Granny Torrelli Makes Soup

Meals are a motif prevalent throughout the novel. The novel is broken into two parts, with each part revolving around the preparation of a meal: either zuppa or pasta. In both cases, the meal preparation and the sharing of the meal afterward reflect the characters’ emotional beats, including their moments of reflection and realization.

In cooking meals, the young characters prepare ingredients, shape dough, and relax while basking in the smells of the dish before eating. In their character growth, which is the central focus of the novel, the same young characters must similarly assemble their memories, form them into meaningful patterns, and pause to absorb what that process has yielded. As the children cook and eat, they self-reflect and grow—the work of analyzing one’s own actions may be challenging, but the results are nourishing.

Granny Torrelli’s approach to teaching the children to make meals also parallels her approach to guiding them through self-reflection. In cooking, she does offer some explicit instructions, for example, stir the soup and be gentle with the meatballs. However, she simultaneously allows space for the children to practice independence. Rosie gets to pick which salad she wants (the one with oranges), and Bailey is left to crack the eggs himself. Similarly, as Granny Torrelli listens to the children’s challenges, she does sometimes make explicit observations and intervene. Rosie can be stubborn, Granny Torrelli notes, and when Bailey nearly leaves before making peace with Rosie, Granny Torrelli tempts him back with another story. However, Granny Torrelli simultaneously uses her storytelling not to instruct, but to prompt the children to consider possible outcomes of their actions. She then often physically leaves the room, literally giving the children space to try to self-reflect on their own.

More generally, meals are also a point of connection. Food ties Rosie and Granny Torrelli to Granny Torrelli’s family and to their friendship group in the United States. Granny Torrelli believes that her deceased family members are having a pasta party in heaven; even in the afterlife, food brings people together. The pasta party at the end of the novel confirms the power of meals to unite, as Rosie and Bailey invite not only their own families but also Janine, suggesting a chance for reconciliation. It thus brings together all of the various people who are currently in the main character’s lives.