Aftertaste (43 page)

1.
Aftertaste
is presented as “a novel in five courses.” In what ways does the story arc parallel the courses in an Italian meal, and in what ways is it different?

2.
Which of Mira's character traits do you most admire? Which traits do you find least admirable?

3.
Mira observes, “Sometimes I think my only chance for happiness is in a kitchen, that any life I live outside is destined to be a shadowy, half-lived sort of life.” Do you think that holds true throughout the book?

4.
At one point Mira says of her mother, “I've been left to piece her life together from the scraps she left behind. My mother hadn't taught me to cook any more than she had taught me to be a mother, but I take comfort in the fact that I've still managed to learn something from her by looking in the holes.” What does Mira mean by this? What do you think she's managed to learn by “looking in the holes”?

5.
Richard tells Mira that the problem with being a cook is that you never get to be a guest at the party. Is this an occupational hazard or a character flaw?

6.
The preparation of food is described in detail in various parts of the book. What purpose do these descriptions serve?

7.
Many of the characters in the book (e.g., Mira, Jake, Renata, Michael, Fiona, Ruth, and Enid) display different attitudes toward food. What do those attitudes tell us about their personalities?

8.
When you cook, how much do you follow a recipe and how much do you improvise? How well does that predict any other characteristics of your personality?

9.
In this novel, food and its preparation often serve as a proxy for emotion. To what extent do you feel this is true in real life?

10.
Are Ben and Mira well suited to each other? What is the chance they will end up together in the long run?