United States
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An evocative and richly illustrated exploration of flowers and how, over the centuries, they have given us so much sustenance, meaning, and pleasure
The bright yellow of a marigold and the cheerful red of a geranium, the evocative fragrance of a lotus or a saffron-infused paella – there is no end of reasons to love flowers. Ranging through the centuries and across the globe, Kasia Boddy looks at the wealth of floral associations that has been passed down in perfumes, poems, and paintings; in the design of buildings, clothes, and jewelry; in songs, TV shows, and children's names; and in nearly every religious, social, and political ritual.
Exploring the first daffodils of spring and the last chrysanthemums of autumn, this is also a book about seasons. In vibrant detail and drawing on a rich array of illustrations, Boddy considers how the sunflower, poppy, rose, lily – and many others – have given rise to meaning, value, and inspiration throughout history, and why they are integral to so many different cultures.
Kasia Boddy teaches American literature at the University of Cambridge. Her other books include Boxing: A Cultural History, The American Short Story Since 1950, and Geranium.
"The sheer breadth of her knowledge is engaging, and the pace is steady [...] I found Blooming Flowers pleasurable reading that provides many interesting tidbits of lore"
– Tracy Mehlin, Leaflet for Scholars
"From the meaning of carnations in Sex and the City to the use of sunflowers in the cleanup of Chernobyl, from Henry VIII's ban on saffron dye in Ireland to the modernist reinventions of roses, this is no ordinary flower book, and Kasia Boddy is no ordinary writer."
– Ali Smith, author of Spring
"Unlike any book I have read on flowers. We get a superb range of cultural information and imagery from ancient times right through to the very modern, and from all parts of the world. Fascinating."
– Margaret Willes, author of The Gardens of the British Working Class
"There is no doubt that anyone perusing the pages will view afresh the blooming flowers in their garden [...] A compelling, contextualising tapestry written with both vivacity and analytical rigour."
– Chris Beardshaw, Garden Designer and Broadcaster
"Blooming Flowers is a gorgeously lush evocation of twelve different flowers, each one steeped in its own stories, cultural associations and botanical wonder. It is not just a sunny celebration of everything floral – we learn how intimately flowers are entwined with global warming, transatlantic slavery, US imperialism and nuclear radioactivity – but this is a beautifully written book, full of exquisite detail, startling facts and laced with just the right amount of poetry."
– Peter Fiennes, author of Oak and Ash and Thorn
"Fresh, novel [...] and unclassifiable."
– Publishers Weekly
"It's not about gardening, nor is it about the structure or origins of plants, but a sort of engaging miscellany [...] There is much to be learnt on almost every page."
– Richard Eyre, The Sunday Times
