Vanessa Diffenbaugh, 2012, literary fiction, 334 pages

Victoria Jones spent an isolated childhood in the foster care system. During an interval of relative calm, she learned the meanings of flowers used during Victorian times to convey romantic expression. She finds them more useful in communicating her fears and mistrust of others. Now she is eighteen, graduated from foster care and must find a way to make a life on her own. Victoria gets a job at a floral shop, and there discovers she has a knack for helping others with the flowers she puts into their bouquets. Even as she brings strangers together to find happiness, she continues to push away those who want to befriend with her. In the end, she must decide if it is worth the risk to allow others in her life and so get a second chance at happiness.

Sometimes unable to put it down, sometimes fearing to turn the page, this was an devastating, but hopeful story. It carries themes of maternal love and forgiveness throughout. Though the message is painful, the book is moving and unforgettable. The ending is satisfying

You will see a message in every flower after reading this literary bouquet.

Have you ever used flowers to convey a message you couldn’t bring yourself to say?