Language of Flowers

Vanessa Diffenbaugh was born in San Francisco and raised in Chico, California. After studying creative writing and education at Stanford, she went on to teach art and writing to youth in low-income communities. She and her husband PK have three children: Tre'von, 20, Chela, 6, and Miles, 5. Tre'von, a former foster child, is attending New York University on a Gates Millenium Scholarship. Vanessa and her family currently live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where her husband is studying urban school reform at Harvard.

"Instantly entrancing."--"Elle" "[An] original and brilliant first novel . . . a mesmerizing storyteller . . . I would like to hand Vanessa Diffenbaugh a bouquet of bouvardia (enthusiasm), gladiolus (you pierce my heart) and lisianthus (appreciation). . . . And there is one more sprig I should add to her bouquet: a single pink carnation (I will never forget you)."--Brigitte Weeks, "The Washington Post"" " "A captivating novel in which a single sprig of rosemary speaks louder than words . . . "The Language of Flowers" deftly weaves the sweetness of newfound love with the heartache of past mistakes. . . . [It] will certainly change how you choose your next bouquet."--Minneapolis" Star Tribune" "Fascinating . . . Diffenbaugh clearly knows both the human heart and her plants, and she keeps us rooting for the damaged Victoria."--"O: The Oprah Magazine "(book of the week) "Diffenbaugh effortlessly spins this enchanting tale, making even her prickly protagonist impossible not to love."--"Entertainment Weekly"" " "Compelling . . . immensely engaging . . . unabashedly romantic . . . an emotional arc of almost unbearable poignance.""--The Boston Globe"