Language of Flowers (Diffenbaugh) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
In this original and brilliant first novel, Diffenbaugh has united her fascination with the language of flowers—a long-forgotten and mysterious way of communication—with her firsthand knowledge of the travails of the foster-care system…This novel is both enchanting and cruel, full of beauty and anger. Diffenbaugh is a talented writer and a mesmerizing storyteller.
Brigitte Weeks - Washington Post


An unexpectedly beautiful book about an ugly subject: children who grow up without families, and what becomes of them in the absence of unconditional love...Jane Eyre for 2011.
San Francisco Chronicle


In a world where talk is cheap, debut author Vanessa Diffenbaugh has written a captivating novel in which a single sprig of rosemary speaks louder than words. …The Language of Flowers deftly weaves the sweetness of newfound love with the heartache of past mistakes in a novel that will certainly change how you choose your next bouquet.
Minneapolis Star-Tribune


Instantly enchanting.... [Diffenbaugh] is the best new writer of the yea
Elle


A fascinating debut…. Diffenbaugh clearly knows both the human heart and her plants, and she keeps us rooting for the damaged Victoria.
O Magazine


Diffenbaugh's affecting debut chronicles the first harrowing steps into adulthood taken by a deeply wounded soul who finds her only solace in an all-but-forgotten language....  Struggling against all and ultimately reborn, Victoria Jones is hard to love, but very easy to root for.
Publishers Weekly


Diffenbaugh weaves together the two narratives using the Victorian language of flowers that ultimately helps shape Victoria's future as she grapples with a painful decision from her past.... Victoria might be her own worst enemy, but her...desire to live beyond what she was thought capable of will sway readers toward her favor.... [S]olid and well-written. —Mara Dabrishus, Ursuline Coll., Pepper Pike, OH
Library Journal