"It was a warm, bubbly, mushy nectar, sweet and tangy. It felt like heaven as it flowed over his dry mouth and down his parched throat"

(Holes)

In Louis Sachar's novel Holes (1998), Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake as a punishment for being accused of stealing some trainers. At the camp, he meets Zero, a young boy who he forms a friendship with.

Readers are told that a hundred and ten years prior to Stanley and his story, Green Lake was "the largest lake in Texas...It was especially beautiful in the spring, when the peach tress, which lined the shore, bloomed with pink and rose-coloured blossoms". Peaches are emphasised greatly in this back-story, as readers follow Miss Katherine Barlow and her famous spiced peaches. 

Peaches are traditionally a Chinese symbol for vitality and purity. It is significant that Sachar uses this fruit in particular, as it reflects the nature of Miss Katherine Barlow; sweet and gentle. Her spiced peaches were said to be "food for the angels", and this is echoed in the respite the old 'sploosh' gives Stanley and Zero, when they are stranded in the desert.  

In contrast to the previous books we've looked at, the sweet treat in Holes is peaches, something natural and seen as typically nutritious. The peaches save Stanley and Zero from dehydration, and some readers may even be left with a craving for peaches; especially after the "warm, bubbly, mushy nectar" which is described. 

I chose this book to compare with the likes of Hansel and Gretel, or The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; because readers witness the sugary fruit provide much needed sustenance - albeit minimal - for Zero and Stanley; that is, the sugary ‘sploosh’ is their saviour in the hot desert.   

Here's a recipe I found on https://www.scholastic.com/holes/popups/peachrecipes.htm......They are DELICIOUS.

Kissin’ Kate Barlow’s Spiced Peaches

In the book, the residents of Green Lake call Miss Katherine’s spiced peaches “food for the angels.” If you’d like to try a taste of heaven, here’s a recipe to help you and an adult re-create Kate Barlow’s prize-winning spiced peaches.

Ingredients

1 can (29 ounces) peach halves, drained (save the syrup in a separate bowl)

2/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

In a saucepan, combine 2/3 cup of the peach syrup with all the other ingredients except the peaches. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Pour over peaches. Cool, then cover and chill for at least 24 hours (or 110 years!).

Bring to room temperature and eat. Any leftover peaches will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

Serves 6.