Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Vianne Rocher moves to a French village and opens a chocolate boutique at the beginning of Lent! The local priest is outraged and the ensuing controversy escalates into a 'church not chocolate' battle. Originally published: London: Doubleday, 1999.

Цей кінець був прекрасним.

There are so many things going on in this book that it'll take me a while to sit down and decipher all of it. A really mesmerising book, and I loved it to the very end.
The characters were really rich, the prose was poetic, and the atmosphere was magical.

This is the perfect fantasy for anyone who's not afraid to be different. Instantly drawn to this story, I found myself getting further and further into the plot while relating more and more with Vianne Rocher and her delightful daughter Anouk.
Filled with vivid depictions of a small-town attitude contradicting a world traveler's broadened horizons, one is instantly drawn to Vianne's witty, intelligent, exotic, and ecclectic personality. She is intuitive to the extent of being a witch, yet uses her supernatural gifts for the good of the town (whom for the most part wishes her away at once). Those villagers (whom I just want to hug!) who had the courage to befriend Vianne, find they are not disappointed. On the contrary, they find a beautiful friendship which they all needed more than anything.
Not only does Vianne inspire in her friends and customers of the Chocolaterie a yearning to be different, she gives them the courage to indulge, enjoy life, live a little.
Although I expected a romance to develop in this story, it's not what one expects. However, that is by far not its importance. For that, one can go to Blockbuster and watch Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp's romance in the film.
A very moving story with an exotic mysticism that will leave you entranced...A must-read!

Vianne Rocher and her young daughter Anouk sweeps into the little French town of Lansquenet one day and opens a chocolate shop across the square from the local church.[return][return]It is Lent, and parishioners are breaking their vows faster at record speed. The priest Pere Reynaud, is livid. Vianne must be a witch, he decides, and vows to run her out of town before the Chocolate Festival she is planning for Easter.[return][return]He may not be getting very much support from the villagers however. Vianne wins them over in her own quiet, uncanny way. She seems to know exactly what ails them, and which of her chocolate confection will cure them. [return][return]With the opposing teams identified, it became a battle between church and chocolate. Is Vianne a witch? Can she read minds? Will Reynaud run her out of town?[return][return]Scattered liberally around the little village are a bunch of intriguing secondary characters whose lives are changed by Vianne the battered wife Jos