1. Compare and contrast Canela’s immigrant experiences in the United States and France. Have you ever lived in another country? If so, how did your experience compare with Canela’s?

2. Chart Canela’s romantic and sexual relationship with Henry. How does her relationship with him compare to her relationships with other men, like Armando or Yves?

3. Why is Canela so hungry and depressed? Do you think there is just one reason or many reasons? Do you think she knows why she is depressed, or could there be something outside of what she shares with the reader that is causing her pain?

4. What are the different types of hunger Canela experiences throughout the novel? How does she satisfy her hunger?

5. What is the significance placed by Canela --- and many young women in the United States --- on turning thirty?

6. When applying to school, Canela tells the admissions woman that she wants to open a French restaurant in the United States so that people can experience French culture. Do you agree that food communicates culture? Why or why not? If so, then how does food communicate culture?

7. Do you think Canela’s journey to France is an act of courage, fear, or both?

8. How does Canela’s experience in France fuel her to return to Los Angeles to continue fighting for what she believes in? What did she discover --- or rediscover --- while in Paris to enable her to do this?

9. What role does diabetes play in the lives of Canela, her mother, and Luna?

10. Compare and contrast Canela’s expatriate experience with that of other famous American writers, such as Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, or Mark Twain.

A Spanish version of this discussion guide is available, which you can read here.