Gingerbread

An extraordinary recipe for gingerbread, handed down through generations of Harriet Lee's family, is used as a balm, a token of affection, an apology, and to ingratiate oneself with others. It's also the means by which, with one toxic addition, Harriet's daughter, Perdita, attempts suicide. After she is released from the hospital, Perdita returns home to complete her recovery and regain her ability to communicate. Surrounded by her childhood dolls, who magically speak for her, she asks her mother to tell her how she got there. The bedtime story that follows is a multistranded, meandering tale set in the Czech-like country of Druhistan, blending family history with fairy tales recalling "Hansel and Gretel" and "The Gingerbread Man." Along the way, many secrets are revealed, among which is the true identity of Perdita's father.