The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake sounds like a metaphor, but in this book, it's both allegorical and literal, as the protagonist, a young girl, eats feelings that aren't her own. With each bite she takes, she absorbs the feelings of whoever made it. So when she bites into a lemon cake baked by her mother, she discovers that under the cheer and love, there is a deep despair. Aimee Bender is a true master when it comes to drawing us into the interior worlds of people and describing the most mundane things with such poignancy you could cry.