Peaches for Monsieur Le Curé by Joanne Harris

First came Chocolat, the tale of a young woman setting up a chocolate shop in a small French town. Its sequel, The Lollipop Shoes took her to Paris, four years later. Another four years, and Vianne Rocher is still in Paris, living on a houseboat with her partner, Roux, and her two daughters. The city is wilting in an August heatwave, and nobody wants Vianne’s handmade chocolates. One day, she receives a letter from a dead woman — her old friend Armande from Lansquenet — telling her to go back.

On impulse, Vianne returns, to find the place oddly changed. Her old adversary, Father Reynaud, has been removed from office. A community of Muslims has sprung up in the disused tanneries, and there is a minaret facing the church. But Vianne — unconventional, good-hearted, slightly magical — blows in like a refreshing breeze, forcing people to question their prejudices. A delight.