Biblio Babble: If Flowers Could Speak, What Would They Say

The Read: The Language of Flowers

The Writer: Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Dealio: In tightly laced Victorian times, lovers conveyed sentiments to each other through the secret language of flowers. In this book, orphaned Victoria Jones, who really could not possibly care less about, well, anything, learns that there is much to learn, to enjoy, to love and to celebrate using the language of flowers to express herself. As Victoria grows from a bristly 10 year old into a fully grown, cynical, but very naive adult, she finally finds her voice, and her way, through flowers. If this sounds a little sappy to you, keep in mind that all is not sugared violets for Victoria, and along the way to understanding what her life is all about, she makes enough missteps to lose her way completely. But, oh, the lovely language of flowers.

The Grading Session: 4.91 pengies out of 5. This book really made a connection for me between the work I was doing with aromatherapy, and the hidden, secret and highly debatable language of flowers. I loved watching Victoria learn how to say what was on her mind...but, more, I loved the way she used her gift to reach out to others. Even when she is asking her foster mom, 'What is the flower for hate?!' she comes across as a tough little cookie with a very soft and delicate heart. This book launched me onto a total immersion course about flowers and their meanings. Such fun! I still chuckle when people make a revealing flower choice. But, indulgently, not meanly.

Lessons Learned: So easy, really: Make sure of what your desired message is before you try to bring it off with a floral offering. Lastly this: I am always amazed by how reading one very involving book can lead me into a veritable forest of similar reading, research and revelation. Yum.