Tag Archives: joanne harris

Oct20

Lil Red’s Book Club: Vianne By Joanne Harris Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Vianne By Joanne Harris Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing the newly released prequel to the Chocolat series by Joanne Harris called Vianne. I have read through *almost* the entire series, skipping on Chocolat as I know the story well, in preparation for the prequel. It has been a delightful experience to read these charming novels of magic, hope, and change. However, I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t excited to delve back into my horror and thriller novels! Before we begin our chat, I will be placing a trigger warning on Vianne for pregnancy difficulties and miscarriage. Now, let’s get to it:

Vianne and her maman have been on the move for as long as she can remember. Their lives were spent traveling from country to country picking up menial work and living hand to mouth all in the name of avoiding the Man in Black. When the winds change, they ride it and go somewhere new. But, now, the destination is up to Vianne and her alone. Her mother has passed and Vianne would follow their old methods but these are special circumstances. Vianne is with child and she knows that she must find work and a place to call home to prepare for the arrival of her baby.

She ends up in Marseilles and every business she visits in search of work denies her. Finally, she tries her luck at a bistro called La Bonne Mere where the owner, Louis, takes a shine to her. Perhaps it is because of her pregnancy or he just needs the help, but he offers her a job in the kitchen and lodging. At La Bonne Mere, Vianne learns the recipes of Louis’s beloved wife and begins to get to know the people in the community. There is Guy and Mahmed who are opening a chocolate shop, cantankerous Emile, wise Khamaseen, and strangers who will become friends. Being Vianne, she has quickly turned Louis’s ramshackle bistro into a place to be but it worries her. It feels too much like home – too much like a good thing.

After an especially kind gesture from Louis, Vianne does what she does best. She flees. She ends up roughing it in Toulouse until she is beckoned back to Marseilles by Guy. He promises her work in the chocolate shop and will teach her everything he knows. Vianne is in no position to turn down this opportunity over living on the streets and accepts. Knowing that she must go back and make right the lives of the people who suffered in her abrupt parting.

With Guy, Vianne learns the magic of chocolate and helps prepare the chocolaterie for its grand opening. She revels in the ritual, in trying new recipes, and using her magic in a more domestic setting. Magic that spreads good into the world with the taste of chocolate on the tongue. Like the bistro, the chocolaterie feels like a place that Vianne can stay. But will that ever be good enough? Or will she answer the call to the wind once more? Read Vianne to find out!

I really enjoyed reading Vianne and it was so worth reading the Chocolat series through for this experience. After the entirety of the series was said and done, there was still so much that we didn’t know about Vianne prior to her arrival in Lansquenet. The prequel answered all of these questions and made me love this fantastical character even more. To finally know her backstory and fully understand her choices was like a gift from Joanne Harris and I craved reading Vianne as much as I crave chocolate on a regular basis.

For all of its delight, Vianne was a bittersweet read. We already know how it’s going to end because the rest of the series exists. But this book allows you to see what could have been. A cast of characters as dear as the ones in Lansquenet, another chocolate shop that is trying to stay on its feet, a permanent home for her children. Part of me wished for more of these stories because it was all too easy to find a closeness to the Marseilles community. We all know that Vianne wouldn’t be Vianne without accepting the winds of change and this book showed us how she came into her own. To learn the magic of chocolate and to be herself. The woman and mother she wants to be.

Overall, I am going to rate Vianne with a seven out of ten stars. This was definitely one of the better books in the series and was a lovely way to conclude my visit to the world of Vianne Rocher!

Have you read the Chocolat series? What did you think of it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct9

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Strawberry Thief By Joanne Harris Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Strawberry Thief By Joanne Harris Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing the fifth and final installment of the Chocolat series called The Strawberry Thief. I have been rereading the series to gear up for the newly released prequel called Vianne and I am so excited to sink my teeth into it next. In October, scary movies reign supreme as Johnny and I complete the 31 scary movies in 31 days challenge. These lighthearted, easy read books are a nice change of pace from that and I have really enjoyed revisiting Joanne Harris’s work again. Before we begin chatting about one of my favorite books in the series, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Strawberry Thief for child abuse and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

It has been eight years since Vianne returned to Lansquenet with Anouk and Rosette after receiving a letter from her beloved and deceased friend. She had no intention of staying for long, just long enough to solve a problem for Father Reynaud and then it was back to Paris to be with Roux. However, the urge to settle became too strong and so Vianne, the girls, and even Roux made Lansquenet their home once again. A lot has changed in eight years but some things have remained the same. Vianne’s chocolaterie is open once more, Anouk is now living in Paris with her boyfriend, Rosette is still Rosette, and Roux has stayed in the same place for longer than he ever has before. Life is good, but the wind is blowing and with that wind comes drastic changes.

Rosette has never been one for words and prefers to use sign language or make animal noises. She makes some people uncomfortable but found a friend in the elderly man who runs a flower shop named Narcisse. He is gruff and unfriendly to almost everyone but has taken a shine to Rosette, his little strawberry thief. This nickname came from her love of exploring the woods behind his shop and eating her fill of the wild strawberries that grow there. She dreams of living there one day all by herself and maybe she will. Narcisse passed away suddenly and left the woods on his property to Rosette, much to the disdain of his daughter and family.

Not only did Narcisse leave Rosette a substantial piece of property but he made Father Reynaud the executor of his will. He also leaves behind his confession and life story that is for Reynaud’s eyes only. This infuriates his daughter even more and she spends her time harassing Vianne, Roux, Reynaud, and Rosette for more information. She wants to contest the will so she can have Rosette’s property all to herself. This isn’t the only change that the wind has brought. Shortly after Narcisse died, a new renter has set up in his old flower shop. A mysterious place, ran by an even more mysterious woman.

Vianne has a bad feeling about whatever is going on in that shop and demands that Rosette stay away. Perhaps because the owner reminds her a bit too much of Zozie, the eater of hearts? Despite her mother’s urges, the temptation to enter the shop is too great and Rosette enjoys the company of the owner named Morgane. On her first visit, she learns that Morgane is a tattoo artist – a profession that Lansquenet has never seen the likes of. This information delights Vianne because there is no way that a tattoo parlor will flourish in their small village. Right?

Wrong! Soon enough, Lansquenet is buzzing with tattoo fever and even the most unlikely residents have gotten fresh ink from Morgane. Rosette loves visiting the shop and between the stress of Morgane and her daughter’s friendship, a faltering romance with Roux, and Rosette’s newly acquired property, Vianne takes matters into her own hands. Vianne was once an outcast in Lansquenet and she wants Morgane to have the same treatment. No one, even Father Reynaud, can see what she sees but she feels it fiercely. Maybe if the wind takes Morgane away, the Kindly Ones will be satisfied and leave Vianne in peace. Or maybe, what she’s feeling is all in her head. Will Rosette be able to keep her woods? And will order be restored in Lansquenet if Morgane were to just pack up and go? Read The Strawberry Thief to find out!

I absolutely loved The Strawberry Thief and it was such a wonderful change of pace from its predecessor, Peaches For Father Francis. The Strawberry Thief was fast paced, short and sweet, and I devoured it in three sittings. This book was told from the point of view of Vianne and Father Reynaud as well as Rosette and this delighted me. Finally being able to hear Rosette’s thoughts after two books of not knowing much about her was so amazing. Rosette is sixteen in this book and her chapters spoke of growing up, social isolation, and carving a place in the world that was just for her. The words in her chapters moved me so deeply and solidified what I always knew – she’s not so different after all.

Not only did we get to see the world through Rosette’s eyes, but we also got to travel back in time with Narcisse’s life story. There is a secret that he took to his grave and needed to confess to someone in his passing. Who better than Father Reynaud? To learn the secret, we must start at the beginning and his is a harrowing tale of trauma, abuse, and grief that never left him. It was heartbreaking but beautiful as this shed light on why he became so fond of Rosette. With all of the excitement of these interweaving tales AND a tattoo shop opening in Lansquenet, I simply couldn’t stop turning the pages. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it and was definitely one of the strongest in the entire series!

Overall, I am going to rate The Strawberry Thief with an eight out of ten stars. After my wishy washy sentiments over Peaches For Father Francis, I wasn’t sure what I was in for with this book. It was even better than I hoped for!

What are you currently reading? Who is your favorite author? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct2

Lil Red’s Book Club: Peaches For Father Francis By Joanne Harris Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: Peaches For Father Francis By Joanne Harris Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing the fourth installment of the Chocolat series by Joanne Harris called Peaches For Father Francis. I have been a fan of Joanne Harris for a long time and when I learned that a prequel to Chocolat called Vianne was recently released, I just had to revisit the best little chocolateer in all of Paris. I have so enjoyed reading through the series and regret not rereading Chocolat to start with. It has been a phat minute since I read that book! However, I know the outline well enough and that has not made reading any of its predecessors anything short of a delightful experience. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on Peaches For Father Francis for sexual assault, violence, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

Vianne, Roux, Anouk, and Rosette are finally a family and living together on a houseboat in Paris. They live simply, love fiercely, and savor every moment together like it’s their last. Life is so good, but the winds are changing and with it brings a letter. A letter from a beloved friend back in Lansquenet who is deceased. In her letter, she states that there are people in Lansquenet who need her and her final wish is for Vianne to return to the little town where it all began. To the tiny village where, eight years ago, she opened her chocolaterie with Anouk and sent the ultra religious into a frenzy that was headed by Father Francis Reynaud. Vianne’s memories of Lansquenet are bittersweet but she cannot refuse her friend’s parting wish and decides to take the girls on a little vacation.

Upon their arrival to Lansquenet, nothing and everything has changed. There are familiar faces and those who Vianne does not recognize. Since her departure from Lansquenet, a Muslim community has settled downriver. At first, things were very peaceful between the villagers and their new neighbors. Children played games in the streets, the adults mingled over coffee, and friends were made. Of course, Father Reynaud has never been open to strangers as we know with his tumultuous past with Vianne. He tolerates the new members of Lansquenet but finds himself questioning everything about them. Their religion, their clothing, and their traditions that are so far away from the gospel he preaches.

As tensions between Father Reynaud and the leader of the Muslim community rise, everyone in Lansquenet can sense it and begin to separate themselves. No more games, no more meals shared but each side remaining on their half of the Tannes river. In a shocking turn of events, the chocolate shop Vianne used to run which is now a Muslim school for girls is set aflame. Its residents, a mysterious woman and her daughter, are unharmed but the damage has been done and Father Reynaud takes the brunt of the blame.

Father Reynaud who has been a long term staple in Lansquenet becomes a stranger. His church is being taken over by a younger, more progressive priest. He is no longer invited to say mass and passerbys on the street can barely mask their disgust. Is this how Vianne felt when she first came to Lansquenet? Unwanted and unloved? To bring both communities back together again is beyond what Father Reynaud can do on his own. But with Vianne back in Lansquenet, he comes as close as he can to begging for her assistance. With a little magic, can Vianne return peace to the little town that will always be in her heart? Or will both sides be forever divided? Read Peaches For Father Francis to find out!

I have mixed feelings about Peaches For Father Francis. After reading The Girl With No Shadow, I not only had a taste for chocolate but more along those same lines. A fabulous new character, the sense of danger, and the delicate dance in the balance of good and evil. Peaches For Father Francis delivered on drama, yes, but I simply didn’t like it as much as the book that came prior. This novel swapped between Vianne and Father Reynaud’s point of view and I would have preferred it if another person from the Muslim community was thrown into the mix. At the end of the day, Reynaud and Vianne were essentially seeing the exact same things and it made for a lackluster read. In The Girl With No Shadow the story weaved between Vianne, Anouk, and the fantastic Zozie so we were getting the point of view from characters that ranged in age and desires. The story came to life whereas Peaches For Father Francis felt stuck.

Well over the first half of the book did nothing for me although things really picked up with the remainder. The very slow burn was finally ready to burst but by the time it did it felt like it was too late for the momentum to carry. I found myself counting down the pages to its completion and as I read The Girl With No Shadow, I didn’t want it to end. While it is always nice to be reunited with Vianne, the girls, and Roux, this was not the strongest book in the series. Despite the wishy washy sentiments, I am excited to read The Strawberry Thief next and conclude my Chocolat journey with the prequel.

Overall, I am going to rate Peaches For Father Francis with a five and a half out of ten stars. I am happy to have read it to further the series but I am even happier to be done with it!

What are you currently reading? What are your thoughts on the Chocolat series? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep21

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Girl With No Shadow By Joanne Harris

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Girl With No Shadow By Joanne Harris

Howdy and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! I recently learned that there was a new prequel to the Chocolat series by Joanne Harris and was very interested in that. I have always loved the thriller books by Harris and thought it would be fun to revisit everyone’s favorite chocolateer again. Rather than starting out with where it all began by rereading Chocolat, I delved right into the sequel called The Girl With No Shadow. I read it forever ago and forgot everything about it! It took me a minute to find my bearings again in the magical world of Chocolat but once I found my footing, I was SO in. As this is such a light and friendly read, there will be no trigger warning on this book. And, as always, no spoilers either! Let’s get into it:

After the incidents in Chocolat, Vianne Rocher seeks anonymity and refuge with her young daughters, Anouk and Rosette, and they find themselves opening a small chocolaterie in an even smaller village. She is no longer the Vianne of magic and delight but lives under the practical pseudonym of Yanne. Tiny Rosette is too small to remember the world of the extraordinary but Anouk does all too well and misses it fiercely. No more reading runes, no more spells – no more Anouk because she is now Annie. The chocolate shop is bland and a far cry from the wonderful space they created and had to flee.

Yanne is now a woman who only seeks to protect her daughters from the changing winds and the Kindly Ones as all magic used will come back to them in a negative way eventually. For financial support and companionship, she entertains an older man named Thierry who wants her hand in marriage more than anything. He tolerates the children and covets a woman who he can control and turn into his perfect little wife. And, with no word from Yanne’s beloved Roux since their departure, she lets him. Anouk’s world has been turned upside down and, as chance would have it, a beautiful stranger attempts to turn it right side up again.

Her name is Zozie and she is simply fabulous. She wears the best shoes, has amazing personal style, and a joyous personality that would give the old Vianne a run for her money. Zozie takes an instant liking to Anouk because there is something special about her – a magic so powerful that she can feel it when she is merely passing by. A magic that should be harnessed, nurtured, and used by someone like Zozie who has countless tricks up her sleeves in her own right.

Zozie begins to work at the chocolate shop alongside Yanne. She cares for the girls, charms every customer that walks in the store, and redecorates the place so that it is unrecognizable of its original drab appearance. When she is not playing hostess at the shop, she is a teacher to Anouk. Zozie teaches her about ancient gods, powerful spells, and the delicious feeling of using magic to seek revenge. As Anouk and Zozie grow closer and the customers only come to the shop to see her, Yanne sinks into the background. Zozie is doing a better job at being Vianne than she ever has.

Of course, Yanne is grateful for Zozie albeit slightly resentful but she is in no position to refuse help. Yanne has a lot on her mind – her daughter’s growing distance, her youngest daughter who is delayed in development, and the arrival of her former love. Roux hearkens the Vianne of old but she is Yanne now. Homely, magic free, and a ghost of her former self to please Thierry. Behind closed doors, Anouk is growing more powerful by the moment and Zozie wants her desperately. Her plan? Read The Girl With No Shadow to find out!

The Girl With No Shadow was a delightful read from start to finish and it was so nice to be reunited with the core four: Vianne, Roux, Anouk, and Rosette. Joanne Harris has such a marvelous way of creating characters that you genuinely care about and want to get to know more. Even the colorful side characters in this book felt like old friends by the time I completed the last page. The Girl With No Shadow alternated between Vianne, Anouk, and Zozie’s point of view and watching their stories weave together so seamlessly was magic in itself.

As I read, I couldn’t help but feeling like I was there too. Harris has the gift of crafting such vivid imagery that you get lost in it. The smell of chocolate, the warmth of the small shop, the way the snow sounds as it falls. It was so intoxicating that it was hard to pull myself away! And, of course, for all of the beautiful prose there is an engaging story unfolding. A love triangle, a new witch in town, and a preteen who is at a crossroads. To dare to be different or to conform to a passionless life. I am about to start the third book in the series and I cannot wait to see what happens next to the owner of the best little chocolate shop in all of Paris!

Overall, I am going to rate The Girl With No Shadow with an eight out of ten stars. It was magical, whimsical, and a book that not only entertained but transported you. Highly recommend giving this lovely series a try!

What are you currently reading? Have you read the Chocolat series before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah