The Problem With Writing for Book Clubs

Vanessa Diffenbaugh seems to have written her first novel with book clubs in mind. It’s narrated by Victoria Jones, a young woman who spent her childhood neglected and abused in a series of foster homes. Now emancipated from the care of the state, she finds love, but feels unworthy. Victoria is only able to share her true feelings through her knowledge of the Victorian language of flowers, where each plant has a secret meaning. In spite of this sappy premise, The Language Of Flowers starts strong. Diffenbaugh drew on her own experiences as a foster mother to write the novel, but it feels like she only had so many ideas, and had to stretch them to make her page count. The mystery at the heart of the story wears thin as Diffenbaugh drags it out too long, and stretches it with unnecessary padding.