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The Girl with No Shadow
by Joanne Harris
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Synopses & Reviews Be careful what you wish for...
Hailed as an "irresistible confection" (Entertainment Weekly), "as sweet, rich and utterly satisfying as a fine truffle" (Wall Street Journal), and "an amazement of riches" (New York Times), Chocolat won the hearts of readers and critics everywhere. At last, Joanne Harris returns with The Girl with No Shadow, an exquisite treat that continues the story that began in her international bestseller. Since she was a little girl, the wind has dictated every move Vianne Rocher has made, buffeting her from place to place, from the small French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes to the crowded streets of Paris. Cloaked in a new identity, that of widow Yanne Charbonneau, she opens a chocolaterie on a small Montmartre street, determined to still the wind at last and keep her daughters, Anouk and the baby, Rosette, safe. Her new home above the chocolate shop offers calm and quiet: no red sachets hang by the door; no sparks of magic fill the air; no Indian skirts with bells hang in her closet. Conformity brings with it anonymity—and peace. There is even Thierry, the stolid businessman who wants to take care of Yanne and the children. On the cusp of adolescence, an increasingly rebellious and restless Anouk does not understand. But soon the weathervane turns...and into their lives blows the charming and enigmatic Zozie de l'Alba. And everything begins to change. Zozie offers the brightness Yanne's life needs. Anouk, too, is dazzled by this vivacious woman with the lollipop-red shoes who seems to understand her better than anyone — especially her mother. Yet this friendship is not what it seems. Ruthless, devious, and seductive, Zozie has plans that will shake their world to pieces. And with everything she loves at stake, Yanne must face a difficult choice: Run, as she has done so many times before, or stand and confront this most dangerous enemy... Review: "Harris revisits characters from 1999's bestselling Chocolat in this equally delectable modern fairy tale. More than four years have passed since Vianne Rocher pitted her enchanted chocolate confections against the local clergy's interpretation of Lent in smalltown France; since then, Vianne has renounced magic, changed her name to Yanne Charbonneau and moved with her two daughters to Paris's Montmartre district. There, Yanne embraces conformity and safety, much to the dismay of her increasingly troubled older daughter, Anouk. When Anouk becomes entranced with Zozie de l'Alba, an exotic itinerant who happens upon a job at the new shop, and the relationship grows increasingly sinister, Yanne must call up all of Vianne's powers, culinary and mystical, to save her family. Harris again structures the narrative (told in alternate chapters by Zozie, Yanne and Anouk) around a liturgical season (in this case Advent). Harris gives fans much to savor in this multilayered novel, from the descriptions (including Yanne's mouthwatering chocolate confections, Zozie's whimsical footwear and Anouk's artistic efforts) to the novel's classic, enduring theme of good vs. evil — and the difficulty of telling the difference." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review: "Writing a sequel to a best-seller is risky business. Add to that an Oscar-nominated movie, and Joanne Harris faced double jeopardy when she sat down to continue the story she had told so deliciously in 'Chocolat' (1999). At the close of that novel, Vianne Rocher and her small daughter, Anouk, fled the village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, the target of dark rumors and attacks by a hostile, narrow-minded ..." Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) parish priest. They were unforgettable characters. Will readers be pleased or disappointed as Harris makes them grow and change? Vianne has reinvented herself as the widow Yanne Charbonneau. All she wants is to be accepted, to be ordinary. By now, her daughter is known as Annie and has a half sister named Rosette — a special child who doesn't talk and refuses to feed herself. The attempt to leave their identities, the villagers and the gypsy river people behind has led the trio from one location to another, fleeing from the well-meaning people who see Yanne as an unfit parent. The three find refuge in Paris, among the narrow byways and antique squares of Montmartre, the village within a city crowned by the white dome of the Sacre-Coeur. There on the Place des Faux-Monnayeurs, Yanne meets Madame Poussin, an old woman who runs a decrepit cafe. Yanne trades her labor for lodging, and four quiet years pass. When the old lady dies, Yanne takes over the cafe and soon converts it into her signature chocolaterie. Three very different voices tell us what then happens at the newly renovated store between October 31 and Christmas Day. At the center is Yanne, committed to eschewing the magic and visions that ended their stay in Lansquenet. She wants a stable life for her daughters and is determined to put aside the supernatural gifts she inherited. She's determined to forget 'the magic we'd lived with all our lives, my mother's magic of charms and cantrips, of salt by the door and a red silk sachet to placate the little gods. ... The wind just blew a little harder, tugging at our clothes, sniffing at us like a hungry dog, moving us here and moving us there.' The second voice is that of Yanne's daughter Anouk/Annie, who is now 11 and growing up fast. For the first time, she goes to a regular school but is tormented by her classmates for somehow not belonging. She turns to her only friend, an imaginary rabbit named Pantoufle, whom we met, often crouched on her shoulder, in 'Chocolat.' And she begins to think about using her own magic to defend herself. The third voice is that of Zozie de l'Alba, a lovely, gifted young woman who mysteriously shows up one day and volunteers to help in the store. (We distrust her from the start.) She moves into the spare room and sets out to entrance Anouk. She gives her a pair of magical red lollipop shoes 'that could take you anywhere; shoes that could make you fall in love; shoes that could make you someone else.' The plot is complicated, and the cast of supporting characters extensive, but each one is a treat: Thierry Le Tresset, the wealthy stuffy suitor for Yanne's hand, just doesn't get strong women; shy Fat Nico, mainlining macaroons, and elfin Alice find each other over cups of hot chocolate; hostile Laurent, a competitive cafe owner, is won over. The store is crowded with customers looking for something more than chocolates. What the customers eat and drink at the shop, now called Le Rocher de Montmartre, is such a strong presence in the novel that it is almost one of the protagonists. Should you be a Weight Watchers client or merely a hungry reader, the novel is a torment of mouthwatering descriptions: rose creams and sour cherry gobstoppers; lunes de miel, 'little disks of chocolate made to look like the waxing moon, with her profile etched in white against the dark face'; mendiants with 'chocolate thin enough to snap but thick enough to satisfy; a generous sprinkle of fat raisins; a walnut, an almond; a violet; a crystallized rose.' Even if you don't have a sweet tooth, who can resist 'fresh unpasteurized cheeses ... old matured cheeses and aged Buzet and quince paste and walnuts and green almonds and honey'? Everywhere things to eat! For any sequel, there has to be a bottom line: Is this as good as 'Chocolat'? Will those who loved the book or the movie be satisfied, delighted, disappointed? The truthful answer — sorry — is yes and no. The magic of France, relationships built on truffles, and second sight are just as fascinating here. The narrative is somewhat uneven, though. The legends are not always woven into the story, and the cast of characters is too large to fit into one narrative. Sometimes, the three voices become confused and the magic, heavy-handed. But Roux, the red-headed gypsy, makes a welcome return, and Zozie is a truly satisfying evil conspirator. Still, Joanne Harris knows just how to interweave lives. The relationships among her amazing characters are perfectly articulated. They find their places in the tableaux, and as the novel tumbles to its Christmas climax, Harris manages to pull all her irons out of the fire — or perhaps one should say, her chocolate off the stove. Brigitte Weeks is a former editor of The Washington Post Book World." Reviewed by Brigitte Weeks, Washington Post Book World (Copyright 2006 Washington Post Book World Service/Washington Post Writers Group)
(hide most of this review)Review: "[An] engaging sequel....Readers will savor every page of Harris's sensuous tale about the dark arts, dark chocolate, and lives both bitter and sweet." Booklist Review: "The psychology of these characters is as complicated and spellbinding as their purported magic. A contemporary, razor-edged fairy tale — very dark chocolate but likely to be gobbled up." Kirkus Reviews Review: "The race against time gives the story intensity, and the three female characters come alive with Harris's trademark shifting narrations. Although it's a bit darker than Chocolat, readers will drink up this pleasurable tale of love. Highly recommended." Library JournalReview: "Although this slow-to-build sequel is less enchanting than its predecessor, Harris' sensuous writing...entertains." Seattle Times Synopsis: The New York Times-bestselling author returns with an exquisite treat that continues the story begun in her novel Chocolat. About the Author Joanne Harris is the author of seven previous novels — Chocolat, Blackberry Wine, Five Quarters of the Orange, Coastliners, Holy Fools, Sleep, Pale Sister, and Gentlemen & Players; a short story collection, Jigs & Reels; and two cookbook/memoirs, My French Kitchen and The French Market. Half French and half British, she lives in England.
Product Details
- ISBN:
- 9780061431623
- Author:
- Harris, Joanne
- Publisher:
- William Morrow & Company
- Author:
- by Joanne Harris
- Author:
- by Joanne Harris
- Subject:
- Mothers and daughters
- Subject:
- Family-owned business enterprises
- Subject:
- General
- Subject:
- General Fiction
- Copyright:
- 2008
- Publication Date:
- April 8, 2008
- Binding:
- Hardcover
- Grade Level:
- General/trade
- Language:
- English
- Pages:
- 444
- Dimensions:
- 9.14x6.40x1.48 in. 1.56 lbs.
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