With the Fire on High

Smell and scent often come into play for Emoni when she encounters something or someone she is passionate about: ‘Buela, Julio, Emma, Malachi, and her cooking. What role do smell and scent play in the novel? How does the author inform the reader about Emoni through detailed descriptions of smells? How might this connect to the theme of Rules, Recipes, and Self-Creation? Consider the commonplace “recipes” for love, life, and family as well as the culinary recipes Emoni creates. 

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to explore the link between scent, memory, and emotion, and how the scents of people in Emoni’s life affect her just as the scents of food. Students may want to discuss their own experiences with smell and memory. You can also use the article from Scientific American linked here to learn more about how smells affect the human brain and emotions.

• “Why Do Smells Trigger Memories?” from Scientific American explains the science of the connection between smell and memory.

Differentiation Suggestion: The Scientific American article also features a six-minute audio version of the article for students who might benefit from hearing the article while reading it.