A review by anna1isa
Chocolat by Joanne Harris

4.0

Heartfelt & thoughtful, the plot pulls you along but the characters stick with you. This protagonist was such a joy to follow, I was hooked early on because I found her so charming and likeable.

The cover with Johnny Depp... Boo!! Hate it. Also it made this book seem like it was going to be a soapy romance, when in reality it was a beautiful story of motherhood, the magic of friendship, resilience, faith, and complex female relationships. I picked this up wanting something light, but was pleasantly surprised to find exploration of some larger themes including the fringes of religious devotion and xenophobia.

I was sweating with concern that this book would take such a hateful, spiteful character as the priest and make him a romantic lead. That did not happen, thank GOD. I was overall pleased with the ending - I'm glad it didn't take itself too seriously, and I liked the culmination of Vianne & Roux's 'relationship.'

This made me want to hug my mom, and she's the one who gave me this book, so I suppose that's fitting.