Synopses & Reviews
Even before it was adapted into the Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, Joanne Harris'
New York Times bestselling novel,
Chocolat entranced readers with its mix of hedonism, whimsy, and, of course, chocolate.
In tiny Lansquenet, where nothing much has changed in a hundred years, beautiful newcomer Vianne Rocher and her exquisite chocolate shop arrive and instantly begin to play havoc with Lenten vows. Each box of luscious bonbons comes with a free gift: Vianne's uncanny perception of its buyer's private discontents and a clever, caring cure for them. Is she a witch? Soon the parish no longer cares, as it abandons itself to temptation, happiness, and a dramatic face-off between Easter solemnity and the pagan gaiety of a chocolate festival. Chocolat's every page offers a description of chocolate to melt in the mouths of chocoholics, francophiles, armchair gourmets, cookbook readers, and lovers of passion everywhere. It's a must for anyone who craves an escapist read, and is a bewitching gift for any holiday.
Review
“The puzzle explodes with incandescent intensity.” —Kirkus Review
Review
“Harris’s skill at vibrantly depicting the charm and eccentricity of rural French life is at the heart of this delightful novel.” —Library Journal
Review
“Worth immersing yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of Lansquenet’s narrow 200-year-old streets.”—The Washington Post
Review
“Readers familiar with the Rochers will welcome the newest installment of their story, particularly as it addresses contemporary problems in a familiar setting.”—
Publishers Weekly, Pick of the Week
Review
Praise for
Peaches for Monsieur le Curé “Worth immersing yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of Lansquenets narrow 200-year-old streets.”—The Washington Post
“Readers familiar with the Rochers will welcome the newest installment of their story, particularly as it addresses contemporary problems in a familiar setting.”—Publishers Weekly, Pick of the Week
“A slow buildup to a breathtaking finish.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Harriss skill at vibrantly depicting the charm and eccentricity of rural French life is at the heart of this delightful novel.”—Library Journal
Praise from the UK for Peaches for Monsieur le Curé
“Her characteristic love affair with texture - scents, smells and sounds - immerses the reader in a bath of seductive imagery in a brave and grippingly confected story.”—Sunday Times
“Like Chocolat, this book is a feast for the senses. Every page of the book is steeped in scents, colours and tastes, without ever tipping into the pretentious or showy. The writing is seductive and engaging throughout; and the magic, too, is intrinsic without ever being soppy or embarrassing. What is magic (or religion), after all, if not an ability to understand the human heart? Peaches for Father Francis is a wonderful return to form for Harris.”—Literary Review
“A delightful jumble of the sensuous sights, sounds and smells the author describes so well.”—Glamour
“Expertly crafted, typically mouthwatering.”—Daily Mail
“An enchanting read, ripe for summer picking.”—France Magazine
“A wide-ranging, powerful and very readable novel. I loved it.”—Viv Groskop, Red
“Fasting and feasting, magic and mysticism are once again at the heart of this author's storytelling sorcery.”—The Lady
“Absorbing and atmospheric...Joanne bravely tackles religious differences head-on but very sensitively. It's expressive, rich, vibrant and even shocking in parts.”—Heat Magazine
Review
Praise for
Peaches forand#160;Monsieur le Curand#233; and#160; and#160; and#8220;Worth immersing yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of Lansquenetand#8217;s narrow 200-year-old streets.and#8221;and#8212;The Washington Post
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Readers familiar with the Rochers will welcome the newest installment of their story, particularly as it addresses contemporary problems in a familiar setting.and#8221;and#8212;Publishers Weekly, Pick of the Week
and#160; and#8220;A slow buildup to a breathtaking finish.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Harrisand#8217;s skill at vibrantly depicting the charm and eccentricity of rural French life is at the heart of this delightful novel.and#8221;and#8212;Library Journal and#160; and#160; and#160;
Praise from the UK for Peaches forand#160;Monsieur le Curand#233;
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Her characteristic love affair with texture and#8211; scents, smells and sounds and#8211; immerses the reader in a bath of seductive imagery in a brave and grippingly confected story.and#8221;and#8212;Sunday Times
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Like Chocolat, this book is a feast for the senses. Every page of the book is steeped in scents, colours and tastes, without ever tipping into the pretentious or showy.and#160; The writing is seductive and engaging throughout; and the magic, too, is intrinsic without ever being soppy or embarrassing. What is magic (or religion), after all, if not an ability to understand the human heart? Peaches for Father Francis is a wonderful return to form for Harris.and#8221;and#8212;Literary Review
and#160; and#160; and#8220;A delightful jumble of the sensuous sights, sounds and smells the author describes so well.and#8221;and#8212;Glamour
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Expertly crafted, typically mouthwatering.and#8221;and#8212;Daily Mail
and#160; and#160; and#8220;An enchanting read, ripe for summer picking.and#8221;and#8212;France Magazine
and#160; and#160; and#8220;A wide-ranging, powerful and very readable novel. I loved it.and#8221;and#8212;Viv Groskop, Red
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Fasting and feasting, magic and mysticism are once again atand#160;the heart of this author's storytelling sorcery.and#8221;and#8212;The Lady
and#160; and#160; and#8220;Absorbing and atmospheric...Joanne bravely tackles religious differences head-on but very sensitively. It's expressive, rich, vibrant and even shocking in parts.and#8221;and#8212;Heat Magazine
Synopsis
In tiny Lansquenet, where nothing much has changed in a hundred years, beautiful newcomer Vianne Rocher and her exquisite chocolate shop arrive and instantly begin to play havoc with Lenten vows. Each box of luscious bonbons comes with a free gift: Vianne's uncanny perception of its buyer's private discontents and a clever, caring cure for them. Is she a witch? Soon the parish no longer cares, as it abandons itself to temptation, happiness, and a dramatic face-off between Easter solemnity and the pagan gaiety of a chocolate festival. Chocolat's every page offers a description of chocolate to melt in the mouths of chocoholics, francophiles, armchair gourmets, cookbook readers, and lovers of passion everywhere. It's a must for anyone who craves an escapist read, and is a bewitching gift for any holiday.
Synopsis
The bestselling author of Chocolat and The Girl with No Shadow returns to Lansquenet in this enchanting new novel, Peaches for Father Francis (in the UK called Peaches for Monsieur le Curé)
When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she has no choice but to follow the wind that blows her back to Lansquenet, the beautiful French village in which eight years ago she opened a chocolate shop and first learned the meaning of home.
But returning to one’s past can be a dangerous pursuit. Vianne, with her daughters, Anouk and Rosette, finds Lansquenet changed in unexpected ways: women veiled in black, the scent of spices and peppermint tea—and there, on the bank of the river Tannes, facing the church, a minaret. Most surprising of all, her old nemesis, Father Francis Reynaud, desperately needs her help.
Can Vianne work her magic once again?
Synopsis
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 Harriss Chocolat entranced readers with its mix of hedonism, whimsy, and, of course, chocolate. Now, at last, Chocolats 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 ones 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, andfacing the churcha minaret. Most surprising of all, her old nemesis, Francis Reynaud, desperately needs her help. Can Vianne work her magic once again?
Synopsis
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 Harriss Chocolat entranced readers with its mix of hedonism, whimsy, and, of course, chocolate. Now, at last, Chocolats 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 ones 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, andfacing the churcha minaret. Most surprising of all, her old nemesis, Francis Reynaud, desperately needs her help. Can Vianne work her magic once again?
About the Author
Joanne Harris, part French and part English, found the inspiration for her novel Chocolat in her own family history and folklore--herself having lived in a sweet-shop and being the great-granddaughter of a Frenchwoman known locally as a witch and a healer who once disguised herself as an apparition of the Virgin Mary to shock the local priest. Harris, who studied at St. Catharine's College in Cambridge where she received a BA and an MA in French and German, teaches French in an English school and lives in Yorkshire, England, with her husband and daughter.