April Flowers

A small group of us met on Tuesday to discuss the book, The Florist's Daughter, by Patricia Hampl.

Opinions ranged from favorable to unfavorable. A couple of readers were disappointed, having had higher expectations set by the reputation of the book and its author. One person in the group lamented not having more of a story to the book, and others agreed that the book would be meaningful primarily to people with a great deal of interest in the city of St. Paul.

While the subject matter of the book did not bowl people over, many of us commented favorably on the writing style and prose. A few people were familiar with the author's reputation as a poet.

Patricia Hampl is currently a Regents Professor and McKnight Distinguished Professor at the University of Minnesota. She will be one of three featured speakers at a Memoir Writing Festival being held May 16th and 17th at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.