Vianne

Discover Vianne, the long-awaited prequel to Joanne Harris’s bestselling Chocolat, revealing the untold story of Vianne Rocher six years before she opens her scandalous chocolaterie in the enchanting French village of Lansquenet.

At just twenty-one, Sylviane—soon to be Vianne—arrives in Marseille seeking freedom, reinvention, and a life far from the shadows of her past. In the vibrant but gritty streets of this seaside city, she charms her way into a waitress job at a fading local bistrot. Under the eccentric mentorship of Guy Lacarrière, she uncovers her gift for cooking, a passionate secret love affair, and—most life-changing of all—the intoxicating, transformative magic of chocolate.

But Marseille is a city built on whispers and secrets. As Vianne begins to imagine a future shaped by her own desires, she becomes entangled in a dangerous conspiracy that threatens everything she has worked so hard to build.

Sensuous, atmospheric, and rich with the flavours of French cuisine and bittersweet chocolate, Vianne blends mystery, magic, and emotion in classic Joanne Harris style. Perfect for fans of Chocolat, French literary fiction, magical realism, and stories of reinvention.

Secrets. Chocolate. A touch of magic…

On a warm July evening, Sylviane scatters her mother’s ashes in New York—and lets the changing wind draw her toward the sun-soaked coast of Marseille. With a child on the way and danger in her past, she knows she cannot stay long. Yet as she discovers the power of cooking and the subtle magic woven into her chocolate-spiced creations, Vianne begins to hope for more.

But her mother’s warning haunts her still: revealing the true desires of others comes with a price. And in a town where every cobblestone hides a secret, Vianne must decide when to claim her destiny—and when to run.

Joanne Harris, the million-copy bestselling author of Chocolat, returns to her most beloved world with this captivating origin story of Vianne Rocher—a tale of passion, danger, and the spellbinding allure of chocolate.