Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau

e-ARC of The Alchemy of Flowers by Laura Resau

The Alchemy of Flowers has a whimsical Secret Garden-esque French setting, which is as fantastic as it sounds. But be warned...this book has some dark and disturbing overtones. The juxtaposition of warm coziness with delicious creepiness makes this book a compelling read!

As someone who loves the magical realism genre, The Alchemy of Flowers was an enjoyable tale in which to be immersed. With magical realism, we have a real world setting but also have a main female character who has the unusual ability of being able to hear flowers communicate. And again, as is the case with magical realism, we also experience the heartbreak and bitterness of the real world. In the case of The Alchemy of Flowers, the heartbreak we explore surrounds pregnancy and child loss. Resau has poured pain into the lives of each of characters but has masterfully woven direct comparisons with those who face and heal from their pain versus those who dwell in the pain and consequently never heal from it.

I share more about The Alchemy of Flowers in my Literary Apothecary video featuring Magical Realism Recommendations. I will be posting that and linking it here soon!

This is the second book by Laura Resau that I've read but as this is her adult debut, it is the first book of hers I've read with more mature themes. This does have a bit of what I would consider "open door spice" but it is fairly minimal and is an important part of the healing process of the characters so that its role in the plot and character development feels purposeful and not gratuitous.

Content: child loss, pregnancy loss, cancer loss, emotional abuse of some characters, child marriage, cultural discrimination, LGBTQIA+ representation

Thank you to Laure Resau, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for the e-ARC.