Lemons

“It feels weird to hear about Mama this way. It’s like I thought I knew her better than anyone in the whole entire world, and now I find out I don’t know lots of things about her.”

In moving back to her mother’s childhood hometown, Lemonade learns things about her mother that she never knew. This experience is jarring and unsettling at first, but it soon becomes a source of comfort and a way for Lemonade to cope with her grief and connect with her mother.

“She’s as bright as the sunshine washing over her. She’s bubbling over and brimming with zest.

She is lemonade.”

Lemonade sees a picture of her mother at age 10, and she looks just like Lemonade does now, but there is one difference: Lemonade is missing her zest. The picture becomes a source of inspiration for Lemonade as she attempts to live up to her name and to be the person her mother knew she was.

“Just ‘cause you don’t understand them doesn’t make them beasts or monsters!”

Lemonade refers to Bigfoot as a beast, which offends Tobin, who sees them as misunderstood creatures that only hide because of the way humans react to the unknown. He hopes that by bringing understanding to people, Bigfoot creatures will be more likely to step out of hiding and make themselves known. He acts as a spokesperson for those who cannot speak for themselves.

“The spitting image. Mrs. Dickerson said so. She’s me, and I’m her. Somewhere inside me. Even if she’s lost right now under molten lava that spews without warning.”

Everyone seems to agree that Lemonade looks just like her mother, and Lemonade knows that the similarities between herself and Elizabeth are more than skin deep. She knows, too, that her true self is hidden underneath a mountain of grief that comes out in the form of anger. Lemonade’s confusion and grieving process is one example of Navigating Grief.

“I sniff and wipe at my eyes again. A log crumbles and breaks in two, making a loud popping sound that sends sparks leaping toward the sky. I watch the fire, trying to swallow away the lump that just won’t go down.”

Each second is described in moments of significance, like this scene in which Lemonade and Charlie talk about Elizabeth for the first time. The imagery is rich and adds to the emotionality of a moment between two characters who are still learning how to accept each other in their lives.

“I wonder how many sneezes in a row a body can take before you actually achoo yourself to death. Maybe I’ll be the first.”

Hidden within the difficult subject matter of the novel are moments of humor that showcase Lemonade’s spunk and cleverness. She jokes about the ridiculous amount of sneezing she has done while camping, using hyperbole to demonstrate how irritating it is.

“The afternoon sun is shining high up above me, sprinkling the forest with light through leaves and pine needles. In that light, shining down from the sky, I have found my very first evidence of the elusive Bigfoot.

Me.

Lemonade Liberty Witt.

Assistant Bigfoot Detective.”

The wilderness of Willow Creek is a source of vivid imagery in the story and helps set the tone of the moment. When Lemonade finds her first real evidence of Bigfoot, the sun shines down on her, symbolizing joy and accomplishment, as well as a new day or new period in her life. Lemonade finally starts to embrace her new home and role as a Bigfoot detective.

“The storm is getting closer.”

When it is mentioned that a storm is drawing near, it foreshadows the danger that Lemonade and Tobin find themselves in when Tobin decides to run out into the woods in the rain. It also serves as foreshadowing for the storm brewing within Lemonade, which must unfurl itself before she can accept her mother’s death and heal.

“The most important thing to remember is to have gratitude for those we love and those who love us. Even if it’s not for the amount of time we expected or wished for.”

Mrs. Dickerson believes that the most important thing to remember about Navigating Grief is to be grateful for whatever time was had with the person who was lost. Although Lemonade is only 10 years old, she thinks hard on this and understands its importance. She soon learns to apply it to her own life and finds that the more she feels gratitude, the less she feels sorrow.

“There are kids running and hiding in the bushes. Laughing. Playing. Having fun.

Like they have no worries in their life.

No lava. No quicksand. No heavy loads to carry.”

Lemonade feels envious of kids who appear to have no serious problems in their lives and can just enjoy their summer without worry. She feels like her grief is a heavy load she must carry, and she feels like she is the only one. Lemonade uses the metaphor of a volcano to describe the resulting anger from this and quicksand to describe the way that sadness swallows her up if she lets it.

“Charlie breathes out slow and long, then folds his glasses and slips them into his shirt pocket.”

Mannerisms and body language are important queues in understanding a character’s emotions and motivations, and Charlie is someone who speaks little, so his body language is even more significant than most characters. The way he breathes indicates his mood, and the way he takes his glasses off suggests that a stressful conversation is to follow.

“Black steers stand in groups under the pouring rain, staring at us as we run by them.

Still chewing. Probably laughing at us slipping and sliding through their poo.”

Lemonade’s childish side comes out when she and Tobin are in the rain and she must run through poop to catch up with Tobin. Even though the experience is terrifying and dangerous, she still manages to be sarcastic and witty.

“The footsteps are too loud to be his. I know it. I can feel them vibrate underneath me as they pound the mud. I duck my head even lower under the pine branch.

Closer.

Pound.

Pound.

Pound.”

The terror in Lemonade is clear as she crouches in the woods and wonders who is approaching her. The use of single-word lines adds dimension to the narrative by replicating the actual pounding of Mr. Harold’s feet.

“Each item placed inside with special care. Each item holding another story about Mama.”

Inside the trunk in Lemonade’s room are her mother’s childhood belongings. The items hold great significance to Lemonade, who lost her mother and is looking for any remaining connection to that time in her life. By finding out more about her mother, Lemonade is better at Navigating Grief.

“He holds out a hand toward me. A big hand. Rough, with straight nails and one very special silver ring. The hand is strong and tough, but kind.”

Charlie is a big, burly man and a different presence than what Lemonade, who grew up with a single mother, is used to. It takes time for her to accept Charlie and for him to feel confident enough to reach out to her on an emotional level, but once they connect, they are connected for life. This is their process of Creating New Love From Old Loss.

“My volcano is out of control, spewing hot lava everywhere I go. And I can’t stop it.”

Lemonade’s symbolic volcano is a collection of emotions, especially anger, that boils to the surface when she feels attacked by Tobin and ignored by Charlie. In voicing her frustration, Lemonade opens the door to resolutions and shares her grief with her loved ones.

“One giant hug. It feels warm and safe and comfortable and familiar. It feels like a family. Maybe not by blood, but by choice.”

Lemonade finally feels like she is part of a new family and like she has found new love through the grief they all share. What makes this family unique is that it is one that was formed voluntarily, and Lemonade feels grateful to be part of it.

“I smile too now and know that Debbie’s right. Thinking of memories with Mama does make the ache inside me feel better. Because it’s like for that moment she’s here with me again.”

While nobody will ever replace her mother, Lemonade finds a motherly presence in Debbie, and she can connect with Debbie over their shared desire to reunite with loved ones. The adults in Lemonade’s life help guide her in her grief and provide her with the necessary tools to learn to live with it.

“Sometimes it’s the differences that are exactly what makes us special.”

Everyone in Lemonade’s new family is unique and comes with their own personal challenges and flaws. Because of this, they develop an acceptance and understanding of one another, and forgiveness is always offered. The traits that set Lemonade, Tobin, and Charlie apart are what allow them to work as a successful team to uncover evidence about Bigfoot.

“He promised he wouldn’t let me go.

And I believe him more than ever now.”

Lemonade has learned to trust Charlie and feel safe in his presence after first coming to Willow Creek and being totally unsure what to expect. Initially, Lemonade felt that Charlie didn’t want her around and didn’t care about her wants, but now Lemonade knows that Charlie is human and is dealing with his own grief, too.

“Found by a new kind of family.

And I know it’s Mama who got me here.”

Lemonade finally feels like she is living up to her Names and Legacy, and she knows that she has succeeded in overcoming her grief because of the strengths that her mother instilled in her. Lemonade is also grateful to have found new love in a different sort of family.

“Lemonade Liberty Witt, you are what I’m most thankful for every day.”

Charlie does not voice his emotions often, and when he does, he says a great deal with few words. In telling Lemonade that he is thankful for her, he speaks to his love for Elizabeth, Lemonade, and the family that, for many years, he thought he had lost.

“Whooooooooo!

The sound makes me jump so high, I almost drop my Twinkie in the dirt. I sit frozen.

Waiting.

Watching.

Worrying.

Wishing Tobin was sitting here next to me.

And that’s when I see feet.”

Alliteration and single-word lines create a poetic structure when the most important moment of Lemonade’s Bigfoot-hunting career occurs. The build-up is tense and exhilarating, and Lemonade experiences a whole host of emotions along with the reader.