Synopses & Reviews
Note:
The Girl with No Shadow was published in the UK as
The Lollipop Shoes 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
"Joanne Harris knows just how to interweave lives. The relationships among her amazing characters are perfectly articulated." Washington Post Book World
Review
"This modern-day tale involves identity theft, preadolescent anxiety, a special-needs child, and a marriage of convenience, as well as lots of chocolate....Recommended" Library Journal
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
Synopsis
The wind has always dictated Vianne Rocher's every move, buffeting her from the 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 baby Rosette, safe. But the weather vane soon turns, and Zozie de l'Alba blows into their lives. Charming and enigmatic, Zozie provides the brightness that Yanne's life needs — as her vivacity and bold lollipop shoes dazzle rebellious and impressionable preadolescent Anouk. But beneath their new friend's benevolent façade lies a ruthless treachery — for devious, seductive Zozie has plans that will shake their world to pieces.
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 and Players: A Novel; a short story collection, Jigs & Reels; and two cookbook/memoirs, My French Kitchen: A Book of 120 Treasured Recipes and The French Market: More Recipes from a French Kitchen. Half French and half British, she lives in England.