The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

Nine-year-old Rose Edelstein makes a startling discovery one day while eating her mothers lemon-chocolate cake that she can taste the emotional state of the person who prepared the food.  But what is most shocking is that her mom’s cake doesn’t taste of the cheerfulness that Rose sees in her mom, but of depression and despair.  Suddenly food takes on a whole new meaning for Rose.  She can taste her mom’s life outside of the home, her father’s detachment, and her brother’s fight with the world.  As she moves through her life, Rose finds ways to harness her gift and finds that there are still some secrets that even she can’t taste.