Joanne Harris and the cover of ‘Vianne’.Photo:Kyte Photography; Pegasus Books
Kyte Photography; Pegasus Books
It’s time to head back to France with author Joanne Harris!The author’s 1999 novelChocolatstruck readers with its story of single mother Vianne Rocher, who arrives in French village Lansquent with her daughter to open a chocolate shop. The book was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film in 2000, starringJuliette Binoche,Johnny Depp,Judi DenchandAlfred Molina.Now, Harris is publishing a prequel to the novel,Vianne, set to hit shelves this fall via Pegasus Books.
Pegasus Books
Inthe prequel, readers will follow Vianne years before she opened her Lansquet store, when she was a woman called Sylviane Rochas. After scattering her mother’s ashes in New York, she leaves for the French coastal town of Marseille for a fresh start.
Sylviane changes her name to Vianne, and takes a job as a waitress in a local restaurant, all while coming to terms with being pregnant. As she gets to know the locals, Vianne discovers a hidden talent for cooking, particularly with chocolate spices, which she learns may change her life as well as the lives of others.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Harris, who has written other books featuring Vianne Rocher, such asThe Girl with No ShadowandPeaches for Monsieur le Curé, tells PEOPLE that the cover of the prequel contains important meaning as well.“I love the U.S. cover art for this book; the vibrant colour; the cacao pods and the little central medallion of the basilica in Marseille. All of it conveys a sense of color and sunshine, and the magic of faraway places,” Harris says. “In South American mythology, the cacao pod was the symbol of the heart; I think that’s very appropriate for this story of pleasure, heartbreak and cooking.”
Joanne Harris.Kyte Photography
Kyte Photography
Read on for an exclusive excerpt fromVianne.“Oh, it’s you. Come in,” he said, opening the door wider. “Guy’s in the shop. I was cooking.”“Cookingwhat?”He looked down at his apron. “Chocolate. What else?”It didn’t look like chocolate to me, and I said so. There was a scent, though: a dark, fruity, fermented scent, like someone’s home-brewed wine gone wrong. I wondered if there was a still hidden away inside the building.“I know it looks like blood,” said Mahmed. “This is raw cacao liquor, bled from the fruit of the cacao tree. Bled at some cost, in fact, although Guy assures me that this is the only way to do it.”
source: people.com
