The Language of Flowers

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. How much does the subject of floriography interest you? Have you ever read a nonfiction book about this topic, such as Jessica Roux’s Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers, or S. Theresa Dietz’s The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History? What draws people to this topic even though floriography has passed out of fashion?

2. Which of Victoria’s behaviors could be labeled as self-defeating? Do you blame her for these choices? Why or why not?

3. What draws Victoria to the language of flowers? What circumstances make nonverbal communication more comfortable or practical than verbal communication?

4. Do you agree with the novel’s perspective on the role of community in raising children, or should biological parents be equipped to raise their children without community support?

5. Which are the most important mentor figures in Victoria’s life? How have mentors shaped your own experiences?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. Vanessa Diffenbaugh founded the Camellia Network, which helps young people transition out of foster care. What are some of the difficulties that these young people face? How are these issues reflected in Diffenbaugh’s novel?

2. How common was floriography in Victorian England? Is it still used today? What other objects have been used to create a coded language in this way? (For instance, what do you know about the language of fans?)

3. What is generational trauma, and what sorts of experiences create it? Where in the novel do you see evidence of generational trauma at work?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Many of the plot events in The Language of Flowers are laden with irony. Which incidents strike you as the most ironic? How do these instances of irony influence the novel’s overall tone?

2. Elizabeth, Victoria, and Catherine all bear the names of famous queens. How does this fact set them apart from the other characters? Given the relationship between Elizabeth and Catherine in The Language of Flowers, is Catherine’s name more likely intended as an allusion to England’s Catherine of Aragon or to France’s Catherine de’ Medici? What purpose do these allusions serve?

3. How does Victoria’s dictionary function as a symbol of self-expression and connection? Which aspects of Victoria’s personality and beliefs does the dictionary convey? How does the process of compiling it contribute to her growth as a person?

4. Text’s narrative structure creates juxtapositions between past and present. How does this approach illuminate the characters’ behavior and thinking, contribute to tone, and increase tension?

5. Within the novel’s relationships, how does the ability (or inability) to forgive impact both the person seeking forgiveness and the person being asked to forgive?