The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart

Content Warning: This section of the guide references family trauma and grief, child abuse, domestic violence, and suicidal ideation.

Throughout the novel, almost every plant Alice encounters holds a deeper meaning to her. Each time she interacts with a plant, she thinks of what it means, just like her mother, father, and grandmother did, a direct link to the past. Starting with Ruth Stone in the family bloodline, Alice’s ancestors not only raised flowers but created an entire communication system based on them. Based on the Victorian language of flowers called “floriography”—meaning the language of flowers—each flower carries its own special symbolism. For instance, in Alice’s family, yellow bells mean “welcome to a stranger” while blue lady orchids mean “consumed by love” (370-371). This use of floriography was passed down for generations and used by the women at Thornfield, as shown multiple times through their gifting each other flowers and building meaningful bouquets for clients. For Alice, flowers are initially linked to her inability able to speak after trauma in addition to her family heritage and customs. Later, Alice and June still have communication problems and family secrets, so they speak more through flowers:

Every time Alice thought about asking June such things, silence was easier.