The Girl with No Shadow

I read something every day, no matter where I am, and so sometimes think of books in terms of the season. Now while many stories are not specifically tied to a particular season, a few seem to almost demand it. Take Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman. That is a summer story, meant to be read on a cross-country vacation train ride ending in Florida, or at the beach. The Girl With No Shadow is a winter story. Not merely because the action occurs between the Days of the Dead and Christmas, but because it's absolutely perfect read curled up with a cozy blanket in a comfy chair, sipping thick chile-infused chocolate. The Girl With No Shadow is one of those books which is so engagingly timeless that when the author occasionally mentions - for example - a digital camera - it's actually a shock! I was so lost in the "further adventures" of Vianne, Anouk, & Roux that supper time crept up on me unannounced when I thought I still had hours...and though I say the "further adventures", this book could be easily read, not as a "sequel" to Chocolat, but on its own merits. Even as I read the last few pages, I felt the prevailing winds so instrumental to the story seemed to blow every which way, with outcome uncertain. The final moments of the story were quite satisfactory, yet, like real life, predictably ambiguous! What IS crystal clear is that I'll be indulging further Joanne Harris cravings in the near future.

This is a sequel to Chocolat and is told by 3 narrators: Yanne (formerly Vianne), Annie (formerly Anouk), and Zozie, an new character. We first meet Zozie and find out that she is a con artist looking for abandoned mail outside a shop closed due to bereavement. She meets Anouk and when she asks her who has died, she says "Vianne Rocher". After I got over the shock and began wondering if the novel was told in flashback, it becomes clear that Anouk was joking, but in some ways not. Vianne has changed in more than her name, and they have fled to the outskirts of Paris to get away from the Kindly Ones with her other daughter, Rosette who is mute. She is involved with the shop's landlord, a stuffy man, who wants to marry her and has given up her magic. Anouk is growing up and having a hard time fitting in. Zozie is more than she seems and recognizes the magic in the girls. Roux returns to complicate matters. The tone in the book is much darker and Vianne must make hard choices to save her familty. I found the book to be different from Chocolat but still very enjoyable.

This is one of the best books I have ever read in my life. Once I finished it, I read it again. I love stories of magic both light and dark and this one is a superb example. To explain, it's the kind of magic you can realistically think exists in this world, not a story like Harry Potter. While it talked about Christmas celebration in a French neighborhood, it also talked about the ancient Yule rituals and how they served in the cold and darkness of the year. It is also a story of a mother trying to keep her tween/teen daughter from being lost. It was beautiful writing and had a real flavor of what it was like being French and living in France, which I really enjoyed. I relished the references to the magic of the indigenous people in Latin America which is something I know very little about. Amid the sparkly tale of everyday magic, things surface that are very creepy and scary, and it turns out to be a suspenseful saga of good versus evil that is captivating until the end. One hint: the story is told in the first person by the three main characters. At the beginning of the chapter, look at the symbol to identify which person is speaking - most people probably caught that but I didn't so it was confusing. I couldn't recommend a book more than I do this one!

Although it doesn’t matter in this instance, this copy, despite being advertised as “new”, is very obviously used. If this had been a gift for someone I might be upset about it. 3 stars because of the incorrect description. Otherwise package arrived and was thoughtfully packaged.

There are not many books that I have ever read that kept me reading way into the night and abandoning my chores as this book did. This talented author has an exceptional way of weaving the known into the unknown to keep the suspense riveted throughout the story. (Note: As I had not read the first book, I did view the movie "Chocolat" before reading so that I had a vivid picture of the repeating characters in my mind which anchored me into the story.) I love books that take me away to another place and another time as this one did quite marvelously. The characters were intriguing, especially the sinister new woman, Zozie. A hugely complex personality with an unbelievable history riddled with magic, deception, cunning and horror takes center stage as she manipulates her way into the lives of the other characters and threatens every aspect of Vianne's very existence. I really, really enjoyed reading this wonderful tale and commend the author on her ability to capture the mind with her fantastic storytelling skills. I am anxious to read the next in the series and hope that it is as captivating.

Arrived one day early and in good condition.

Loved it! A continuation of Chocolat. The ending was terrific.

Good book

Je n'ai pas pas pu lâcher ce livre pleins de rebondissements. Je recommande vivement et surtout après chocolat. Excellent, fascinant

a non-story for fans of Chocolat who the author seems to believe are too stupid to see that here she is writing nothing. no story, just recipes.

Love all her books.