The Library of Flowers (publication day May 3, 2026) by L.C. Chu (aka Lily Chu) has a little bit of everything. This hard-to-categorize, enjoyable fantasy/historical/ romance/family drama/coming of age features Lucy Hua, the latest in a long line of Hua women perfumers who can create perfumes that can affect emotion or even summon true love–called moli fragrances.
Lucy is living in Toronto, far away from her domineering mother in Vancouver, where Lucy is expected to take over her mother’s perfume shop. She has been moving around Canada for the past ten years, and right now subleases space for a small perfume shop from a quirky woman, Ana, in her vintage store in a trendy touristy neighborhood. She has a routine, but keeps herself mostly closed off.
She insists that things are fine, despite her own first moli fragrance not working several years ago, Lucy rarely visits home and even tries not to think about it. Until one day a package arrives for her that includes the Hua family register, a book passed down from mother to daughter over centuries. Her grandmother has passed away.
Back in Vancouver, she not only has to deal with her mother and loss of her grandmother, but Rafe is there–her best friend when she was a teenager. She had hoped for more, but when she acted upon her feelings, he drew away and they never reconciled. Everything is awkward, especially her family. Her father seems to be resentful of the Hua women’s focus on their perfume craft, as is her brother. Her mother wants Lucy to come back home and take her rightful place in the shop. So of course Lucy goes back to Toronto right away.
Alternating chapters between Lucy’s story are short interludes telling the story of a different Hua ancestor and what they had to deal with. Soon Lucy is trying to make a moli fragrance again, which starts her on the path towards a fragile reconciliation with her family, and possibly with Rafe as well, as her mother had skillfully suggested an AirBnb in Lucy’s building when he had to take a trip to Toronto. But did the moli actually work this time? And her mother is coming to Toronto to help-how will Lucy deal with all of this up-close-and-personal time with her mother?
I enjoyed it, although I admit that Lucy’s thought processes seemed much younger than her 32 years. I thought the writing was funny and smart, and I loved the balance between the current story and the historical interludes. It was also weight-neutral; I did not flag any negative mentions or descriptions of body size or shape.
Reading While Fat 