Book Beginnings and The Friday 56 - The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard

I'm linking up with Rose City Reader for Book Beginnings and Freda's Voice for Page 56.

 Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Pick the closest book on your book stack and

Come Join us!

The Beginning:

"Daisy was not crazy. At least not like they said. She wasn't unstable or paranoid. She wasn't dissociative or delusional, nor did she ever display homicidal tendencies."

Page 56 or 20% on my Kindle:

"Ruby, I know we don't know each other all that well. Our conversations have been limited to the books we find at the library and the state of the ground at the town park, and I also know that I am more than a few decades your senior, but I feel as if we would be excellent companions at the event."

From The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard. I choose this book on Netgalley. It is not my usual reading choice and I wondered how I would like it. I just finished and found it to be a wonderful story that is really well written. The theme is love, loss and the language of flowers. Ruby has not turned away from the grief of her sister's Daisy's death 20 years ago. Two things happen that cause her to change. One is Will, a young boy who is grieving over his mother's death. The other is her friendship with Captain Miller, a retired astronaut.

Goodreads says: Ruby Jewell knows flowers. In her twenty years as a florist she has stood behind the counter at the Flower Shoppe with her faithful dog, Clementine, resting at her feet. A customer can walk in, and with just a glance or a few words, Ruby can throw together the perfect arrangement for any occasion.

Whether intended to rekindle a romance, mark a celebration, offer sympathy, or heal a broken heart, her expressive floral designs mark the moments and milestones in the lives of her neighbors. It’s as though she knows just what they want to say, just what they need.

Yet Ruby’s own heart’s desires have gone ignored since the death of her beloved sister. It will take an invitation from a man who’s flown to the moon, the arrival of a unique little boy, and concern from a charming veterinarian to reawaken her wounded spirit. Any life can be derailed, but the healing power of community can put it right again.