Vianne - by Joanne Harris (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Secrets. Chocolate. A touch of magic. On the evening of July 4th, a young woman scatters her mother's ashes in New York and follows the call of the changing winds to the French coastal city of Marseille. For the first time in her life, Vianne feels in control of her future. Charming her way into a job as a waitress, she tries to fit in, make friends, and come to terms with her pregnancy, knowing that by the time her child is born, the turning wind will have changed once again. As she discovers the joy of cooking for the very first time, making local recipes her own with the addition of bittersweet chocolate spices, she learns that this humble magic has the power to unlock secrets. And yet her gift comes at a price. And Vianne has a secret of her own; a secret that threatens everything..."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"So much deliciousness! C'est formidable." --Marion Winik, Oprah Daily

"Is chocolate magic? Whether you savored the 1999 bestseller or the 2000 movie, this sensuous prequel to Chocolat will make you a believer." --People Magazine, Best New Books

Million-copy bestselling author Joanne Harris returns to the world of Chocolat with the long-awaited story of Vianne, which begins six years before she opens her scandalous chocolaterie in the small French village of Lansquenet.

Secrets. Chocolate. A touch of magic.

On the evening of July 4th, a young woman scatters her mother's ashes in New York and follows the call of the changing winds to the French coastal city of Marseille.

For the first time in her life, Vianne feels in control of her future. Charming her way into a job as a waitress, she tries to fit in, make friends, and come to terms with her pregnancy, knowing that by the time her child is born, the turning wind will have changed once again.

As she discovers the joy of cooking for the very first time, making local recipes her own with the addition of bittersweet chocolate spices, she learns that this humble magic has the power to unlock secrets.

And yet her gift comes at a price. And Vianne has a secret of her own; a secret that threatens everything...

Review Quotes

"Vianne is every bit as vivid, magical and delicious as I hoped it would be and a fitting prequel for a story that has become, like one of Vianne's chocolates, a much-loved favorite."--Ruth Hogan, author of The Light a Candle Society

"A novel that shimmers with brilliance and truth."--Kate Williams, author of Becoming Queen

"A place of magic and mysteries."--Monica Ali, author of Love and Marriage

"I sobbed at the end because I couldn't bear to leave. One of the world's finest storytellers."--Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep

"Joanne Harris's long-awaited prequel to her immensely successful novel Chocolat is a feast of the senses full of intrigue, magic, love and, of course, chocolate. I devoured it with as much relish and joy as I devoured the original. Delicious!"--Santa Montefiore, international bestselling author

"Mouthwatering. Your senses are left reeling."--The Observer

"So wise, so atmospheric, so beautifully written."--Marian Keyes, author of The Break and My Favorite Mistake

"Fans of the best-selling novel Chocolat and its follow-ups, starring Vianne Rocher, will rejoice in this prequel--a heady mix of cooking, chocolate-making, sorcery, and suspense. Harris' writing is vivid and filled with insights as we see Vianne struggling to create her own recipe of self. Stunning."--Booklist (starred review)

About the Author

Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include twenty novels, three cookbooks, and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology, and fantasy. In 2000, her 1999 novel Chocolat was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabet II. Her novels A Narrow Door and Broken Light are also available from Pegasus Books.