There's drama later in the book, inevitable clashes, a romance of sorts, moments of panic. Although this is explained partly in terms of reading tarot cards and scrying in chocolate, I wanted there to be something more I was disappoitned that this thread almost faded away. She is very good at spotting people's deep problems, seeing their thoughts, guessing their passions. Still, she certainly perceives more than most, and a lot more than is obvious at surface level. Initially I wondered if there was going to be some unexpected secret (was Vianne a witch? An angel? An extra-terrestrial?) but as the book continued, I realised that it was just that her personality and life experience were in stark contrast to those of the people around her. There's a sort of mystical element running through the book which slightly puzzled me.

In many ways she's the catalyst for changes in this ultra-traditional town: she asks questions, challenges people's ideas, and generally tries to make life more pleasant for them. She particularly arouses the ire of the local priest, a parsimonious and rather unpleasant man. Vianne opens a chocolate shop, and gradually makes friends - and also enemies. They've been travelling, but decide to settle down in a small town in France. The story is about Vianne Rocher, a single mother with a six-year-old daughter. It was pleasant, well-written, and a bit different to most modern books - but having finished it, I wasn't entirely sure entirely why the world raved over it. That was a good thing, in that I didn't find it gripping or un-put-down-able (so I was able to get on with regular life as well), but it means I don't class it as one of the best books ever. It's not a long novel (just over 300 pages in paperback) but it took me about a week to read it. But somehow, despite the alluring title, I wasn't keen enough to buy it new, so had to wait until I found it in a charity shop. I had read quite a few reviews, all of them enthusiastic, calling the book a modern fairy-tale, or a delightful romp, or even suggesting it was one of the best books ever written.

It took me a few years to get around to reading this novel by Joanne Harris. Summary: Vianne and her daughter arrive out of the blue in a respectable town, and shock the residents by opening a chocolate shop during Lent.

Chocolat novel