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Content snapshot
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Violence
Barely any
No violence; the damage in this book is emotional and systemic
Language
Barely any
Mild language; literary prose
Sexual Content
Some
An adult sexual relationship; not explicit but part of Victoria's complicated emotional life
Substance Use
Barely any
None
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The deep psychological damage of a childhood without stable attachment; the difficulty and possibility of healing
What this book is about
Victoria Jones ages out of the foster care system at eighteen with no family, no home, and no ability to connect with other people—except through the Victorian language of flowers, which she learned from the one foster mother who mattered. Vanessa Diffenbaugh's debut novel alternates between Victoria's difficult present and her past with Elizabeth, exploring trauma, connection, and the slow work of healing.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Foster care trauma and its aftermath is the novel's central subject
Reader Verification
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