What is the importance of food in the book, Transit: A Novel?

The author uses food to symbolize love and power. The fact that Jane's mother does not give food to Jane and her father symbolizes that she does not give them love and they are starving, for love. Jane's father asks for love by giving his wife a cookbook. Jane seeks love by going through the book when he leaves. Jane takes pictures of food, but cannot eat it. Thus she looks at love from afar, but does not feel loved herself.

Lawrence use of food symbolizes both love and power as he uses food to exert power over the children, trying to make his reality theirs. When the children do not follow him, he withdraws the food which is in essence withdrawing his love for the them and tells them to leave. In telling them to leave, he abandons them.