The Girl with No Shadow (U)

The wind has always dictated Vianne Rocher's every move, buffeting her from the French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes to the crowded streets of Paris. Cloaked in a new identity, that of widow Yanne Charbonneau, she opens a chocolaterie on a small Montmartre street, determined to still the wind at last and keep her daughters, Anouk and baby Rosette, safe. But the weather vane soon turns, and Zozie de l'Alba blows into their lives. Charming and enigmatic, Zozie provides the brightness that Yanne's life needs as her vivacity and bold lollipop shoes dazzle rebellious and impressionable preadolescent Anouk. But beneath their new friend's benevolent fa ade lies a ruthless treachery for devious, seductive Zozie has plans that will shake their world to pieces.The Washington Post - Brigitte WeeksThe plot is complicated, and the cast of supporting characters extensive, but each one is a treat Joanne Harris knows just how to interweave lives. The relationships among her amazing characters are perfectly articulated. They find their places in the tableaux, and as the novel tumbles to its Christmas climax, Harris manages to pull all her irons out of the fire or perhaps one should say, her chocolate off the stove.