The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Another book club selections, but this is a book that I have wanted to read before it became a book club selection, but just didn't seem to have the time to do it.  Another thing I love about book clubs, it forces me to pick a book that I may be putting off for others. 

This is the story of Victoria Jones, a child who grew up in the foster care system.  She bounced from home to home until at long last she finds a place that is her home, but that doesn't last either and she ends up back in the foster care system, this time in group homes until she ages out when she turns 18. 

The book weaves between Victoria's current life and the year she lived with Elizabeth, which was an idyllic year for Victoria in many ways.  With Elizabeth, She found someone she connected to, and who wanted her, a first in her short life of 9 year. Part of the mystery of this book is what happened and how did Victoria end up back in the foster care system. 

Victoria can be described as angry and distrustful.  With her life, it is understandable, she never had anyone to trust, but Elizabeth.  Her adolescence was spent in group homes with other angry, distrustful young girls that society failed.  It is a wonder that so many people were willing to bend over backwards for this young woman. 

Victoria's current life, she begins as a homeless girl, who builds her flower collection in a local park in San Francisco, where she lives.  She eats people's left overs slipping into vacant seats at restaurants and deli's after the customer's leave.  In her wanderings, she runs across a florist, and asks for work.  She eventually gets the work. 

Renata is the florist who takes Victoria under her wing when she recognizes Victoria's genius with flowers. Renata finds a place for Victoria to live and teaches Victoria about running a floral shop.  Renata is really, in the long run, Victoria's savior, who asks nothing in return from Victoria.

What I saw in this book is people who bent over backwards to help Victoria (after she turned 18), and she was cranky, unreliable and taciturn. The book glosses over quite a few things that I had questions about.  I don't really think through this whole book, Victoria grows in the least.  She seems  angry and taciturn until the very end, even though there is resolution and the requisite happy ending. 

Despite these issues, I did really enjoy the book, and it kept me turning the pages.  Well written with some problems, in my opinion, but still enjoyable.