Emma is a middle-aged widow who quits her job near London, hoping that a change will help her grief of losing her husband less than a year ago. She secures a job at a flower shop and quickly takes to the role. When the shop owners invite her to a lecture about the Titanic, she can’t help but wonder who was in charge of the flowers on the famous ship. Soon enough, she finds herself immersed in research about the staff, suppliers, and an unidentified woman from an old photo. And as she meets new people and learns more about the mystery woman from the photo, she discovers much more than she ever expected. The Secrets of Flowers by Sally Page is a dual-timeline, dual POV novel that explores how collaboration with strangers can assist with one’s healing journey.
Book
While Emma speaks four languages and has a Ph.D., she has severe social anxiety and doesn’t do well in large crowds. Consequently, she didn’t even stay for her boss’s lecture – though not for a lack of trying. She also struggles with saying the right things. Nevertheless, she befriends multiple people in her journey to learning who The Florist was on the Titanic.
Readers are also introduced to Violet, following her from childhood through adulthood. As The Secrets of Flowers progresses, Violet’s story turns out to be more important to Emma’s research. But what Emma discovers is nothing she expected to find.
Review
Page delivers a powerful tale of grief, healing, forgiveness and personal growth with The Secrets of Flowers. Emma was such an interesting character to me. Even though her educational background is impressive, that doesn’t translate to her self-confidence. And I loved the secondary characters who helped her come out of her shell.
While the pacing was slow to begin with, it picks up once Emma begins her project. Plus, flower enthusiasts will love how the author incorporated specific species into each chapter. While some readers might be able to connect the dots early on, the big mystery wasn’t solved until the very end. And it was a good one.
Sally Page joins the Cantina Book Club Podcast to talk about her background as a florist and how much fun she had writing this book. The Secrets of Flowers is available for US readers on February 25.
