To put a stop to Kerry's machinations, Jay burns the sole manuscript of his book and, finally at peace with himself, prepares to begin a new life with Marise. Blackberry Wine takes place in both England and the same small French town that is the setting for Chocolat. I loved the few references to Vianne and Roux (Chocolat); I also loved the fact that while a strong woman character enters the story, this is the story of Jay, a male character who is struggling to find himself and to put his friendship with Joe into perspective without the feeling of betrayal at not being able to say good-bye. Kaip ir pirmoje dalyje "Šokoladas", į nedidelį Prancūzijos kaimelį Lankenė, atvyksta naujas gyventojas. Grab a glass of wine, join in the fun, and laugh along with me as I slowdown a moment from the restoration chaos.

Nothing evokes memories like scents and Joanne Harris is a 'master' of descriptive prose that will bring memories flooding back. Jay goes on a journey of faith and self discovery, learning how to trust in himself and others, believe in magic and that anything is possible as he once did as a child. There is a series of events in this novel that while interesting to read about seemed to take away from the magic of this book.Jay's quest to discover why everyone, including Marise's former mother-in-law, blames Marise for her husband's suicide keeps the plot moving at a steady clip. Jackapple Joe, Jay's only best-seller, was a nostalgic retelling of Jay's childhood summers in the Yorkshire town of Kirby Monckton.

Due to a case of fruit wines, the main character, Jay Mackintosh, begins to review and change his life, often with quirky results. Jay, perhaps not as much, particularly not at the beginning, but yes, enough that I cared what happened to him.Relatives to Marise (similar to the neighbors in Five Quarters of an Orange) were cold and unwilling to be understanding, believing only what they want to believe. In the first American release of her 1994 second novel, Chocolat, author Harris dives headlong into a ferocious Gothic ghost story. In Norse myth the whole world ended with Ragnarók, the last battle, at which the gods were defeated and after which eternal winter descended. Following his father and brothers down the mines, he worked there for some years before finding a dream job as head gardener in a local stately home. Although the story has many fantastical elements the only thing that struck a somewhat odd note for me was Marise's past.

The character of Jackapple Joe Cox, gardener, Yorkshireman, ex-miner, amateur magician and seeker after wider vistas, is closely based on him, and it is he who forms the backbone of the story. I’m a huge Harris fan, but somehow this is the first of her novels I’ve read with a main male protagonist. Jay’s garden renovation and the relationship with his neighbor and her daughter were nice, the practical peculiarities of Joe added color and interest and the French townspeople formed a nice backdrop.Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology and fantasy.