Fourteen members attending the discussion of this months book. Spring, after winter, sends us searching for the first sign of spring, any sign of life on branches or in the ground. The Language of Flowers was good to read at this time because it opened our eyes to the awe of flowers and message it brings. It was a hard book to read, however, because of the heartbreaking life that Victoria had through her years as a child and then as a young mother.
Nine people liked the book, one did not enjoy it at all, one person didn't read it yet and there were three people that were in the middle, not really liking, not really disliking it. One person said, "it didn't go in the way I thought it would." "Didn't flow for me" another comment. One person said " I tried tried to understand what Victoria had gone through, but my life is so different from hers." One person shared that their heart went out to the girl, she felt sorry for her and was glad she had the flowers in her life, something she could do.
"I think a book is good when it makes me think when I am done with it." The discussion we had did just that. Many of us didn't know about the use of flowers used to convey a message. During the Victorian age emotions and feelings weren't "spoken," often. Flowers would be used to communicate what you wanted to say.
The novel was written with two story lines, one of Victoria at current time, another during her earlier years. Consensus of the group was that we liked that part, not having it too much at one time. The "bits" of information that were tossed out from her earlier up-bringing were then compared with the current life. The story line was so heavy, that having it shorter was easier to "take in."
Victoria, through Elizabeth, learned about flowers and that continued to help her with life and a job. We liked that her business name was "Message." The "Iris," in this book under the Victorian Language is message, and that is what Victoria gave out to help spread her business information. As in the book with Grant, we found there are different meanings for flowers. The "Iris" also means, faith, hope and wisdom. While reading this book, I think we found that there was hope for Victoria, others had faith in her (Elizabeth, Renata, Grant) and she had wisdom (although she thought she might not have any). "She could love and be loved" someone said.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
re: "The World's Strongest Librarian"
ReplyDeleteI liked all aspects of this book and admired the author's courage and humor. I especially noted his comments about a library and realized how fortunate we are to have one available--convenient and free. This book made me appreciate more my opportunities for reading and learning.
The Language of Flowers was a hard book to read, especially at how troubled a child she was in the beginning, and also as a new mother, seemingly alone in the world. But she had people in the past and the "now" that loved her, just as she was. When she dropped her baby off to Grant in a basket that she had filled with moss, I wondered why did she do that? The meaning for moss in the dictionary in the book was "Maternal love." Did she feel that she loved the baby enough to give her away, giving her a better chance at life? She did love that baby and I was hoping she would be in her child's life, unlike the life that she had been dealt.
ReplyDeleteI often love how a book ends, how it wraps up the story. This book had a good ending. In the second to the last paragraph it reads, "Looking at my daughter filled me with a love I once thought myself incapable of feeling, and I thought about what Grant had said the afternoon I reappeared in his rose garden. It if was true that moss did not have roots, and maternal love could grow spontaneously, as if from nothing, perhaps I had been wrong to believe myself unfit to raise my daughter. Perhaps, the unattached, the unwanted, the unloved, could grow to give love as lushly as anyone else."