Monday, April 06, 2009

Turn The Page...Tuesday


(Originally uploaded HERE )

Adrienne over at Some of a Kind is hosting Turn the Page...Tuesday, a book review/recommendation on the first Tuesday of the month. I love to read, so thought I'd join her. Here is my recommendation for this month. I actually just finished reading it yesterday and miss the characters already!

'Wednesday, 31st October
Dia de los Muertos
It is a relatively little-known fact that, over the course of a single year, about twenty million letters are delivered to the dead. People forget to stop the mail - those grieving widows and prospective heirs - and so magazine subscriptions remain uncancelled; distant friends unnotified; library fines unpaid. That's twenty million circulars, bank statements, credit cards, love letters, junk mail, greetings, gossip and bills, dropping daily on to doormats or parquet floors, thrust casually through railings, wedged into letter-boxes, accumulating in stairwells, left unwanted on porches and steps, never to reach their addressee. The dead don't care. More importantly, neither do the living. The living just follow their petty concerns, quite unaware that very close by, a miracle is taking place. The dead are coming back to life.'

This is the first paragraph of The Lollipop Shoes, the sequel to Chocolat written by Joanne Harris.

Vianne Rocher now goes by the name of Yanne, trying to create a "normal" environment for her two daughters, Annie and Rosette. She no longer uses magic charms to add sparkle to their worlds, the wind isn't blowing them back and forth and Yanne is soon to marry Theirry, the older pompous landlord of her Parisian Chocolate shop. Soon a new friendship blossoms for Yanne and her daughters with the vivacious Zozie de L'Alba, who blows into their shop bringing sparkle and laughter and wearing the fabulous lollipop shoes that catch Annie's (Anouk) eye. But Zozie has her own brand of magic and a dark and devious nature that threatens to tear this little family apart.

This is a very good read, especially for anyone who loved Chocolat. It's almost a thriller, full of magic, deception and even a bit of evil. A fast read that you won't be able to put down. I bought my copy in a little book store in Red Lodge, Montana. I found it in their used book section and when I brought it up front, the shopkeeper couldn't find it anywhere in his computer program. He finally found it, but the program told him that this particular printing had never gone to press. Hmmmm....very interesting. A bit of magic for me, wouldn't you say? I've googled it myself have not found the same cover so far, but have found that "The Lollipop Shoes" is the title of the UK version and in the US it was published under the title of "The Girl Without A Shadow". Again, interesting...

Happy Reading!

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow, this sounds like a magical book. The way it ended up in your hands is amazing!
I just finished tuesdays with Morrie. Very good!!!

Tipper said...

Sounds very interesting-I love to read too-and will add this one to my list!

Mary said...

Paula,

This sounds like a fascinating book. I will add it to my "to read" list.

It does sound like there was a bit of magic in your becoming the owner of this particular book. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks for letting me know about Turn the Page Tuesdays.

Blessings,
Mary

Adrienne said...

ooooo ... I love the whole story ... the actual book and how it found you! Definitly adding this to the list. Thanks for participating! I hope you will join in next month again~

Anonymous said...

I love the sound of this book, and the mysterious part is even better! Thanks for sharing.

Brittany said...

i like those shoes :)

Shelby said...

does sound interesting.. I read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!! You must read it. You must. You will love it. I guarantee it.

Paige said...

Thanks for the recommendation - sounds like a good one! Would you believe I've also been to Red Lodge? It was years ago on a road trip with some girlfriends - we had spent a night camping at Rosebud lake and passed through Red Lodge on our way to Yellowstone....

Love Bears All Things said...

A good read. Thanks for the good review.
Mama Bear