Welcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, hosted by Kathy at Bermudaonion.net. Word nerdy bloggers use this meme to share interesting words they’ve come across in their reading. It’s a great way to learn some new vocab!
My entry this week comes from my current read, The Language of Flowers, by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. It tells the story of Victoria, who has spent her childhood shuffling through foster homes, one more abusive than the next. When I started reading, I worried the book would be too dark. But I’m a few chapters in, enjoying Diffenbaugh’s style, and learning interesting facts about flowers. (Did you know yellow roses stand for infidelity?)
As the novel opens, Victoria turns eighteen and is “emancipated” from the foster care system. She’s penniless, homeless, and cares for nothing, except her flowers. She uses them to communicate with other people.
For most of a decade I’d spent every spare moment memorizing the meanings and scientific descriptions of individual flowers, but the knowledge went mostly unutilized. I used the same flowers again and again: a bouquet of marigold, grief; a bucket of thistle, misanthropy; a pinch of dried basil, hate.
Misanthropy fits the prickly weed and Victoria’s jaded character.
misanthropy \mi-‘san-thrə-pē\ noun, from Greek misein- to hate + anthropos man; hatred or distrust of mankind
Motivated by extreme misanthropy, Victoria refused the young man’s gift.
Word Nerd Workout
Can you think of another character who epitomizes misanthropy?
Julia
This book sounds so interesting. Another one to add to the TBR! 🙂
I’ve come across meanings for flowers before, and find it kind of odd really. I suppose red roses for love is just the most common example, but I’m not sure how many the average person could really memorise…
I’m glad my straight-laced mother didn’t know that about yellow roses. They were her favorites in her garden. I don’t think it would have caused her to distrust mankind. I think she probably would have just mistrusted people who give flowers their meanings.
I’ll have to look into this book.
http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2013/08/wondrous-words-wednesday.html
I loved that book and gave it away on World Book Night last year! Victoria was certainly a misanthrope through most of it. I’m sure I’ve encountered similar characters but I’m drawing a blank right now.
I thought yellow roses were for friendship!! Yikes!
I know! And how about Basil meaning hate? I love basil and have heard it’s an aphrodisiac!
I’ve heard of this book, and have it on my to-read list! Also, I did NOT know that roses stand for infidelity. Sad! Maybe I shouldn’t read the book; it might make me look to deeply into the meaning of the flowers my husband brings home for me, when I should just be grateful he is bringing home flowers.
Well, let me read the whole thing and get back to you! So far, I think it would be worth it- you’d just have to set your new knowledge of flowers aside. (And, definitely be grateful when your hubby brings home flowers- mine stopped doing THAT several years ago!) Now I just buy them for myself. 🙂