The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

The Revelare family lemon tree is a symbol of home and kept promises. The tree is reputed to be magical, and is important to the family as a symbol of promises. Gigi asks Seth and Sadie to “swear on the lemon tree” for important promises. An oath sworn on the lemon tree cannot “be broken without severe consequences” (58). Further, the lemon tree is purported to have the magical ability to show one their true desires: “Rumor had it that sucking the juice from a lemon off the Revelare tree could show you what you wanted in the world. Sadie had tried it dozens of times growing up, her cheeks pinching at the sour-sweet taste, but all she saw was the house in front of her” (27). Because Randall establishes Sadie’s love for Poppy Meadows and her home throughout the novel, this experience suggests not that the magic didn’t work on Sadie, but that she already had what she wanted in her home and family.

Food is prevalent throughout the novel. The recipes generally refer to dishes that are mentioned or prepared in the chapters that precede the interludes, and family life centers around meals. In particular, baked goods function as a motif throughout the novel.