I was loaned A Single Rose by Muriel Barbery (author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which I have tried to read multiple times) and I read it in an evening. It’s a lovely, spare book, but ultimately, I didn’t love it. It, somehow, seemed like it was trying too hard. And, it was too flowery for me. Amazon: “Rose is called to Kyoto for the reading of her estranged father’s will. Once there, she encounters acquaintances of her father—including a potter and poet, an old lady friend, his housekeeper and chauffeur, and Paul, her guide through Kyoto. As the reading of the will gets closer, through her encounters and peregrinations in Kyoto, Rose reaches a poignant understanding of her father’s love and an acceptance of loss.” I think it could have easily been a short story. I think, if you are really into botany, this might float your boat, but, for me, it wasn’t a favorite.
