The Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Characters

Victoria Meredith Combs – Social Worker Elizabeth – foster mother Catherine – estranged sister Grant – Catherine’s son Perla – Carlo’s daughter, Elizabeth’s vineyard foreman Renata – owner of Bloom Natalya – singer, Renata’s sister Mother Ruby – midwife, Renata’s mother Message – Victoria’s florist business Marlena – worker from Gathering House Customers: Earl – periwinkle (tender recollections), spider mums (truth) Bethany and Ray – red roses (love), white lilac (first emotion of love), rosemary (remembrance) Annemarie – jonquils (desire)

For Discussion:

Note: Page numbers are from the paperback edition.

1. Could Victoria’s story have been different if someone or something else had intervened?   What events could have made her life better?
2. How well did Meredith do her job?  What could she have done differently?
3. Why did Elizabeth stop the adoption? 
4. To what did you attribute the changes that happened with Earl and Bethany after Victoria made them the bouquets?  On page 113 the author reflected that “It wasn’t as if the flowers themselves held within them the ability to bring an abstract definition into physical reality, instead, it seemed that Earl, then Bethany, walked home with a bouquet of flowers expecting change, and the very belief in the possibility instigated a transformation.”  Do you agree?  Is this possible?
5. On page 209, Victoria asked the girls at The Gathering House three questions before hiring Marlena:

1.       Do you have an alarm clock?

2.       Do you know how to get to 6^th and Bethany by bus?

3.       Why do you need the money?

Was there anything else you think she should have asked?

6. How many times did you refer to Victoria’s Dictionary of Flowers while you were reading?  Did it add to your reading pleasure?
7. The meaning of flowers had once been common knowledge.   Do you think it would be nice if it still was or would that add more difficulty to buying someone flowers?   What might be common knowledge now that will be lost in the future?
8. Do you think Mother Ruby should have seen that Victoria was not prepared to keep the baby alone?
9. Victoria thought that leaving Hazel with Grant had been the “most loving act “ she had ever done (page 271).  Do you agree?  What do you think she should have done?
10. Discuss your reading experience.  Did you like how the author drew out the story of Elizabeth, Catherine and Victoria?  Would you recommend this book to your friends?
11. Did you like the ending or was it "too pat?"  
12. The author has foster parented many children.  How do you think that influenced how she wrote the book?

*****

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