A welcome return to the village in rural France that was the setting for Joanne Harris's remarkable and much-loved number one bestseller Chocolat
It isn't often you receive a letter from the dead.When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she allows the wind to blow her back to the village in south-west France where, eight years ago, she opened up a chocolate shop. But Lansquenet is different now: women veiled in black, the scent of spices and peppermint tea, and, on the bank of the river Tannes, facing the church: a minaret.
Nor is it only the incomers from North Africa that have brought change. Father Reynaud, Vianne’s erstwhile adversary, is disgraced and under threat. Could it be that Vianne is the only one who can save him now?
About the Author
Joanne Harris is one of our best-loved and most versatile novelists. She first appeared on the scene with the bestselling Chocolat (made into an Oscar-nominated film with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp), which turned into the sensuous Lansquenet trilogy (with Lollipop Shoes and Peaches for Monsieur le Curé). She has since written acclaimed novels in such diverse genres as fantasy based on Norse myth (Runemarks, Runelight, The Gospel of Loki), and the Malbry cycle of dark psychological thrillers (Gentlemen & Players, Blueeyedboy, and now Different Class).
Born in Barnsley, of an English father and a French mother, she spent fifteen years as a teacher before (somewhat reluctantly) becoming a full-time writer. In 2013, she was awarded an MBE. She lives in Yorkshire, plays bass in a band first formed when she was sixteen, works in a shed in her garden, spends far too much time online and occasionally dreams of faking her own death and going to live in Hawaii.
Industry Reviews
Vianne - unconventional, good-hearted, slightly magical - blows in like a refreshing breeze, forcing people to question their prejudices. A delight * The Times *
Expertly crafted, typically mouthwatering * Daily Mail *
A delightful jumble of the sensuous sights, sounds and smells the author describes so well * Glamour *
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 * The Sunday Times *
Prepare to be transported by Joanne Harris as she revisits the characters and setting of her first bestseller, Chocolat...Deftly tackling the subject of religious intolerance, this bewitching novel stirs the senses * Good Housekeeping (Book of the Month) *
