Vianne

A Novel

Joanne Harris

Million-copy bestselling author Joanne Harris returns to the world of Chocolat with the long-awaited story of Vianne, which begins six years before she opens her scandalous chocolaterie in the small French village of Lansquenet.

Secrets. Chocolate. A touch of magic.

On the evening of July 4th, a young woman scatters her mother’s ashes in New York and follows the call of the changing winds to the French coastal city of Marseille.

For the first time in her life, Vianne feels in control of her future. Charming her way into a job as a waitress, she tries to fit in, make friends, and come to terms with her pregnancy, knowing that by the time her child is born, the turning wind will have changed once again.

As she discovers the joy of cooking for the very first time, making local recipes her own with the addition of bittersweet chocolate spices, she learns that this humble magic has the power to unlock secrets.

And yet her gift comes at a price. And Vianne has a secret of her own; a secret that threatens everything…

Joanne Harris is the internationally renowned and award-winning author of eighteen novels, plus novellas, scripts, short stories, libretti, lyrics, and articles. Her novel Chocolat was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and is Chair of the Society of Authors.  She lives in Yorkshire and also has a form of synaesthesia which enables her to smell colours. Red, she says, smells of chocolate. Follow her on Twitter @joannechocolat.

Buy it now in print:

Buy it now in ebook:

Endorsements & Reviews

“Fans of the best-selling novel Chocolat and its follow-ups, starring Vianne Rocher, will rejoice in this prequel—a heady mix of cooking, chocolate-making, sorcery, and suspense. Harris’ writing is vivid and filled with insights as we see Vianne struggling to create her own recipe of self. Stunning.” Booklist (starred review)

“Mouthwatering. Your senses are left reeling.” The Observer

“A novel that shimmers with brilliance and truth.” Kate Williams, author of Becoming Queen

“I sobbed at the end because I couldn't bear to leave. One of the world's finest storytellers.” Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep

“A place of magic and mysteries.” Monica Ali, author of Love and Marriage

“So wise, so atmospheric, so beautifully written.” Marian Keyes, author of The Break and My Favorite Mistake

“Vianne is every bit as vivid, magical and delicious as I hoped it would be and a fitting prequel for a story that has become, like one of Vianne's chocolates, a much-loved favorite.” Ruth Hogan, author of The Light a Candle Society

“Joanne Harris's long-awaited prequel to her immensely successful novel Chocolat is a feast of the senses full of intrigue, magic, love and, of course, chocolate. I devoured it with as much relish and joy as I devoured the original. Delicious!” Santa Montefiore, international bestselling author