- The Good: A quiet prequel to the magic of Chocolat
- The Bad: Slow and meandering, with a conflicted protagonist
- The Literary: Gorgeous, tactile prose that you can almost smell, taste, and touch
Over 25 years ago, Vianne Rocher’s story was first born in the novel Chocolat, and the 1999 Oscar-nominated film adaptation of the same name spread her story even further.
I’ve come to love Joanne Harris’s varied works, all because of Chocolat. This novel, among her many others, is not a simple sentimental romantic comedy. It’s about a young woman struggling against her inherited trauma; an outsider trying to find a community; it’s about recognizing that every choice you make is trade-off for another life not lived.
Six years before Vianne Rocher opens her scandalous chocolaterie in the small French village of Lansquenet, 21-year-old Sylviane spreads her mothers’ ashes in New York City. Grieving her mother, but also promising to make to life her own, Sylviane changes her name to Vianne, flies to Marseille, and charms her way into a job as a waitress in a small bistrot.
Because of her mother’s deep delusions and paranoia, Sylviane never had a home or a social security number, and never had any more possessions than she could carry in a single bag. Her life skills include picking pockets, leaving unpaid bills, and disappearing into the streets of large cities. But as Vianne, she wants to change, at least a little, for the unborn baby in her womb.
In Marseille, Vianne learns to cook and, with another friend, make chocolate. She learns that her ability to read people can be used for some good, even as people look at her unkindly, with mistrust or judgement. She’s unsure if it’s worth it though, as the deeper you go, the more secrets and pain reveal themselves, even in her own history.
There’s also the magical realism here, as Vianne uses her Tarot cards, small rituals, and hand gestures to banish wicked thoughts or cool tempers. But it’s the quiet magic of domesticity that Vianne discovers works best. A home-cooked meal that brings people together or a chocolate that brings to mind a memory you thought you’d forgotten. Of course, seeing a person’s true colors doesn’t hurt either.
The audiobook is narrated by the author herself, which only enhances the charm, ambience, and magic of the return to the conflicted and optimistic Vianne, who cares for everyone else before herself. Highly recommended for anyone who loves quiet magical realism.