September 2023: Vanessa Diffenbaugh- The Language of Flowers

 A leader will be Leigh Anderson. a book for September will be "The Language of Flowers", the debut novel of American author Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  The novel follows the fraught life of a Victoria Jones, who by the age of 18, had lived in 32 foster homes, and becomes a flower arranger.

The novel was inspired by a flower dictionary, a type of Victorian-era book which defines what different types of flowers mean. Diffenbaugh also published a new non-fiction "A Victorian Flower Dictionary" to accompany the novel.

From Wikipedia: Floriography (language of flowers) is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in traditional cultures throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa. Plants and flowers are used as symbols in the Hebrew Bible, particularly of love and lovers in the Song of Songs,as an emblem for the Israelite people, and for the coming Messiah.

Interest in floriography soared in Victorian England and in the United States during the 19th century. Gifts of blooms, plants, and specific floral arrangements were used to send a coded message to the recipient, allowing the sender to express feelings which could not be spoken aloud in Victorian society.Armed with floral dictionaries, Victorians often exchanged small "talking bouquets", called nosegays or tussie-mussies, which could be worn or carried as a fashion accessory.