One
of the things I love so much about food in stories is how it can really
give you insight into a character’s journey. What they are eating can
tell you when they are low on their luck, or living the life many only
dream of. Is the person stealing food at a local street market just to
survive, or are they attending lush balls with buffets as far as the eye
can see - covered in delectable and scrumptious nosh? This tells us a
lot about their current station in life.
What
do you picture in your mind when I use words like lavish, bounteous,
luxurious, extravagant? Were there any folks out there thinking of an
orphanage? Of course not, we have these ideas in our head of how places
are, and an orphanage is none of these things. Therefore, it’s not
surprising to find out, Gabe, the main character in The Guardians series
lives at a home for wayward boys where they force a breakfast of burnt
toast and powdered eggs on their charges.
When
Gabe is brought to a new and strange place by an interesting character,
named Uri, he has no idea what to expect. At that point, Gabe imagines
few things can be worse than his current lot in life. Gabe begins to
question this logic when he and his escorts are attacked by winged
demonic beasts.
When
at last, he is at his destination, he is brought to their leader, a
younger looking man, named Michael. Gabe is given cryptic answers, and
while he doesn’t feel directly threatened he also doesn’t feel secure.
One thing helps put him at ease however... food!
In Sacred Bloodlines, when Michael takes him to the kitchen after their talk and this is what he finds:
There
were stacks of flapjacks with butter pooling on the top and drips
running down the side. Another plate was overflowing with twisted
cinnamon buns that were smothered with homemade icing so thick the top
of the buns were barely visible. Crisp bacon, brown sausage (links and
patties) and ham slices were artistically spiraled on another platter.
Scrambled eggs, any fruit you can imagine, biscuits, and gravy so creamy
and smooth that Gabe mistook it for buttermilk.
Food
signaled a significant change for Gabe and his outlook moving forward.
What we eat plays a special part in our daily lives, so think about
that the next time you are preparing a meal - is it delicious or
boring? I think I am off to have a pumpkin spice latte and a warm
blueberry muffin while I work on finishing up book 3 of The Guardians!
Happy Reading!
Thanks for stopping by to share your food for thought, Wendy!
You can find Wendy here:
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