I just finished reading "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. One thing I have challenged myself to do on my quest to recreate the joy to be found in reading is to choose a variety of books that do not all conform to the same pattern. This book certainly did not conform to what is my standard reading choice but it allowed me to think about some specific instances in my life and how they may relate to the story. In the book, Rose has the distinct gift of being able to distinquish the emotions of the cook and or food producer through tasting them. She first realizes this gift and/or curse when her mother makes her a chocolate lemon cake, which Rose thinks tastes "hollow".
The first thoughts as I had as I read this book, were related to my own association with foods and emotions. I am sure you have certain memories associated with foods you have eaten. In my case some of those emotions are positive and some are negative but it is apparent that almost every bite we take, we can associate with some type of memory. Think about your first bite of white cake, does it conjure up memories of a favorite birthday? How about a taco, can you go back to the street vendor, where you found an amazing Mexican feast? What about the coolness of a popsicle, does it remind you of summers at a city pool? What about the comfort of a cup of hot chocolate, can you go back to the blizzard of 1978? Food and emotions are intertwined, whether you have a "gift" or not. On a humerous side, everyone has the association of jello or sprite with being phycially ill, and yet we can also look at those foods as comfort because many times they were brought to us by someone who loved and cared for us during our sickness.
As I continued to read the book and became aware of the multiple family dynamics, I was intriqued by Rose's continued insights. She was the bond that not only held the story together but held the family, even in it's disfunctional state, together. Rose's brother, Joseph, her mother, and father, all seemed disconnected from who Rose was. They each had their own purpose and lives. That fact alone made the family disfunctional and yet functioning. How many times in our lives, can we say that we too have disconnected from those closest to us in order to identify what are our greatest gifts and/or passions? Rose's mother, showed great love for her children and yet her life choices reflected a somewhat selfish attitude. This serves as a reminder to each of us that we must all take on a selfless attitude in order to help those we most care about to do more than just "function".
In parts of the book, I admit, I was bogged down with almost too much information. I found the images of Joseph's experiences somewhat difficult to visulaize but could relate to his desire to escape. In a world where we are overcome with outside pressures, don't we all have a desire to become inanimate at times? I found myself wondering, what inanimate object would I choose to take on the persona of? Would it be the cabin porch swing, the baby crib in the attic, the dining room table, the hammock in the tree? What objects to we all find comfort and quietness in? Finding peace in a quiet place may be identical to finding peace in the objects with which we associate our quiet moments.
As the book comes to a close, we begin to see Rose embrace who she is, to identify not only her gift but how to use it to embrace life. I challenge each reader to do the same, figure out your gift, embrace your emotions, and in turn, embrace your life.
