Flowers Are For Love is divided into six sections.  Each section represents a stage or phase of life and is filled with short stories.  Detailed notes on caring for and growing flowers follow each short story.  These notes offer practical advice for the novice and the skilled.  These inspirational stories were written in the style of the storyteller.  Lamancusa lets them tell their own stories.  As a result, an intimacy is formed with the reader.  These are not fact telling reports, but heartfelt stories. 

The Romantic Celebrations section explains how flowers enhanced a relationship.  For example, a woman had never sent her husband flowers thinking that men did not like flowers.  Her husband was having particular hard day, so she sent him flowers.  Well, she waited all day for his response.  Finally she called and casually asked had anything out of the ordinary happened.  He said he received flowers but thought it might have been someone at work putting the moves on him.  You see she neglected to sign the card.  This taught two lessons, one is that everyone likes special gifts and two, make sure you sign your cards or it lead to other troubles. 

Beginning Steps is the section that accounts of how suitors woo their mates with flowers.  One cute story is of a man who saw a womans picture in the paper.  In that town, it was the practice to put all teachers pictures in the paper for the upcoming year.  He did a little detective work and start sending her flowers everyday for two weeks.  Well, he won over his soon to be sweetheart and married and had four children.  During their marriage he made sure he brought home flowers every week. 

Expressing love and appreciation is the main focus throughout the book.  The vehicle for expression is the flower.  So that flowers represent tokens of affection and are meant to leave an everlasting impression.  Although this goal was accomplished, the stories became repetitious and boring after the third section.  I definitely would recommend reading this in several sessions.  This book is meant to be a reference book and an inspiration.  If you need a romantic boost, read the Language of Love section.  Difficult times come your way, maybe the Withstanding the Test of Time section can offer some guidance and inspiration.  Advice for growing flowers is offered at the end of each story.  I thought there was too much information given.  So much so that the book could have doubled as a how to on flowers.  These notes were insightful but should have been organized so that the reader could look up the information easily, instead of searching throughout the book.

Overall I found Flowers Are For Love, and entertaining light occasional read.  The heartfelt stories about the power of flowers have made even a flower critic like me see the beauty that flowers can bring.  Although I will not be growing any rose bushes and planting any gardenias, I will set out some fresh flowers at the dinner table every now then. 

The Nubian Circle Book Club rating for Flowers Are For Love is

N U B I A N

 3 out of 5 stars.  We welcome your comments and thoughts about this book review.  Please e-mail us at this address: NubianCircleClub@aol.com.