Joanne Harris revisits characters from her mouthwatering book, Chocolat, in this equally delectable modern fairy tale.

Picture present day Paris, four years after Vianne Rocher pitted her enchanted chocolate confections against the local clergy's interpretation of Lent in small town France in Chocolat.

In the meantime, Vianne renounced magic, changed her name to Yanne Charbonneau and moved with her two daughters to Montmartre. Now Yanne embraces conformity and safety, much to the dismay of her increasingly troubled older daughter, Anouk.

When Anouk becomes entranced with Zozie de l'Alba, an exotic itinerant who happens upon a job at the new shop - and wears great shoes - the relationship grows increasingly sinister, Yanne must call up all of Vianne's powers, culinary and mystical, to save her family.

Harris again structures the narrative of The Girl with No Shadow (told in alternate chapters by Zozie, Yanne and Anouk) around a liturgical season (in this case Advent).

We have a delicious urban fairy tale, giving us much to savor in this multilayered novel, from the descriptions (including Yanne's mouthwatering chocolate confections, Zozie's whimsical footwear and Anouk's artistic efforts) to the novel's classic, enduring theme of good vs. evil and the difficulty of telling the difference.

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