The Rocher family are back in town, that is, the Lansequenet of Chocolat fame in the south west of France. Vianne and daughters Anouk and Rosette discover that some things have moved on. Not only is there now a well-established Moslem community on the other side of the river, but Father Francis, Vianne's old nemesis, is a changed man. Bursting with the charm of the French countryside and the intrigues of a village undergoing change, this is an enchanting story with a feel good factor, but with plenty to discuss. [Larger font]
Comments from Groups
We loved this book much more than Chocolat. Wellington 152
We all liked this book but those who knew and remembered 'Chocolat', enjoyed it more as they could follow the storyline better. Questions were excellent - raising topics of tolerance, differences in religion, evil, food, children - thought-provoking topics! Cromwell 003
We really liked this book. Some found it slow-going at first but the story soon grabbed your attention. Very suspenseful. Lower Hutt 004
Most enjoyed the book and were looking forward to a sequel to Chocolat, which all preferred. The storyline was a little whimsical for some but all enjoyed the transformation of Father Francis. Christchurch 113
Enjoyable - an easy read. Thought-provoking, especially in relation to women's position in societies and hierarchies. Auckland 174
We all enjoyed the discussions about racial and religious intolerance - and the role of food in our lives. Of those who had also read Chocolat, this book was definitely more meaningful. Methven 001
Pages
453
Year
2012
Reviews
OHOPE 002
18-07-2023
Mixed reactions to this book. Some really enjoyed it, others didn't. Also found the ending a little odd.
ASHB 005
17-10-2022
The majority of our group felt the book was too long, but overall it was enjoyable and well-written.
FEILD 005
22-07-2020
Quite a varied response to this book. Some thought it depended on Chocolat. Others thought it too wordy. We did have an interesting discussion mainly about different beliefs.
WELL 016
27-03-2019
Most of us liked the book though some did not think it was very well written. Joanne Harris can be repetitive. We had a good discussion on immigration, and the integration of immigrants into society.
AUCK 332
25-03-2019
Our group all enjoyed this book. Appealing characters and an interesting twist towards the end. Racial and religious intolerance seemed to be the underlying theme to this read.
DIAM 001
25-03-2019
Most of us enjoyed this book as an easy and entertaining holiday read. Others were more critical, finding some characters irritating and too many themes covered, not always successfully. In spite of this we enjoyed a lengthy and interesting discussion.
NORTH 003
25-03-2019
Most of the group enjoyed the book. They felt it was relevant to 2018 and world events. It was easy to read but thought-provoking on different levels. There was a wide-reaching discussion about religion, and new cultures assimilating into existing cultures.
CHCH 050
25-03-2019
All members seemed to like this book. It created a lot of discussion about different ways of life, and how different races get on together in a society. The notes were good. Very good descriptive passages about the French life and culture.
NAP 024
25-03-2019
All who read the book thoroughly enjoyed it. The questions provided great discussion, and we reminisced about "Chocolat" and other books we'd read by Joanne Harris in the past.
