in a city park, sleeps under a bush.
Meets a florist who gives her a job, meets a man, rents a tiny blue room.
Gets pregnant, runs away to sleep under the bush.
Has baby, runs away to sleep under the bush.
Give baby away.
Happy ending.

The problems I have with this are that there isn’t any reason for any of the people who help this girl to want to help her. She snarls and sulks and is so hard and distant that I was left wondering why any of these people wanted to be around her let alone assist her. No one knows her sad/bitter/hostile history and she isn't talking so why should they feel anything for her?
It didn’t appear that under all her anger that there was a gentle caring person. She seems more that if you scratched the surface, first of all, you’d definitely get scratched back, but that under that tough exterior, you’d find something even harder and more unyielding. Can’t say that I liked Victoria much.
So can you enjoy a book when you don’t really like the protagonist? I find it can be difficult, but in the hands of a crafted writer, you can still enjoy the story. I didn’t find that to be true here.
For me, the story would have been better told in third person. I think some distance between Victoria’s mean thought process and the reader would have helped. I didn’t much like being in this misanthropic head and I didn’t get any idea of anyone else’s motivation for caring for her. Why did Renata hire her? Yes, she’s a magical flower genius, but why would she want this girl around, glaring at her customers? Yes, lots of glaring.
And Grant, why is he attracted to her? Does he have a thing for mean women? More snarling and glaring. He seems like a very gentle soul to be that way, didn’t understand what he saw in her, other than her ability to send messages by flowers.
Victoria’s negativity was so over the top. She finds out she’s pregnant and hates the idea of a baby, but won’t get an abortion because the idea that someone else would have control over her body for the time it would take to get the thing out (that’s how she thinks of it) is too horrid for her to think about. She is offered medical benefits by her employer, but instead she runs away to live under a bush. No, I am most certainly not kidding.
Having decided to have the baby and afterward figure out what she’s going to do with it, she gets no prenatal care, not even bothering so little as to pick up a bottle of prenatal vitamins at the drugstore. No, she’s too busy hiding under the bush.
And she spent hours in the library comparing flower meaning dictionaries(and countless hours photographing flowers with old time camera which she spends money on the film development even though she has very little money), but didn't bother to read one single book on pregnancy or child care.
So, again, not that first doctor visit and she knows a midwife, willing and ready to help her, but she doesn’t want that either. She’s going to give birth at home, alone, all by herself, because ... I have no idea what is wrong with her at this point.
Many people have shown her that they care about her, that they’re willing to help her, but she can’t accept it. I get that we’re supposed to believe that she’s so broken(she was an abandoned baby who never found a real forever home) that she sees herself as unworthy of anyone’s concern, but how it came off to this reader is that she’s too selfish and stubborn to do what’s right. This is when my connection to her broke down completely.
Also, after hiding in the bush, she comes back, continuing to hide while also building herself an amazing floral designing business. Uh-huh. I believe my suspension of disbelief was at the breaking point by this time.
Well, what a surprise, she isn’t able to have the baby all by herself so she gets help and after a week(during which she doesn't bother to even name the child), she gives it away (not for adoption), even though she could have asked for help, could have at the very least told someone when that person is there, in the room with her, asking her how she’s doing, that she wasn’t doing well. But no, she cannot do that. I have no idea why. And no one, not one single person, asks her where her child went. Not one. Did she bury it in her garden in the park? Toss it in the ocean? Where is it?
I know this is fiction, but that can't excuse complete disregard for life as it is or common sense. It's based in the real world. If a woman had a child she didn't want and that child disappeared a week later, that woman is going to be getting a serious visit from the police. Yet, she comes back without the child, glares all round, states that she won't talk about it and they all accept it. Really? REALLY?
I can’t recommend this one. Too irritating in style, characterization and unlikely plot.
...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Anne OK rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommended to Anne OK by: Kristen Howell

Shelves: 2012-reads

Can't remember when I've read and enjoyed a story as much as Victoria's. She stole my heart from the beginning and I only grew to admire and love her more with each page. There were times when I wanted to shake her and yell at her to wake up and get a grip. Just when I thought she wouldn't, she did just that. Amazing story of survival, love, and strength. The flowers add so much depth and feelings to this story that I was enthralled by it all. Just an amazing and wonderfully well written book wi ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-favourites

5 stunning stars!

This book was even better than I had hoped for (and I had high hopes!)!

I have had this book on my shelf for years and have read countless raving reviews. To be honest, I was worried this might end up being one of the many over-hyped books I’ve been reading lately. It is not! It fully lived up to the hype (and more)!

Exquisitely beautiful writing. Heart wrenching storyline. Endearing and unforgettable characters. This was done to perfection.

Victoria is a young woman who grew up in ...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Diane rated it it was ok

Sorry if I post this review twice. I somehow "lost" the one I was writing.

This book is the darling of book clubs all over the country but I found it to be insipid and flawed. It showed great promise for about the first third. Diffenbaugh seemed to show an accurate and heartbreaking portrait of a young girl who is let down by the foster care system. She is angry and damaged. This was believable and felt very real.

The rest of the book didn't make a lot of sense to me. This broken young woman is sa ...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Linda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: early-first-reads

"The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
I loved this book from the beginning and didn’t want it to end. I have always had a fascination with knowing the names history of flowers and plants and love finding them in natural surroundings. This book, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, (whose name is similar to the dieffenbachia plant) had such a moving story line in telling the story of Victoria, from her abandonment at birth, through childhood abuse, to her orphanage experience "The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
I loved this book from the beginning and didn’t want it to end. I have always had a fascination with knowing the names history of flowers and plants and love finding them in natural surroundings. This book, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, (whose name is similar to the dieffenbachia plant) had such a moving story line in telling the story of Victoria, from her abandonment at birth, through childhood abuse, to her orphanage experiences and her difficulties in forming and maintaining relationships. Victoria’s life is portrayed with a depth of a feeling that pulls the reader into caring about this strange and sometimes difficult young woman. The story moves back and forth in time and place within the span of her life which brings greater meaning to why she behaves the way she does with people she meets.

Victoria reminds me of several young people I have met and worked with over the years. They may be prickly but also may produce the most beautiful lives, just as some thorny plants produce soft and beautiful flowers. It is a story that can lift you up with expectation and hope, and than then bring you down and make you sad. It is a roller coaster ride of resiliency and success combined with sadness and disappointment.

The idea of pouring over dusty and seldom read book after book in the personal pursuit of creating your own book of flowers and their meanings struck a cord with me. What a quiet and resolved drive and passion Victoria kept mentally reconnecting to her childhood to find understanding and meaning in her own life. There was a personal relationship with the flowers Victoria worked with and it was evident with all those who became involved in her world.
“The flower you’re looking for is clearly the common thistle, which symbolizes misanthropy. Misanthropy means hatred or mistrust of humankind.”
“Does humankind mean everybody?”
“Yes,”
“I thought about this. Misanthropy. No one had ever described my feelings in single word.”

I received this as an early reviewer copy and appreciate the opportunity to have read this book. It is hard to believe that this was a debut novel and Vanessa’s own experiences as a foster mother and teacher shine through in this novel. For me this was an outstanding selection and I will be recommending this book as a book club read. I rate it as a full 5 star book. ...more

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Jul 20, 2017 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it

Shelves: 21th-century, fiction

The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Language of Flowers is the debut novel of American author Vanessa Diffenbaugh. It was published in 2011 by Ballantine Books.

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. The novel was inspired by a flower dictionary, a type of Victorian-era book which defines what different types of flowers mean.

Acacia: Hidden love
Alaleh: Expressing love
Grapefruit: My frow ...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Jo rated it really liked it

I have received many a horrified look when I have told people that I don't like red roses. Their expression of horror only got worse when I told them I much preferred yellow roses. I was always really confused as to why which flowers I liked would cause such a strong reaction.

Then I read this book and found out.

Translation Time.
"I don't like red roses" = "I don't like love".
"But I love yellow roses" = "But I love infidelity".

o.O

Now, I'm guessing that this wasn't actually the reason why the look ...more

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Nov 17, 2011 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, fiction, women

Update: $1.99 Kindle special today.
If any of my friends ( especially women friends), have missed reading this book....
now is a good time to buy it.
Vanessa, the author, truly wrote a book about something she has direct experience with :
The Foster Care System
The LANGUAGE of flowers
Location - San Francisco. Vanessa went to Standard- lived in the Bay Area ... and is very familiar with the SF Bay Area
It's excellent - Her first book. My favorite book she wrote.

I started this book today (On Valen ...more

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Mar 13, 2020 Brenda ~Traveling Sister Book Reviews rated it really liked it

The Language of Flowers is a mesmerizing, unforgettable hopeful story that beautifully weaves the past and present while exploring abandonment, love and finding what triggers a person to open up to others. In the past, we see Victoria’s self-destructive ways as she grows up in foster homes. Now through her connections to flowers, she starts to open up by speaking the language of flowers to help people find some joy through flowers. Flowers start to connect Victoria to others as she tries to lear ...more

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Nov 02, 2015 Suzanne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: gift-from-goodreads-friend, owned-donated

This book was to me, the language of growth, acceptance, and love and of coming home. I have many books on my shelf, but this one stood out simply as I remembered a quick line from a friend, saying she loved it – thanks Jools for this, and for my book.

This was special, and did really suit me in the form of short intense chapters, alternating between the past and present. Tethering me somewhere between constantly feeling bereft yet hopeful, but precariously edgy. I did not put this book down on m ...more

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May 01, 2021 Karen.J. rated it it was amazing

“The Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I absolutely loved reading this book but I will warn you the main character Victoria will make you shake your head and want to grab her and knock some sense into her. Victoria was tossed around from foster home to foster home the majority of her younger years. The experience has left her in pieces, untrusting of everyone and deeply scared. The only thing she cares about is flowers and their deep meaning. I recommend when reading “The Language ...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Katrina Passick Lumsden rated it liked it · review of another edition

I don't really know what to write about this book. It was well-written, but I'm not sure I liked it. I didn't hate it, though. For me, it's one of those books that left me going, "Umm...OK...". I like the flower communication and all, but the whole story just sort of took some weird turns and ended up feeling like it wasn't going anywhere. And then it didn't. It just kind of ended.

Meh. ...more

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May 21, 2020 Terrie Robinson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone!

Recommended to Terrie by: No one

Shelves: fiction, paperback, woman-s-fiction, read-in-2020, coming-of-age

Reading "The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh I found it to be an unexpectedly beautiful read!

I was hooked in early by this story of a foster child who suffered through the system until she was emancipated at 18. Once out of the foster care system she continued to struggle through homelessness, her own rebelliousness and feelings of not being worthy in any of her relationships in her young life. Through of all of this, she displayed such strength and will to carry on through her dark ...more

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Jul 17, 2017 Erin rated it really liked it

Hard to put down book about mothers and daughters. I feel completely emotionally exhausted but I had to stay up and find out how everything was going to play out. If this book has escaped your attention, remedy that right away and pick it up!

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May 14, 2012 Aryn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fiction, chick-lit, won-in-giveaway

I received this book from Goodreads Giveaways.

After my recent horrendous experience with The Rose Labyrinth, which had me wanting to claw my eyes out after four sentences, it was wonderful to come across a novel with such a graceful writing style that was apparent from the first page.

For eight years I dreamed of fire. Trees ignited as I passed them, oceans burned. The sugary smoke settled in my hair as I slept, the scent like a cloud left on my pillow as I rose. Even so, the moment my mattres

...more

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Jan 17, 2018 Justin Tate rated it it was ok

I’m probably not the target audience for this book, but I’m not NOT the right audience. Thematically it reminded me a lot of Kitchens of the Great Midwest which I thought was superb.

The writing wasn’t bad, the pacing wasn’t a slog. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for another orphan story. Seems like every book has an orphan in it these day. Why? Are we in the midst of a global identity crisis? Maybe it’s just one of those random trends, like every novel having “Girl” in the title nowadays.

Anyway ...more

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May 05, 2018 Brandice rated it really liked it

I love flowers although my knowledge of them is fairly limited, and I really liked this story, where flowers played a central role.

The Language of Flowers is a story about Victoria, now a young woman, who was recently emancipated from the court system at 18. She struggles with feelings of abandonment and low self-esteem, as a result of a series of events from her past, stemming from growing up as an orphan. She lives in San Francisco and works in a flower shop. She has no friends, limited relat ...more

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Nov 21, 2017 Jenny (Reading Envy) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read2017, postal-bookswap

I received this book through a postal book swap and we were just permitted to post online as we are through our rotation.

When this book first came out, I kept seeing the hard cover everywhere with its very striking image of white blossoms and a black background. It kind of had the look of a romance novel, so I hadn't tried it. My friend Kathryn read and loved it, and that had landed it on my to-read list, but I hadn't gotten around to it. I was happy to do so when it ended up in my mail, because ...more

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Mar 12, 2011 jesse rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, read-in-german

4.75/5

Flowery book jacket

edit: being made into movie ♡

"for eight years i dreamed of fire. trees ignited as i passed them, oceans burned. the sugary smoke settled in my hair as i slept, the scent like a cloud left on my pillow as i rose. even so, the moment my mattress started to burn, i bolted awake. the sharp, chemical smell was nothing like the hazy syrup of my dreams; the two were as different as indian and carolina jasmine, separation and attachment. they could not be confused.

standing in the middle of th

...more

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Aug 27, 2014 Jen rated it really liked it

Orphaned at a young age, Victoria has been moved to different foster homes, rebelling with angry outbursts and never in one place long enough to establish any solid relationships. At the age of 10, she is taken in by a woman who teaches her the language of flowers and what each flower means. Through these teachings, Victoria is able to start positively communicating. However, when the relationship is threatened, she reverts back to behaviour that will cost her the safe haven she has found and sh ...more

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Dec 02, 2014 Margitte rated it it was amazing

Shelves: american-author, reviewed, family-sagas, 2016-read, fiction, american-novel

Imagine a little baby as the seed of beautiful flower who travels from birth to fruition through orphanages, group homes, foster care and the social system of America, never falling in fertile soil to take route and thrive? But then, as destiny would have it, Victoria Jones lands on a flower and vineyard farm in California where the secrets of the Victorian Floriography of the plants is revealed to this girl who only understood the human language of rejection and unworthiness to be loved. She cl Imagine a little baby as the seed of beautiful flower who travels from birth to fruition through orphanages, group homes, foster care and the social system of America, never falling in fertile soil to take route and thrive? But then, as destiny would have it, Victoria Jones lands on a flower and vineyard farm in California where the secrets of the Victorian Floriography of the plants is revealed to this girl who only understood the human language of rejection and unworthiness to be loved. She claimed that she could not read or write, yet understood, and collected, books on botany which was her only real connection to the world and also the key to her psyche when she met Elizabeth on her farm. For the first time in her young life as a nine-year-old girl, Victoria's soul can be unlocked by a person who understood completely and spoke 'her' language.

Through the language of flowers she reconnects to the world, learns to trust and forgive. The language of flowers was the only language she could trust. The one way of communication she could be totally honest in. As time passes and she becomes a young adult, she learns to write her own floral dictionary in which she re-evaluated the different flowers. She basically changed the destiny of the flowers by changing their meanings. But to get to that point, she had to first lash out and destroy, the only way she learnt how to cope with her world. A long road of redemption and forgiveness was her destiny.

Victoria was not a likable young girl and she did unforgivable harm to people, which she also had to forgive herself for. The word 'hate' came easily to her, but it would take a wise woman to teach her that hate can be passionate, disengaged, dislike, but also fear. Elizabeth taught her that her behavior was a choice, not who she was.

I was surprised by this book. It was so much different from what I expected and well worth the read. Of course I never believed in floriography since it resembled the human impulse to box everything up without consideration of the unfairness of the action. For instance, how cruel can it be to attribute 'Hate' to the cactus plant? Or 'Deceit' and 'Materialism' to the sunflower? I have been involved in botany throughout my adult life and revel in the beauty and magic of all plants. Floriography in all its splendor was never part of it and won't be in the future. I simply regard it as a waste of time.

However, planning the story around this theme was an unusual and perhaps ambitious undertaking which informed and entertained. Victoria's struggle to make it through a hostile world was very realistic and captivating. The author managed to mix fantasy and reality in equal measures without losing the plot or the intent. The latter being to capture the life and soul of a little girl lost in in a grown-up world where everybody else decided her destiny until she could finally make that decision herself. She rooted and blossomed. She learnt the language of love in all its different manifestations. However, for her rebirth she had to go through the pain of being born again.

RECOMMENDED!

...more

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Oct 05, 2014 Danielle rated it really liked it

Shelves: fab-book-club-books

2014 F.A.B. Bookclub pick # I.❤️. F.A.B.

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Apr 26, 2013 Karen rated it did not like it

Shelves: book-group-choice

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I had difficulty with "the willing suspension of disbelief" required by this novel. I was able to accept Victoria's behavior only because I felt she was in need of serious psychiatric counseling. However, the behavior of everyone else was completely unbelievable (possible exception was the social worker).

Why would Elizabeth, the foster mom who loves Victoria so much, risk losing her completely simply because, decades of estrangement from her sister, she decides she can't adopt Victoria without I had difficulty with "the willing suspension of disbelief" required by this novel. I was able to accept Victoria's behavior only because I felt she was in need of serious psychiatric counseling. However, the behavior of everyone else was completely unbelievable (possible exception was the social worker).

Why would Elizabeth, the foster mom who loves Victoria so much, risk losing her completely simply because, decades of estrangement from her sister, she decides she can't adopt Victoria without her sister's agreement? How could Grant fall in love with Victoria immediately after seeing her for the first time since she was 10 years old? How could Renata tell that Victoria would be a wonderful assistant after meeting this homeless looking creature just once. And how did Victoria learn to make such beautiful floral arrangements? There was no mention of this activity when she lived with Elizabeth. They just worked on the meanings. I don't think they even grew many flowers. The floral nursery and gardens belonged to Grant and his mother. How could Victoria get enough money to start her own business? And wasn't it a betrayal of Renata to go into competition with her? Furthermore, wasn't it too contrived that Victoria found the perfect assistance in her former group home? Plus, wasn't it too much of a coincidence that Renata's mother was a midwife? And what about the coincidence that Renata had a sister with a space to rent cheaply?

I won't even mention the illogical things that Victoria did because, as I said before, she truly was psychologically disabled. And the happy ending was so sappy. I didn't care to read over and over again the meaning of various flowers. Besides, I do not believe the choices she made for clients really caused all the good results. Actually, I did not believe that a florist could get so much business, so quickly, just by word of mouth.

Think I'll stop here. I can't think of anything I liked. Kept reading because it was a choice of my book group and it actually did not take too much time - considering I'd frequently skim mention of specific flowers. ...more

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Nov 01, 2013 Angela M rated it really liked it

I've always believed that giving flowers meant something . I knew that red roses meant love and somewhere along the line I learned that Baby's Breath , almost always in a bride's bouquet signified everlasting love . However, that was the extent of my knowledge of the meaning of flowers , originating in the Victorian era - until I read this book . Do flowers speak to us in this way ? I really don't know but it's nice to think so and the author has creatively wrapped this language around this stor ...more

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Oct 25, 2015 Patty rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, read-twice, book-club-reads, favorites

Moss doesn't have any roots, but it grows anyway, without any roots. That's what this book is about the roots that we have in our lives, or don't have. Who was your mother, what were her traits, where do you fit in, where did you come from, who are you connected to, your roots.

Victoria has spent her life in and out of foster care homes, abused, neglected, unwanted. The book flashes back to when she was in fosters homes, to when she went to live with Elizabeth at the age of 10, to her current da ...more

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Nov 17, 2016 Bren fall in love with the sea. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: coming-of-age, enthralling, family-drama, magical-realism, educational, great-for-book-clubs, drama-tearjerker, social-issues, historical, fun-books

“Perhaps the unattached, the unwanted, the unloved, could grow to give love as lushly as anyone else.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

Everyone has their own way of coping with tragedy. Everyone has their interests and passions that can take them away from darkness and into the light. For some it’s music, for some it’s art, for others it’s reading and for Victoria, in The language of flowers, it’s flower arranging.

This work of historical fiction was a book club selection and that i ...more

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Feb 20, 2014 B the BookAddict rated it liked it

Recommended to B the BookAddict by: Angela

Shelves: fiction

This child, this self-admitted odd-bod, Victoria has been in the foster system since birth. Ask her who her parents are and she will say the Foster System. At age ten, she has been in thirty-nine different foster homes. She is used to, at a moment's notice, being removed or rejected by her foster parents. She travels light, everything she owns is in a small canvas bag which includes her Dictionary of Flowers. The story is told in two sequences of time; when she is ten, going to a new foster home ...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Jeannette rated it really liked it

This "review" forces me to think about the five star rating system. Since a number of stars reflects my own personal assessment then I need to be honest about how I feel about a book. Here is a chance to define my rating system: five stars means that the book is fascinating, readable, attention holding, has a plot, well defined characters and is well written, lyrical or poetic even.
One star means I should not have read the book, why did I bother? But I did read it because it was recommended or This "review" forces me to think about the five star rating system. Since a number of stars reflects my own personal assessment then I need to be honest about how I feel about a book. Here is a chance to define my rating system: five stars means that the book is fascinating, readable, attention holding, has a plot, well defined characters and is well written, lyrical or poetic even.
One star means I should not have read the book, why did I bother? But I did read it because it was recommended or I picked it up by mistake. A one star book is poor enough that I feel I can skim passages and skip to the end.
Two stars means the book tells a good story.
Three stars means that the story had a good plot as well as good characters. Usually that's enough for me to like a book
Four stars mean good story, characters and plot PLUS good writing.
The fifth star is awarded for depth, concept, exceptional language, memorability.

In the case of The Language of Flowers, I loved the idea of the book, messages sent with flowers. The book is a romance and as such, the characters were all well defined but just a bit unbelievable. Why was such a horrid, aggressive, uncommunicative, misfit like the "heroine" tolerated, let alone loved by people who hardly knew her (about one year of acquaintance)? How could they be so devoted when the side they saw of her was mostly bad and her misdeeds were plentiful? The plot was cleverly done, weaving together the few skills the girl had and her destiny in flowers. But the plot felt contrived too what with the tolerant flower seller, the pregnancy and hiding out in the park then the ugly apartment. The heroines emergence as a potential butterfly after years of caterpillaring existence didn't ring true. Her inner growth and blooming needed more development in the story. Her lover man's devotion was really a puzzle - she was so awful to him.

I wanted more about the flower language throughout the book; the author gave us a bit but I wanted lots more. Also the descriptions of places were were not evocative enough to give me a real sense of time and environment. This was partly because place references were overburdened with details about feelings and behavior - mostly of the "heroine". It was interesting that there wasnt very much about current events - this created a sense of timelessness, probably intended. The story revolves totally around just a few people. This is a fascinating and desperate tale of one orphan's struggle to survive adjust and blossom. Fine, and the story achieved that. I liked the book but I cannot recommend it to all wholeheartedly and cannot give it a five. Sorry Vanessa and Victoria (and why didnt you give her a flower name?) ...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Florence (Lefty) MacIntosh rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Florence (Lefty) by: Beth Knight

Shelves: 2012, reviewed, realistic-fiction, dark, psycho-mental

If you only enjoy books with likable protagonists & manly men give this one a pass. I expected some pleasant distraction about love & the Victorian language of flowers - didn’t disappoint except in the light read department. Downright dark it borders on melodrama as it tells the story of an abandoned baby deprived of a mother’s love & nurturing, illustrating the often irreparable damage done to that child’s psyche.
Victoria is caught up in a foster system that reinforces her feelings of disconne ...more

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Play Book Tag: The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh - 5 stars	4	14	Oct 14, 2021 11:13AM
Goodreads Librari...: Book description in English instead of Dutch	2	13	Apr 12, 2021 03:05AM
Play Book Tag: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh - 4 stars	6	15	Dec 02, 2020 01:48PM
Play Book Tag: Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, 5 stars	1	11	Sep 27, 2020 02:56PM
Play Book Tag: The Language of Flowers - 4.5 stars	5	20	Sep 06, 2020 07:36PM
Scott County Readers: The Language of Flowers	2	9	Apr 27, 2020 08:14AM

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About Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Vanessa Diffenbaugh

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VANESSA DIFFENBAUGH was born in San Francisco and raised in Chico, California. After graduating from Stanford University, she worked in the non-profit sector, teaching art and technology to youth in low-income communities. 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 ag ...more