Her Little Flowers
In Shannon Morgan’s supernatural novel, a mother’s love is expressed through the language of flowers.
Francine, who is unmarried by choice, lives in her haunted family manor surrounded by memories of her mother, who was an expert gardener. She is reclusive and acts much older than her stated age. She has no knowledge of the internet; she chooses not to have a phone in her home.
Francine’s solitude is interrupted when her widowed sister Madeleine asks to come home. With her return, questions arise, including about how their father died and who Bree (the silent but mischievous girl ghost whom Francine befriends) is. In contrast to Francine, Madeleine has been married several times and is naturally flirtatious. But even when Madeleine is around, Francine prefers to spend her time with Bree. She remains reluctant to allow her sister in. Still, their bond is refreshed as they work to solve their family’s mysteries together.
The book begins with an italicized memory of Bree’s. She recalls a mother and her cherished “flower” daughters, each of whom was given a second, floral name based on their personality. This language combines with notes on how flowers are used for healing and protection. Indeed, Bree’s memories help to explain Francine’s family background—including the day her father and three of her sisters went missing—to the audience before Francine is aware of such details. In the present, Francine tries to solve the mystery without the benefit of Bree’s knowledge, investigating her father’s death and working to learn the whereabouts of the missing siblings whom her mother never mentioned to her.
In the supernatural novel Her Little Flowers, an unmarried woman with a tragic past prefers her ghostly friendships over living ones.
Reviewed by
Erin Nesbit
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