Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Family, Responsibility, and Growing Up
Love and Fear
Social Structure, Reputation, and High School
Lies vs. Honesty
Summary
Analysis
Christmas Cookie Bonanza starts December 1st, as usual. Lara Jean, Kitty, and Peter are in the living room going through cookbooks for cookie recipes to bake. There are the cookies they bake every year, but they’re deciding on new ones to try as Daddy makes turkey sandwiches in the kitchen. Lara Jean and Kitty are tired of turkey—and Kitty notes that if they had a dog, it could eat the rest of the turkey. Peter suggests they make a fruitcake cookie. Lara Jean insists fruitcake is disgusting, but Peter explains that one of his aunts makes a good fruitcake called Christmas Memory fruitcake. Lara Jean exclaims that “A Christmas Memory” is a short story by Truman Capote. After she recaps of the plot, Peter declares it “depressing” and scratches the fruitcake cookies off the list.
Christmas Cookie Bonanza allows Lara Jean and Kitty to meld an old tradition (the bonanza itself) with some new traditions, such as trying out some new cookies this year. And having Peter around is a change, as he’s never been a part of this celebration before. The fact that everyone seems to be having fun shows that changes like these can be positive or even unnoticeable. Rather, adding new people to the mix and trying new foods are just parts of growing up and expanding one’s social circle.
Themes
The doorbell rings, and Kitty runs to get it. It’s Josh, and he joins the others in the living room. Peter invites him to sit and is so friendly that Lara Jean is shocked. Josh asks if they’re making his favorite cookie this year, but Peter says the list is already set. Kitty reads the list out loud and notes that they’re not making fruitcake cookies. Daddy pops his head in to say that he wants fruitcake cookies, which makes Peter very happy. As Lara Jean teases Peter, she notices that Josh looks left out. Feeling bad, Lara Jean promises to consider his favorite cookie.
Lara Jean picks up on the fact that there’s a lot of tension between Peter and Josh, even if they’re doing their best to keep the peace. This suggests that Lara Jean is going to have to contend with the boys’ rivalry at some point—especially if she’s going to continue her relationship with Peter much longer. And things are made even harder because Lara Jean does want to continue her friendship with Josh, awkward as it might be.
Themes
Later, after Josh is gone and Kitty is upstairs, Peter says he bets Josh figured out what Lara Jean’s Halloween costume was going to be so he could match. Josh, Peter insists, is in love with Lara Jean. Lara Jean says that’s not true, but Peter says that once he and Lara Jean are broken up, Josh will try to win her over. Unconvinced, Lara Jean jokingly bets a million dollars that Josh and Margot will get back together when Margot is home later. When they shake on it, Peter pulls Lara onto the couch next to him. She thinks he might kiss her, but the moment ends when Kitty comes downstairs.
Again, it’s becoming more and more obvious that Lara Jean and Peter are developing real feelings for each other. And what Peter says here shows that he is jealous of Josh, even if he’s not willing to say it in so many words. It’s hard for Lara Jean to believe Peter, though, because believing that Josh would try to win her over would severely complicate things—and Lara Jean likes things to be neat and easy to understand.
Themes
