47 pages • 1 hour read
Breanne RandallThe Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Lemon Tree
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.
Baked Goods
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. Baked items are central to Sadie’s culinary, and therefore magical, repertoire. Baked goods are the therefore the main item sold in A Peach in Thyme, Sadie and Gigi’s café:
The large glass front cases were stocked with the day’s offerings, their handwritten cards placed tidily beside each dish. There were apricot and basil shortbread tarts for protection, and peach thyme crumbles in individual cups, if you weren’t feeling like yourself. There was lemon and lavender pound cake that had been baked in mini Bundt tins, if sleep was eluding you (58).
This passage is significant because it provides detailed descriptions of the appearance and ingredients in some of the baked goods, alongside their magical effects. The description of the items within the glass case characterizes the setting of the café. Baking, in both the café and in the Revelare home, is important to the setting and tone of the novel. Randall maintains a warm, homey, and whimsical tone throughout the novel, much of which is related to the descriptions of baking and baked goods. Baked goods function as a motif throughout the novel. They are related to Sadie’s magic and to her love of her town and café. They are also a way of connecting with people by baking together or sharing the food as a gift.
Plants
While plants have clearly defined representational meanings specific to their type, overall, plants symbolize hope throughout The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic. The Mount Diablo buckwheat Sadie, Seth, and Raquel collect is reputed to be powerful and representative of love. Sadie believes it will help heal Gigi, and remembering its existence is a high point of hope for her. Other points of hope for Sadie relate to moments when she remembers the power of a certain plant or herb. For example, she collects several plants throughout the novel that she thinks may heal Gigi. She experiences a morbid hope when she comes across the poisonous Jerusalem cherries in the kitchen, hopeful that she may be able to save Seth through her sacrifice. Conversely, points during which Sadie loses hope correspond with the destruction of sections of her garden. While she doesn’t realize it until late in the novel, Sadie eventually realizes her magic is causing the burning of the plants at periods of intense panic, when her hope is at its lowest.
