"The Art Of Arranging Flowers"...A Rose Of A Read!

The Art of Arranging Flowers Title:  The Art of Arranging Flowers
Author:  Lynne Branard
Format:  ERC
Length: 320 pages
Publisher:  Berkley Trade
Rating:  5 Stars

A moving and eloquent novel about love, grief, renewal—and the powerful language of flowers.

Ruby Jewell knows flowers. In her twenty years as a florist she has stood behind the counter at the Flower Shoppe with her faithful dog, Clementine, resting at her feet. A customer can walk in, and with just a glance or a few words, Ruby can throw together the perfect arrangement for any occasion.

Whether intended to rekindle a romance, mark a celebration, offer sympathy, or heal a broken heart, her expressive floral designs mark the moments and milestones in the lives of her neighbors. It’s as though she knows just what they want to say, just what they need.

Yet Ruby’s own heart’s desires have gone ignored since the death of her beloved sister. It will take an invitation from a man who’s flown to the moon, the arrival of a unique little boy, and concern from a charming veterinarian to reawaken her wounded spirit. Any life can be derailed, but the healing power of community can put it right again.  -Goodreads


My Thoughts

Ruby Jewell has woven herself into the fabric of the small community of Creekside with the same quiet care and loving spirit that guide her hands to choose just the right blooms; creating masterpieces of floral artistry that communicate for her clients all of those things for which words are not enough.
Together with her trusted canine companion, Clementine, Ruby has set about her mission of being, friend, confidant, counselor, and so much more, to all who cross The Flower Shoppe's threshold.
What Ruby hasn't done however, is allow anyone behind the walls that she has built around her heart.
Alone in the darkness of a grieving heart; Ruby mourns the death of her sister Daisy, while serving as a beacon of joy to strangers and friends alike.

Reading Ruby is like sitting down with a favorite aunt who knows everybody in town.
Told through a combination of vividly lyrical description and the language of flowers, the trials, tribulations, successes, and the failures of the town serve as nurturing roots through which Ruby's story is fed and allowed to bloom.
Though the story is in essence Ruby's, she manages to gracefully "bow out" of the direct spotlight for a great portion of the read.
Things take a turn for for the romantic better for our floral Florance Nightingale, when she finds herself the object of two men's affections.
Well...three if you count the young boy she takes under her wing.

As circumstances and people call Ruby's heart out of its self imposed exile, readers get to experience the joy and pride of her well deserved happiness.

This heart warming and life affirming read is a prime example of great Women's Fiction.



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