Olga's Room

Olga’s room—including her laptop, lingerie, and hotel key—is a symbol of the destructive power of secrets. Julia enters the room for the first time in an effort to feel close to her sister, but what she finds there only makes Olga seem more distant and unknowable. Over the course of the novel, this space and the objects inside it become talismanic reminders that all is not as it seems, and when Amá finds them they trigger great pain for the family.

Tortillas

Tortillas represent the traditional or seemingly correct performance of Mexican identity. Amá is always insistent that the family make its own tortillas, but after Olga’s death this imperative breaks down: “Apá hasn’t eaten much, either. The other day he brought home a brick of Chihuahua cheese and a stack of tortillas, so we ate quesadillas for several days...