A fascinating novel. In one way comforting, as you find yourself back in the village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes for a third time (Chocolat and The Lollipop Shoes). In another challenging and a little unsettling, as Harris addresses how the religion of Islam can be used as an excuse for segregation and certain behaviour. Unsurprisingly it is handled incredibly well and she delivers a satisfying read that we think would be a great reading group choice as well.
Featured on The Book Show on Sky Arts on 24 May 2012.
Listen to an audio extract by clicking on the orange arrow below.
It isn't often you receive a letter from the dead. When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she allows the wind to blow her back to the village in south-west France where, eight years ago, she opened up a chocolate shop. But Lansquenet is different now: women veiled in black, the scent of spices and peppermint tea, and, on the bank of the river Tannes, facing the church: a minaret. Nor is it only the incomers from North Africa that have brought change. Father Reynaud, Vianne's erstwhile adversary, is disgraced and under threat. Could it be that Vianne is the only one who can save him now?
'Vianne - unconventional, good-hearted, slightly magical - blows in like a refreshing breeze, forcing people to question their prejudices. A delight' The Times
'Expertly crafted, typically mouthwatering' Daily Mail
'A delightful jumble of the sensuous sights, sounds and smells the author describes so well' Glamour
'Her characteristic love affair with texture - scents, smells and sounds - immerses the reader in a bath of seductive imagery in a brave and grippingly confected story' The Sunday Times
'Prepare to be transported by Joanne Harris as she revisits the characters and setting of her first bestseller, Chocolat...Deftly tackling the subject of religious intolerance, this bewitching novel stirs the senses' Good Housekeeping (Book of the Month)
Author
About Joanne Harris
Joanne Harris is the author of the Whitbread-shortlisted Chocolat (made into a major film starring Juliette Binoche), Blackberry Wine, Five Quarters of the Orange, Coastliners, Holy Fools, Jigs & Reels, and, with Fran Warde, The French Kitchen: A Cookbook. She lives in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, with her husband and daughter.
I have thoroughly enjoyed all Joanne Harris’s books but Gentlemen and Players I quite simply adored. I loved the character Roy Straightley, an aging Classic’s teacher with a dicky heart, clinging tenaciously to honest old values, his delightfully ironic sense of humour, his warmth, his dedication. In his secure hands we are led into such a gripping story with so many twist and turns that my only sadness was that it had to end.
click here - to see the books that inspired Joanne Harris' writing.
