Chocolat

Delicious.

Chocolat - by Joanne Harris Here is a book filled with magic and smells and tastes that had me craving chocolate and sweets the entire time I was reading it! Chocolat is the story of an unmarried woman, Vianne Rocher, her 6-year-old daughter Anouk, and their impact on a small French town called Lansquenet. Lansquenet is a very Catholic place, and the townspeople (parishioners) are very structured in the way they lead their lives. Church on Sunday, abstinence during Lent - only a handful dares to disobey these traditions. Vianne comes to town with a mission - to show these people how to live and love and enjoy life to the fullest. Enter Pere Reynaud. He's the head of the local church, the shepherd for his sheep of followers. He hides behind the cloth and believes that what he preaches is for the good of the church and in the name of God. However, a lot of hate and prejudice underlies what he preaches in the chapel. He instantly sees Vianne as the enemy (her being unmarried has Reynaud labeling her from the start). Vianne, with her instincts and sixth sense, sees all this, and decides to help the town overcome Reynaud's unhealthy grip on their lives. She soon opens up a chocolate shop in the middle of Lent, shocking the townspeople and Reynaud especially, but soon she wins many of the townspeople over. We are introduced to many interesting characters, all of whom become Vianne's friends and supporters, including Roux, a rough-looking vagrant gypsy, and Armande an older woman with the spirit of a younger one. The book heads towards a climax with the announcement of a Chocolate festival at Easter. At first the town splits into factions, and the reader is left to guess who will win - Pere Reynaud, or Vianne Rocher. Told in the viewpoints of two narrators, Vianne and Pere Reynaud, the reader learns slowly of Pere's darkest secrets and Vianne's deepest fears. Pere's narration is told as he "speaks" to an older priest and apparent confidante, confiding in him his doubts and sinful feelings, revealing secrets that are probably left untold. Through Vianne's narration, we learn of her past and the reasons why she fears Pere Reynaud so much. I highly recommend Chocolat for its imagery and beautiful writing. I consider it light reading despite some of its heavier themes, but all in all, a great summer read.

quick delivery, ecological packaging, beautiful untouched book, except the fact that the cover is different from the product photo, but I like it better than the original one

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Loved this book. Could not put it down