Million-copy bestselling author Joanne Harris returns to the world of Chocolat with the long-awaited story of Vianne , which begins six years before she opens her scandalous chocolaterie in the small French village of Lansquenet. Secrets. Chocolate. A touch of magic. On the evening of July 4th, a young woman scatters her mother's ashes in New York and follows the call of the changing winds to the French coastal city of Marseille. For the first time in her life, Vianne feels in control of her future. Charming her way into a job as a waitress, she tries to fit in, make friends, and come to terms with her pregnancy, knowing that by the time her child is born, the turning wind will have changed once again. As she discovers the joy of cooking for the very first time, making local recipes her own with the addition of bittersweet chocolate spices, she learns that this humble magic has the power to unlock secrets.

And yet her gift comes at a price. And Vianne has a secret of her own; a secret that threatens everything.