The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Language of Flowers

Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Currently applying to be a Foster Carer I couldn't have read this novel at a better time. It gave me an understanding of how a foster child, passed from family to institution feels in the outside world, the heartache they suffer unduly and the lack of trust they bestow. This is a beautiful novel which makes you feel for all the characters and shows that there is some kindness in this difficult world of ours brought about by Mother Nature.

Extract
I had replayed scenes from the year before in my head endlessly, looking for clues to what I had done wrong. The list was long: cutting down the arm of the cactus, hitting the bus driver over the head, and more than one declaration of hatred. But Elizabeth seemed to have forgiven me for my violent outbursts. These, she seemed to understand.
Parallels
  • The Language of Flowers: A Miscellany by Mandy Kirby
  • The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender