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Summary
Summary
The tantalizing sequel to the blockbuster New York Times bestseller Chocolat
Even before it was adapted into the Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, Joanne Harris's Chocolat entranced readers with its mix of hedonism, whimsy, and, of course, chocolate. Now, at last, Chocolat 's heroine returns to the beautiful French village of Lansquenet in another, equally beguiling tale.
When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she has no choice but to return to Lansquenet, where she once owned a chocolate shop and learned the meaning of home. But returning to one's past can be a dangerous pursuit, and Vianne and her daughters find the beautiful French village changed in unexpected ways: women veiled in black, the scent of spices in the air, and--facing the church--a minaret. Most surprising of all, her old nemesis, Francis Reynaud, desperately needs her help. Can Vianne work her magic once again?
Author Notes
Joanne Harris was born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, England on July 3, 1964. She studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. While working as a teacher for fifteen years, she published three novels: The Evil Seed (1989), Sleep, Pale Sister (1993) and Chocolat (1999), which was made into a film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. Her other works include Blackberry Wine, Five Quarters of the Orange, Coastliners, Holy Fools, The Lollipop Shoes and Runemarks. She also co-wrote two cookbooks with cookery writer Fran Warde: The French Kitchen and The French Market.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Harris returns to the setting and heroine that will be familiar to readers of her bestselling Chocolat series. Vianne Rocher is summoned back to the village of Lansquenet by a friend who is seeking to smooth tensions between the Christian community and new Muslim immigrants, bringing Vianne face to face with nemesis Fr. Francis Reynaud, the target of much of the immigrants' resentment. As Vianne spends time in the village, she becomes fascinated by Ines Bencharki, who, beneath her veil, is a flashpoint for discord between the communities. The more that Vianne investigates, the more puzzling seem the events happening in the village. And when people start dying, tensions soar, meaning it will take a miracle, or perhaps just an enchanted chocolatier, to save the town (again). Readers familiar with the Rochers will welcome the newest installment of their story, particularly as it addresses contemporary problems in a familiar setting. While new readers may be surprised by incongruous glimpses of magic, they will appreciate this sensitively told tale. Agent: Peter Robinson, RCW Literary. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Vianne Rocher, who worked culinary magic on a French village in the best-seller Chocolat (1999), now finds herself helping her onetime nemesis. In the third novel in Harris' series (following Blackberry Wine, 2000), an influx of foreigners has wrought change in Lansquenet. Vianne and her daughters return to find that Father Francis is suspected of a recent crime. Both Vianne and Father Francis tell the tale, and fresh mysteries involving Muslim immigrants and Vianne's old friend Josephine present themselves to be unraveled. Readers of the previous novels will relish the return to Lansquenet, as it is easy to fall under the community's spell even as conflict is tearing at its seams. Newcomers who have a somewhat difficult time entering Vianne's mystical world will be drawn in by Harris' expertly drawn and instantly recognizable characters, along with their richly realized world. With charm and allure, the novel explores the difference one person can make. For all Vianne's magic, the recipe for success is simply uncovering what keeps people apart and what binds them together.--Thoreson, Bridget Copyright 2010 Booklist
Kirkus Review
Eight years after the events in Harris' best-selling Chocolat (1999, etc.), her heroine is summoned back to the French village she once revitalized with confections. Vianne Rocher is living in Paris on a houseboat with her husband, Roux, and daughters, Anouk and Rosette, when a posthumous letter arrives from Armande, the crusty old lady who had been her ally in upsetting the straight-laced mores of Lansquenet. This tiny hamlet once more needs Vianne's intervention, Armande writes, without specifying exactly what is amiss. When Vianne arrives, she is surprised to learn the person most in need of rescue is her erstwhile antagonist, the tightly wound, chocolate-hating Monsieur le Cur Francis Reynaud. As parish pastor, Reynaud has been supplanted by a young, smug priest who wants to turn Mass into a PowerPoint presentation and replace the church's old oaken pews with plastic chairs. The Bishop has not been pleased since rumors started circulating that Reynaud set fire to a school for Muslim girls housed in Vianne's former candy shop. Reynaud is suspect because he clashed with the Imam of Les Marauds, Lansquenet's Muslim neighborhood, over the installation of a minaret complete with call to prayer. The school's founder, Ins Bencharki, whose brother, Karim, is the Imam's son-in-law, has, along with her charismatic sibling, introduced Muslim fundamentalism into previously free-wheeling Les Marauds, requiring her pupils to veil themselves. Vianne is drawn into the fray when she takes in Alyssa, the Imam's granddaughter, whom Reynaud saved from drowning herself. As they forge a gingerly alliance, Reynaud and Vianne suspect that Ins and Karim are hiding something, and those secrets, when revealed, are shocking. While Harris' loving attention to the details of cuisine, French and Moroccan, and the daily lives of the eccentric village characters conveys a certain charm, the indolent pace of the novel doesn't accelerate until the puzzle explodes with incandescent intensity near the end. The patient reader, however, will be amply rewarded. A slow buildup to a breathtaking finish.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
In this sequel to Harris's wonderful Chocolat and The Girl with No Shadow, Vianne Rocher and her daughters, Anouk and Rosette, return to the village of Lansquenet after receiving a mysterious letter that alludes to brewing troubles and asks Vianne for help. A growing Muslim community has taken over the derelict shanties across the river, filled the air with the scent of exotic spices, and built a minaret. The traditionalist French residents are disturbed and afraid. Vianne's chocolate shop, turned into a school for Muslim girls, has been torched and Father Francis Reynaud accused of the crime. Once her nemesis, Father Francis is at the heart of the turmoil that is fragmenting the village. Is he the real villain? Can Vianne work her magic again and reunite the community? Harris's skill at vibrantly depicting the charm and eccentricity of rural French life is at the heart of this delightful novel. VERDICT Harris has used this story as a plea for tolerance and understanding, but her message is not the least pedantic. Fans of the first two books will delight in becoming reacquainted with Vianne, her dashing man, Roux, and her clever daughters. [See Prepub Alert, 4/16/12.]-Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
