ISBN: 978-0-06-143162-3

Publisher: William Morrow

Joanne Harris is the author of seven novels - Chocolat, a New York Times bestseller, being one of them. Half French, Half British she currently lives in England.

This is her follow-up novel to Chocolat.

Everything changed when Zozie blew into their lives wearing shiny, red lollipop shoes. Vianne Rocher had continually moved from place to place, from the small French village of Lansquenet to Paris. She always felt the wind held her in its power but taking on a new identity as widow Yanne Charbonneau she decided to open a small chocolaterie.  

In a Montmartre cobbled street, Yanne and her two daughters Anouk and baby Rosette, settled into a quiet uneventful life until Zozie arrived. She is charismatic and always wears charity shop clothes which all mixed up together somehow look just perfect and always with the shiny, red high heel shoes. She “saw” things too but there were others who also saw too.

Zozie encouraged Yanne to begin making hand-made chocolates.

Thiery their landlord didn’t like this show of independence but he did want to marry Yanne….could she really stop running and what is she running away from or who?

Zozie also had a past, taking other people’s identities, collecting their money and then ditching the evidence.  Her mother had been a witch and Zozie used symbols to make sure her spells worked. She also was not the friend Yanne thought she was and was cunning and ruthless. Zozie had plans that could bring Yanne’s life to bits - she hoped. Tracking Yanne’s past, Zozie finally discovered everything about her. She thought by using her mystic ways  the “special ones” would work not by accident but by design.

One day someone from the past turned up to Yanne’s surprise - it was Roux. She had the same feelings for him  but events were to take another turn in this amazing story.  

It is a sequel to Chocolat and at first it does seem quite confusing but all becomes clear in this exceptional novel.

The descriptions of chocolate making are mouth-watering and seductive- in fact you feel you can actually smell the different flavours.  In this novel the weather affects the mood of the characters so well.

With wonderful imagery and a strong sense of the supernatural, ghosts and magic signs are around every corner in this tale of fear, guilt, love and choices. A beautifully written book with a modern day fairy-tale aura where magic abounds and good triumphs over evil. Attractive chapter headings with small drawings add to its charms.