Teachers, flowers for algernon teaches students about friendship, death and love. In the court discussion that assesses whether or not victoria is a good fit to stay with her new foster. Information about the author and the language of flowers is available on the books website. Great supplemental information for school essays and projects. One of the major themes in the language of flowers is forgiveness and second chances do you think victoria deserves one after the things she did both as a child and as an adult. But a florist gives her casual work and then, at a flower market, she meets grant, elizabeths nephew, another awkward soul who speaks the language of flowers. With the language of flowers i tried to write a book that was honest and true, but. After studying creative writing and education at stanford university, vanessa taught art and writing to youth in lowincome communities. Were there things you wished the women had done differently throughout the book or did you agree with their decisions. I started the book awhile back but got distracted and didnt end up finishing it. The novel follows the fraught life of a victoria jones, who by the age of 18, had lived in 32 foster homes, and becomes a flower arranger the novel was inspired by a flower dictionary, a type of victorianera book which defines what different types of flowers mean. Sep 05, 2011 the language of flowers, by vanessa diffenbaugh.
By opening up victorias very difficult inner world to us, vanessa diff enbaugh shows us a corner of experience hidden to most, with an astonishing degree of insight and compassion. Use this lesson to probe students comprehension of the events and characters of the book while enhancing their. Jul 19, 2015 this is the story of a young woman who has spent her entire life in the foster care system and starts on the day she turns 18 and is now completely on her own. The language of flowers vanessa diffenbaugh, 2011 random house 352 pp. In the first main section of the book, the reader is introduced to victoria. The language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh, paperback. The language of flowers, by vanessa diffenbaugh the globe.
The book spent 69 weeks on the new york times bestseller list and has sold over 2m copies. And yet, the plot is incredibly simple, there isnt a great deal that happens in the book and there are no great surprises, so at the same time i do wonder why this. The novel follows the fraught life of a victoria jones, who by the age of 18, had lived in 32 foster homes, and becomes a. The language of flowers is very specific, but it is never subtle. This meeting well be reading the language of flowers. In this case, the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh was literally lying right next to me on my nightstand for a couple of months before i realized it was the perfect selection for freutcake book clubs late summer read. The language of flowers discussion questions nicole amsler. Now emancipated from the care of the state, she finds love, but feels unworthy. Freutcakes bookclub pick for augustseptember is the language of flowers by. Now were excited to hear what you thought of the book for todays discussion were using the following list of book club questions from random house. Many of the publicists had already read the book and they even had an inhouse book club discussion. The language of flowers, by vanessa diffenbaugh the.
The language of flowers is the debut novel of american author vanessa diffenbaugh. Each of the women in the book are put in a position of having to make a choice. Floriography language of flowers is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. The language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh book club. Apr 28, 2014 at the beginning of april we launched our very first book club. Home the language of flowers discussion guide libguides. The language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh bookies. Sep 25, 2014 the power of the flower is strong, indeed. But for victoria jones, it s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. Do you think this is a book to introduce into high school curriculum. Her present is juxtaposed with childhood scenes of the years she lived with elizabeth, a vineyard owner who introduced her to the victorianera language of flowers. The orphans tale book club discussion guide noa gives her newborn away but remains bereft by the loss and tormented by visions of the child. What potential do elizabeth, renata, and grant see in victoria. Its narrated by victoria jones, a young woman who spent her childhood neglected and abused in a series of foster homes.
The language of flowers is a hopeful book tempered by reality. Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. When my book club chose it as a selection, i decided to give it a second try to be fair and hated it even more the second time around. But for victoria jones, its been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. Vanessa diffenbaughs the language of flowers is a heartwrenching, frustrating, enveloping piece of fiction. The victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic. We are hosting our own discussion of the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh. I chose the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh because it covered a serious topic, aging out of foster care, and included an engaging subtopic, the language of flowers. And after finishing this novel, i have to agree with them. Believe me when i say that everyone was talking about this novel. On monday we met for another great book discussion.
In alternating chapters interspersed with scenes from victorias present, readers see where victoria, then an angry and largely unlovable 10yearold, first encountered this symbolic language. The beauty we found within the pages of vanessa diffenbaughs story line here was well worth discussing. After two delays and someone else deciding to join us for our discussion, we were able to have a quick book discussion on vanessa. Reading guide for the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh. Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in traditional cultures throughout europe, asia, and africa. Study questions, project ideas and discussion topics based on important themes running throughout the language of flowers. A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, the language of flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past. Freutcake book club meeting inspired by the novel and an online discussion.
Reading guide for the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh discussion guide for book clubs. Resources regarding the victorian language of flowers floriography. At the beginning of april we launched our very first book club. Dec 16, 2019 get local with the next door ladies book club and discuss this months book selection, the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh. In vanessa diffenbaughs fascinating debut novel, the language of flowers ballantine, jaded 18yearold victoria jones strikes out on her own after a lifetime in foster homes. Aug 23, 2011 now graduating out of state care, victoria must make her own way and starts out by sleeping rough in a local san francisco park. The novel follows the fraught life of a victoria jones, who by the age of 18, had lived in 32 foster homes, and becomes a flower arranger. The language of flowers, as it turns out is wonderful and an incredible discussion book for reading groups. Join bestselling authors annie barrows, vanessa diffenbaugh, and paula mclain for a special book club panel, as they divulge secrets from the other side of the page.
What did you think of the structure of the book the alternating chapters of past and present. The language of flowers deftly weaves the sweetness of newfound love with the heartache of past mistakes. The language of flowers bookclub discussion questions freutcake. Sep 05, 2016 when you choose a popular book club book, you can often find a wealth of book discussion questions already written for you.
Com reading questions for the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh. Please send me any info you have on the language of flowers. In an interview included at the end of the novel, author vanessa diffenbaugh relates the findings from a rutgers university study that proves flowers increase feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points, if you have not read the book. We are specifically reaching out to book clubs, because we believe that small groups of concerned. The language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh reading guide. Find discussion questions and reading group guide for the language of flowers by vanessa. To write the language of flowers, vanessa diffenbaugh found inspiration in her own experience as a foster mother. This is the story of a young woman who has spent her entire life in the foster care system and starts on the day she turns 18 and is now completely on her own. When you choose a popular book club book, you can often find a wealth of book discussion questions already written for you. Vanessa diffenbaugh, author of the language of flowers, answers. Reading guide for the language of flowers by vanessa.
New york times bestselling author of the language of flowers. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. You voted, and the chosen read was the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh. At its core, the language of flowers is a meditation on redemption, and on how even the most profoundly damaged might learn to forgive and be forgiven. From the beloved new york times bestselling author of the language of flowers comes vanessa diffenbaughs muchanticipated new novel about young love, hard choices, and hope against all odds. Book clubs that celebrate the floral particulars here should also notice the way that the book is structured. Am i correct in remembering that it explains that if you give someone an orange, they will fall in love with you. Victoria is only able to share her true feelings through her knowledge of the victorian language of flowers. Victoria has an abiding belief in the symbolism of flowers, the language of flowers popular during the victorian era.
Victoria is sent back to the orphanage, where she stays for the rest of her childhood years. Pick up a handshake copy at the library service desk or ask your librarian to borrow a book with your library card. The language of flowers book summary and study guide. The book alternates between chapters that are set in the past and the present. In the court discussion that assesses whether or not victoria is a good fit to stay with her new foster mother forever, elizabeth hurts victoria back, and botches the case. Though i alternated between wanting to slap victoria and desperately needing to give her a hug, i found myself really caring about her and everyone in the story. Book clubs have been keeping this tradition alive for years, and now random house is bringing it to bookcon. These questions are simply meant to offer a bit of guidance and to. Diffenbaughs language of flowers tells the story of victoria. The language of flowers bookclub discussion questions. The language of flowers, a novel by vanessa diffenbaugh, is the new york times bestselling story about victoria jones, her passion for flowers and how her use of flowers helped her to communicate with others and helped her come into her own. Now graduating out of state care, victoria must make her own way and starts out by sleeping rough in a local san francisco park. This summary of the language of flowers includes a complete plot overview spoilers included.
Sep 08, 2011 the language of flowers is very specific, but it is never subtle. Feb 18, 2016 resources and project ideas for a book to art club on the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh. Ballantine is surely well aware that there are book clubs that have. This time we tackled a current book club best seller, the debut novel by vanessa. If not, you can visit the publisher or authors website and find online reading guides. The language of flowers, vanessa diffenbaugh the language of flowers is the debut novel of american author vanessa diffenbaugh. Posts about the language of flowers written by kristine. For todays discussion were using the following list of book club questions from random house. Many books have reading guides at the end of the book that are perfect to use for your book club. After a childhood spent in the fostercare system, she is unable to get close to anybody. Aug 25, 2011 after attending the random house tea at bea 2011, i knew that many people were very excited about the release of the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh. Vanessa diffenbaugh seems to have written her first novel with book clubs in mind.
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