The Strawberry Thief, Harris’s fourth novel following the life of chocolatier Vianne Rocher, shares much with the original in terms of theme and setting... Where Chocolat is a novel about the conflict between church and the individual, between pleasure and denial, The Strawberry Thief focuses on the conflicts within families... While Harris creates an atmospheric landscape, the novel’s storytelling might have benefited from tighter pacing. Narcisse’s lengthy confession is stolen, retrieved and returned, a MacGuffin serving predominantly to spur the novel’s living characters into action. And while Reynaud’s torment about a childhood crime adds depth to his character, his self-flagellating the narrative down. However, Harris undeniably creates an evocative world in The Strawberry Thief, and in her explorations of magic, family, grief and recovery, it is sure to delight fans of Chocolat.
