READERS GUIDE

Reader’s Guide
The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake by Rachel Linden
Discussion Questions:


1)   Why is Jules’s show, The Bygone Kitchen, so important to her? What does the show represent in her life?

2)   At the beginning of the story, why do you think Jules is unable to cook any recipes that feel personal to her? What changes for her as the story progresses?

3)   Jules’s family is filled with strong women. In what ways do Nonna Bruna, Alex, Aurora, and Lisa impact Jules’s life? Are there strong women that have impacted your own life?

4)   The connection between food and family is a major theme in this story. What is one recipe that is special to you or your family? Share what
it means to you.

5)   Loss, grief, and fear are major themes in this story. How does Jules wrestle with each of these emotions, and how does she grow by the
end of the book?

6)   Lake Garda and the Costa family’s olive farm in Italy have been special yet complicated places in Jules’s life. How have these places shaped
her life?

7)   How does the recipe for Orange Blossom Cake influence the lives of the Costa and Fiore family members, both in the past and the present?

8)   How does fear of failure affect Jules as she struggles to make a decision about her future? Do you think fear often holds people back from
what they want in life? Why or why not?

9)   Nicolo tells Jules, “You have to pick the hard that means the most to you. The right hard thing.” Do you agree? Why or why not? Is there a time in your own life where you have had to choose your right hard thing?

10) Nonna Bruna’s cookbook acts as a catalyst to help change lives in unexpected ways. How does the cookbook influence the characters in the
story? Is anyone left untouched by its magical abilities?

11) What important lessons does Jules learn by the end of the book? Which of those lessons most resonates with you and why?

12) If you could try a bite of Orange Blossom Cake and see the happiest moment of your life, would you choose to do it? Why or why not?