Plot Summary
Prologue
At senior prom, eighteen-year-old Dani1 had spent years hiding her love for Levi Coldwell,2 her best friend since freshman year. They'd bonded over sewing lessons and essay editing, then over the deeper wound of losing their fathers — hers to cancer just before high school, his two years earlier.
She'd watched him date other girls and survived, but seeing him kiss someone junior year cracked something open. Tonight, fortified by spiked soda and a confession typed on her phone, she planned to tell him everything. Instead, her platonic date vanished with her phone.
Levi2 found her sobbing in a corridor, cupped her face, and asked what was wrong. Through hiccups and tears, she tried to confess. Whatever he understood, it wasn't what she meant. He walked away. She saw him kissing someone else minutes later. They didn't speak for four years.
Levi's Panicked Lie
Four years later, Dani1 was hiding in a Manhattan restaurant booth watching her friend Gabe's4 bad date when she bumped her head on the bottom of a stranger's beer glass. The stranger was Levi2 — same hazel eyes, now sharper and more handsome. He remembered her favorite drink and bought her one.
He'd called her mother8 the day after graduation for her address but never visited. Their careful catching-up shattered when a strawberry blonde named Bella3 embraced him with possessive familiarity. When Bella3 implied they were still together, Levi2 panicked and told her he was dating Dani.1
Outside, he explained: Bella's3 mother controlled a journalism position at the New York Times he needed. If Bella3 saw him committed, she'd report favorably. Dani1 — unable to refuse the boy who'd never left her thoughts — agreed to pretend.
Softball to Bella's Head
The first wedding event was a softball game between the two families. Dani1 had played in high school but always hit foul balls whenever Levi2 watched — performance anxiety she'd never outgrown. Three strikeouts confirmed nothing had changed.
On her final at-bat, she made contact, sending the ball soaring high and directly into Bella's3 face. The field erupted in screams, then uncomfortable silence, then Bella's3 gracious insistence she should have moved faster.
Worse still, Levi's2 nine-year-old twin sisters Rhea10 and Claire11 — who remembered Dani1 from when they were four and shrieked her old nickname Daisy — announced loudly that she was dating their brother. Sarah,6 Levi's2 sister and the bride, crushed Dani1 in a hug screaming that she'd always known they'd end up together. The family embraced her. The pretense dug deeper.
Poems She Can't Read
Sunday dinners at Trish Coldwell's9 townhouse resumed as if four years hadn't passed. Levi's mother9 told Dani1 across the table, with gleaming satisfaction, that she'd never approved of any girl Levi2 dated before her.
Then she dropped a bombshell: Levi2 had published a book of love poems in French. Dani1 was stunned. Levi2 hid his face, mortified. The poems represented a dream he'd carried since high school, when he'd been working toward fluency to read French literature in its original form.
After dinner, standing on the dark doorstep, Dani1 gathered her courage and asked if the poems were about Bella.3 He said yes. Her heart folded like a letter she wished she'd never opened. She let him kiss her forehead goodnight and told herself it meant nothing.
Pins Between Her Lips
Levi2 arrived in wire-rimmed glasses and a grey sweater for his wedding suit fitting, and Dani1 forgot how to form sentences. She pinned his jacket while holding safety pins between her lips for efficiency — until his fingertips brushed her bottom lip to take them, insisting he could hold them himself.
She knelt to measure his pant legs, face level with his belt, fighting every thought screaming through her body. He asked why they'd stopped talking. She deflected.
He revealed something she'd never known: a boy had made crude comments about her body in high school, and Levi2 had punched him — not out of romantic jealousy, he clarified, but the same protectiveness he felt for his sisters. The comparison melted her. He offered to help with her graduate essay and suggested a trip to the MET for inspiration.
Love Letters in Oil Paint
At the MET, they stopped before a father lifting his daughter in the air, and the shared weight of their grief filled the silence. Levi2 admitted he still heard his father's voice some mornings and ran downstairs before remembering.
Then he led her to a grand painting — Love Letters by Fragonard — of a woman at a desk clutching flowers, bathed in golden light. He said it reminded her of Dani.1 She sketched a dress silhouette right there on the museum bench while he watched with quiet wonderment.
Her creative drought — months of uninspired work on her senior capstone collection — cracked open for the first time. Before they left, he invited her to an engagement gala at the Plaza. She agreed, telling herself it was strictly to convince Bella3 of their relationship.
The Wine Spill Escape
At Sunday dinner, the twins began chanting for Dani1 and Levi2 to kiss, and the entire table joined — even Grandma Coldwell.9 Dani1 panicked: their first kiss couldn't happen as performance. She grabbed her wine glass and spilled it across his white shirt.
He caught on instantly, pulling her to the bathroom. Half-unbuttoned, he asked if kissing him would really be that bad. The mood sharpened when he confronted her about Ethan,7 her academic advisor who'd once asked her out. She snapped that he was acting like her brother — words that struck the deepest nerve in a man forced into a father role since childhood.
His response was raw: her safety mattered more than her irritation, and he refused to be quiet about it for one second. She wrote an apology on strawberry parchment. He called the next night to say he loved it.
Kissed on the Plaza Steps
Dani1 arrived at the engagement gala in her mother's8 deep blue silk dress — backless, floor-length, clinging to curves she usually concealed. Levi2 spotted her from across the room and whispered her childhood nickname like it was the only word he knew.
They danced: chest to chest, his hand firm on her bare back, his thumb drawing slow maps on her skin. He told her she was sunshine and spring, that every room lit up when she spoke. She couldn't bear hearing romantic words from a man she believed didn't love her. She fled to the front steps, crying, insisting she wasn't beautiful.
He kissed her — slow, deep, desperate. A classmate14 interrupted to congratulate Dani1 on her acceptance to a fashion program in Paris. Levi2 hadn't known. Behind them on the steps, Bella3 watched everything. Dani1 assumed the kiss had been for her benefit and left in a cab.
The Wrong 'Him'
The full truth of prom night surfaced in memory. Dani1 had been sobbing on the floor, telling Levi2 she loved him and needed Jeremiah — but Jeremiah wasn't her romantic interest. He was the platonic date who'd left early carrying her phone, which held her written declaration for Levi.2
When she slurred that she loved him and begged for Jeremiah, Levi2 interpreted both references as the same person: he assumed she loved Jeremiah, not him. Devastated, he arranged for her to get home and kissed his actual prom date, Cora, out of defeat.
Dani1 saw the kiss on her way out and concluded Levi2 felt nothing for her. She stopped answering his calls, his texts, his knocks on her door. A catastrophic misunderstanding, built from vodka and pronouns, cost them four years of friendship and everything it could have become.
Every Failure, Stitched
After the gala, Dani1 sat alone with her blank application for Lazaro — her dream graduate school — and Levi's2 advice ringing in her head: write from the heart. So she wrote about failure. The boy who mocked her clothes, after which she went home and replicated Audrey Hepburn's Givenchy dress.
The summer program rejection that led her to design twenty-nine prom dresses for classmates. Watching Project Runway with her dying father in his hospital room. Seeing Levi2 kiss someone else, then cutting crimson hearts from satin and sewing them into a gown with embroidered sonnets — the piece that got her into college.
Every wound had produced something beautiful. She submitted without showing Ethan7 and bought orange crinkle fabric from a thrift store, inspired by the Fragonard painting, for her final capstone dress.
Daisies and a Loaded Question
Levi2 bought Dani1 her first bouquet — daisies — and carried them alongside a skirt and heels from her closet so she could fill in as his dance partner at the wedding rehearsal. At class, pressed close, he insisted she say aloud that she was incredible, refusing to relent until she did.
At a later movie night with the twins, they'd baked her a strawberry shortcake — Dani's1 favorite, which Levi2 had never liked himself. After the girls fell asleep during The Princess Diaries, Dani1 and Levi2 cleaned up by tossing toys into a basket, betting questions on each successful shot.
She asked if he still loved Bella;3 he stunned her by revealing Bella3 had said cruel things about his sisters and resented how much he talked about Dani.1 She told him the thing she wanted most in life was love — consuming, confident, real. He asked if she'd read his poetry book. She hadn't. His face fell.
The Chair, The Knee, The Run
Lazaro's rejection email arrived the same afternoon everything else collapsed. Dani1 went to Ethan's7 office seeking guidance, and he transformed. He told her designs were nothing special, that she never made clothes for herself because she didn't think her body was good enough.
Then he leaned over her chair, hands caging the armrests, hand sliding up her leg, suggesting she dump her boyfriend and let him call Lazaro himself. She kneed him and ran. Outside the building, she crashed into Levi's2 chest. He held her face, calmed her breathing, and asked what happened.
When she managed to say Ethan7 had tried to touch her, something behind Levi's2 eyes turned to iron. She begged him not to go inside. They kissed — desperate, tear-soaked, clutching at each other. Then she pulled away and announced she was accepting the program in Paris. His face broke.
Picking Daisies on Sundays
That night, Dani1 finished her final capstone dress and did something she'd never done: altered it to fit her own body. She ripped off the preppy pearls, took in the bust, and beaded daisies into the fabric — a tribute to Levi2 sewn in thread and devotion.
Then she wrote a love letter confessing eight years of feelings, cabbed to his apartment building, and met Marty outside — the bagel shop owner who turned out to be Levi's2 neighbor. As Marty took the letter to deliver, he mentioned Levi's book with admiration.
Beautiful writing, he said, so much heartbreak for someone so young. He struggled to recall the title. Something with a flower. Then it came to him: Picking Daisies on Sundays. Dani's1 heart stopped on the sidewalk. Daisies — her name. His entire book was named after her.
Every Poem Was Her
Levi2 appeared at her door clutching her letter, visibly shattered. He'd read it over and over and couldn't understand how she could say she loved him and then leave. She brought up prom night — and the truth finally detonated. He'd never known she loved him. He thought she'd been crying over Jeremiah.
The pronouns, the drunkenness, the confusion — it had cost them four years. He pushed a book into her hands: his poetry collection, every French poem now accompanied by handwritten English translations scrawled in dark marker.
She read fragments: her wallpaper, her hydrangeas, her bleeding hearts, her brown hair, her name threaded through every verse. Every single poem was about her. He told her he'd loved her since they were teenagers, that he'd written an entire book trying to survive losing her. She said she loved him. He kissed her until neither could breathe.
He Turned Down Everything
At Sarah's6 wedding in the Hamptons, Levi2 laid a garment bag on their shared bed containing a pomegranate-colored dress with a small embroidered daisy he'd sewn into the collar himself. Then came the real gift: he'd turned down the New York Times position.
His professor had read his poetry and offered him a role teaching French literature at an American school in Paris. Sarah6 and Jeff were moving back to the city to care for the twins. For the first time in his life, Levi2 could leave without guilt.
Before they flew to France, Dani1 visited her father's grave for the first time since he died — deleting years of unsent emails, talking to him aloud. At her senior runway show, she walked in her orange dress with beaded daisies. Everyone she loved cheered. She bowed, and meant it.
Epilogue
Dani1 and Levi2 settled into a Paris apartment where his books overtook the shelves and her fabric scraps colonized the kitchen table. He taught afternoon French literature classes and came home late, planting a kiss on her cheek before sliding into bed. She studied at ESMOD, made new friends, and ate chocolate croissants beneath the Eiffel Tower at midnight.
They visited the tower every night their first week, watching it sparkle in silence. Friends planned visits — Jia5 for Met Gala shopping, Gabe4 with Oliver,13 Levi's2 former roommate he'd started dating. The gold ring Levi2 had bought for Dani's1 eighteenth birthday graduation and worn on his own hand for four years now sat on her finger. Paris was their beginning.
Analysis
Picking Daisies on Sundays operates within the fake-dating romance framework but uses it to explore something more psychologically specific: the way grief and insecurity conspire to make people misread love as pity. Dani's1 father's death didn't just leave her sad — it calcified her self-image at fourteen, freezing her belief that she was fundamentally unworthy of being chosen. Every compliment from Levi2 gets filtered through this lens and reclassified as fraternal care. The fake dating arrangement is the perfect trap for this psychology: it gives her permission to receive his affection while providing a built-in explanation that strips it of meaning.
The novel's central miscommunication — the wrong 'him' at prom — is not merely a plot device but a commentary on how insecurity corrupts interpretation. Dani1 heard her own confession perfectly; Levi2 heard what his self-doubt expected. Both characters are fluent in grief but illiterate in their own worthiness, creating a feedback loop where genuine emotion is consistently translated into safer, less vulnerable categories.
The book's treatment of creativity as an extension of emotional honesty is its most original thematic contribution. Dani's1 design block mirrors her romantic avoidance — she makes clothes for everyone but herself because she doesn't believe her body deserves beautiful things. When she finally alters her capstone dress to fit her own frame, it's not fashion — it's reckoning. The beaded daisies she sews into the fabric aren't decoration; they're a confession stitched into silk.
Levi's2 poetry book provides the structural mirror: an entire collection written about a woman who would never read it, in a language she didn't speak. Both characters spent four years converting pain into art while being unable to simply say what they meant. The novel argues that creative expression is both survival mechanism and prison — it lets you process love without risking it, which is precisely why it proves insufficient. Eventually, you have to translate the French.
Review Summary
Picking Daisies on Sundays garnered mixed reviews, with many readers praising its sweet romance and relatable characters. Fans appreciated the friends-to-lovers and fake dating tropes, as well as the poetic writing style. The main characters, Daniella and Levi, were particularly well-received, with Levi often described as the perfect book boyfriend. However, some critics found the miscommunication trope frustrating and the female lead's insecurity excessive. Overall, the book was lauded for its cozy, spring-like atmosphere and its ability to evoke warm, fuzzy feelings in readers.
People Also Read
Characters
Dani
Heartbroken designer narratorFashion design student, aspiring haute couture designer, and the novel's narrator. She lost her father to cancer just before high school, which calcified her self-image at fourteen. Her insecurity runs marrow-deep: she deflects compliments reflexively, hides her body in oversized vintage clothes, and cannot separate her self-worth from external validation. She fell in love with Levi2 at sixteen and has never recovered, though she's convinced his affection is purely fraternal. Her coping mechanism is avoidance—she cuts people off before they can hurt her. She processes grief through unsent emails to her dead father and channels heartbreak into sewing. Her creative block mirrors her emotional stagnation: she designs beautiful clothes for everyone but herself. Her journey is about learning she is someone worth seeing, worth choosing, worth dressing.
Levi
Poetry-writing surrogate fatherEnglish and education major who became a father figure to his three sisters after losing his dad in childhood. Impossibly kind, protective to a fault, and utterly oblivious to his own attractiveness. He channels intense emotion into French poetry, filling an entire book with verses about a subject he's reluctant to discuss. His central conflict is the tension between devotion to his family—particularly his twin sisters10—and desires he struggles to name. He treats every woman in his life as someone worth protecting, which sometimes manifests as overprotective control he's learning to temper. Where Dani1 hides behind baggy clothes, he hides behind selflessness, defining himself entirely through service rather than confronting what he actually wants. His nervous habits—scratching his neck, fidgeting with his rings—betray the vulnerability his composure conceals.
Bella
Glamorous ex with leverageLevi's2 glamorous ex-girlfriend and one of Sarah's6 bridesmaids. Her mother runs the Arts department at the New York Times and controls a journalism position Levi2 needs, giving her indirect leverage over his career. Strawberry blonde and territorially confident, she oscillates between moments of surface warmth and possessive aggression toward Dani1. Her presence at every wedding event forces Dani1 to perform the girlfriend role while battling the belief that she is the kind of effortlessly beautiful woman Levi2 truly deserves.
Gabe
Romantic optimist and comic reliefDani's1 close friend and the most vocal believer that Levi2 has feelings for her. Gay, short, theatrical, and a marketing intern who wears platform sneakers. He orchestrates the purse test, argues passionately about celebrity fashion at club meetings, and stages fake pregnancy rescues for bad dates. Beneath the comedy lies genuine emotional intelligence—he reads Levi's2 body language better than Dani1 does and pushes her toward truths she'd rather avoid.
Jia
Blunt pragmatist and protectorDani's1 close friend who works in fashion and changes her hair color every season. She provides the pragmatic counterweight to Gabe's4 romantic optimism, warning Dani1 from the start that she's the other woman in someone else's love story. Fiercely protective and unflinchingly blunt, she draws on her Korean heritage for comfort during Dani's1 lowest moments, offering proverbs about hardship preceding happiness.
Sarah
Levi's bride sisterLevi's2 younger sister and the bride whose wedding structures the entire fake-dating timeline. Confident, emphatic, and impossible to refuse, she insists on Dani's1 involvement in every event. She screams 'FINALLY' upon learning Dani1 and Levi2 are together and treats Dani1 as family from the moment she reappears. Her wedding provides the framework through which every escalation of the pretense unfolds.
Ethan
Predatory academic advisorDani's1 academic advisor at fashion school. Professionally accomplished and casually confident in designer clothes, he swings between harsh criticism and unexpected warmth, creating dependence on his approval. He once asked Dani1 on a date before becoming her advisor. His helpfulness carries conditions that become increasingly apparent, and his mentorship masks something far more self-serving beneath the polished surface.
Linda
Famous designer motherDani's1 mother and a celebrated wedding dress designer. Type-A, decisive, and deeply supportive, she carries the philosophy her late husband instilled: you have to do the scary stuff to get to the good stuff. She has watched her daughter stop taking chances since her father's death and worries quietly about it. Her closet of designer clothes becomes the source of Dani's1 gala dress.
Trish
Levi's approving motherLevi's2 mother, a real estate agent who transitioned from teaching after her husband's death. She wears a warm but tired smile and has never approved of any girl Levi2 dated—until Dani1 reappears.
Rhea
Sassy twin sisterOne of Levi's2 nine-year-old twin sisters. Has brunette bangs and an outsized personality. She accidentally reveals the fake relationship at the softball game and later steals Levi's2 phone to recruit Dani1 as a dance partner.
Claire
Thoughtful twin sisterRhea's10 twin, quieter and more observant. She asks Dani1 how you know when you're in love and innocently reveals that Levi2 talks about Dani1 constantly and says she smells like flowers.
Mandy
Flower shop auntDani's1 aunt, her late father's sister, who runs the flower shop called Daisy's. Eccentric and warm, she lives with Dani1 in a brownstone overflowing with ivy and flower arrangements.
Oliver
Levi's hint-dropping roommateLevi's2 roommate who enrolled in his Jane Austen class for support. He tells Dani1 she should read Levi's book, hinting heavily at its contents, and later begins dating Gabe4.
Sandra
Outspoken classmateDani's1 fashion school classmate. Enthusiastic and romantically starved, she inadvertently reveals Dani's1 Paris acceptance to Levi2 at the gala, triggering the night's unraveling.
Plot Devices
The Poetry Book
Hidden love confession in FrenchLevi's2 published collection of French love poems, written during the four years he and Dani1 were apart. Dani1 receives a copy but refuses to read it, believing the poems celebrate Bella3. The book operates as dramatic irony incarnate—its truth sits in Dani's1 bag for weeks while she avoids it. Oliver13 hints she should read it; Levi2 asks if she has and is visibly disappointed when she hasn't. The title itself—Picking Daisies on Sundays—contains her nickname, but since it's printed in French, she never translates it. A neighbor accidentally reveals the English title, cracking the first fissure in Dani's1 assumptions. When Levi2 finally hands her a copy with handwritten English translations, every verse maps to specific details of her life: her wallpaper, her flowers, her brown hair.
The Fake Dating Arrangement
Forces proximity under pretenseWhen Bella's3 appearance threatens Levi's2 job prospects, he spontaneously claims Dani1 as his girlfriend. The arrangement requires them to attend wedding events, hold hands, and perform intimacy before his family—all while Dani1 suppresses real feelings and Levi2 conceals his own. It creates a structure where every genuine moment of tenderness can be dismissed as acting, allowing both characters to touch, compliment, and care for each other without accountability. The arrangement's cruelest function is that it gives Dani1 exactly what she has always wanted while insisting none of it is real. Sunday dinners, dance classes, a shared bed at the beach house—each escalation feels like borrowed happiness she'll eventually have to return.
Emails to Dad
Grief processing through writingAfter Dani's1 father died of cancer, Levi2 taught her a therapist's technique: write out everything as if composing an autobiography. Dani1 adapted this into unsent emails addressed to her father, treating him like a pen pal who would never reply. These emails serve as her private emotional outlet—she writes after hitting Bella3 with a softball, after arguments with Levi2, after moments she wishes her father could witness. The device externalizes grief that Dani1 cannot speak aloud and mirrors the novel's broader theme: both she and Levi2 convert pain into written words rather than confronting it directly. The emails' final appearance—deleted at his graveside—marks her transition from talking to absence toward living fully within it.
The Prom Night Miscommunication
Central dramatic engineThe story's emotional architecture rests on a single misunderstanding from senior prom. Drunk and sobbing, Dani1 told Levi2 she loved him while asking for Jeremiah—her platonic date who had her phone containing a written confession meant for Levi2. He heard 'I love him' and 'I need Jeremiah' and concluded both referred to the same person. This one misheard pronoun cost them four years of friendship and romantic possibility. The miscommunication is revealed in careful layers: Dani's1 perspective first in the prologue, the full context in a later flashback, and finally mutual understanding when they confront it together. The device illustrates how insecurity corrupts interpretation—each character heard what their self-doubt expected.
Dani's Capstone Dresses
Barometer of self-worthDani's1 senior fashion project—five dresses for a runway exhibit—parallels her emotional arc throughout the story. Her creative block mirrors romantic stagnation: she designs beautiful garments for others but never for herself because she doesn't believe her body deserves them. The Fragonard painting at the MET breaks her drought, inspiring an orange dress that initially follows her usual pattern of designing for a model's body. After a devastating encounter with her advisor7, she defiantly alters the dress to fit her own frame—taking in the bust, chopping the length, ripping off the pearls. She then beads daisies into the fabric as a private tribute to Levi2. Walking the runway wearing her own creation becomes the physical manifestation of finally seeing herself as someone worth dressing.
FAQ
Synopsis & Basic Details
What is Picking Daisies on Sundays about?
- Unrequited love and friendship: The story centers around a young woman, Daniella "Daisy" Maria, who is deeply in love with her best friend, Levi Coldwell. The narrative explores her internal conflict as she navigates her unspoken feelings while trying to maintain their close friendship.
- Years of unspoken feelings: The story spans several years, from high school to early adulthood, showcasing the evolution of Daniella and Levi's relationship and the challenges they face as they grow and change.
- A fake relationship with real consequences: A significant plot point involves Daniella and Levi pretending to be a couple to help Levi secure a job, which complicates their dynamic and forces them to confront their true feelings for each other.
- Finding love and self-discovery: Ultimately, the story is about Daniella's journey of self-discovery and her quest to find love, as she learns to embrace her vulnerabilities and take risks in pursuit of her own happiness.
Why should I read Picking Daisies on Sundays?
- Relatable emotional journey: Readers who enjoy stories about friendship, love, and self-discovery will find Daniella's emotional journey relatable and engaging. The novel explores the complexities of human relationships and the challenges of navigating unspoken feelings.
- Heartfelt and poignant narrative: Liana Cincotti's writing style is described as heartfelt and poignant, creating a story that resonates with readers on an emotional level. The novel delves into the characters' internal struggles and vulnerabilities, making them feel authentic and relatable.
- Exploration of themes: The novel explores themes of grief, healing, and the importance of communication in relationships. Readers who appreciate stories that delve into deeper emotional and psychological themes will find Picking Daisies on Sundays thought-provoking and meaningful.
- Character-driven story: The story is character-driven, with a focus on the development and growth of Daniella and Levi. Readers who enjoy stories that prioritize character development and emotional depth will find Picking Daisies on Sundays a rewarding read.
What is the background of Picking Daisies on Sundays?
- Grief and loss: The story is set against the backdrop of grief and loss, as both Daniella and Levi have experienced the death of a parent. This shared experience forms a strong bond between them and influences their perspectives on life and relationships.
- High school and college: The story spans several years, from the characters' high school years to their early adulthood in college. This allows the author to explore the challenges and transitions that young people face as they navigate their identities and relationships.
- New York City setting: The story is set in New York City, which provides a vibrant and dynamic backdrop for the characters' lives. The city's cultural and artistic scene influences their aspirations and provides opportunities for personal growth and self-discovery.
- Wedding industry: The wedding industry plays a role in the story, as Daniella's mother is a wedding dress designer. This provides insight into Daniella's creative pursuits and adds a layer of glamour and sophistication to the narrative.
What are the most memorable quotes in Picking Daisies on Sundays?
- "My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue.": This quote from Taylor Swift's "Lover," used in the prologue, encapsulates the central theme of the story: the narrator's unrequited love and the bittersweet nature of their relationship. It foreshadows the emotional journey that Daniella will undertake.
- "How did I ever let time pass this long without seeing you?": This quote highlights the sense of longing and regret that both Daniella and Levi experience after years of separation. It speaks to the enduring nature of their connection and the missed opportunities that haunt them.
- "It's all you loved, but never yourself.": This quote encapsulates a central theme of the story, Daniella's tendency to prioritize others' needs and desires over her own. It highlights her journey of self-discovery and her struggle to embrace her own worth and happiness.
What writing style, narrative choices, and literary techniques does Liana Cincotti use?
- First-person narration: The story is told from Daniella's perspective, providing readers with intimate access to her thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This allows for a deep exploration of her internal struggles and emotional journey.
- Descriptive and evocative language: Cincotti uses descriptive and evocative language to create a vivid sense of place and atmosphere. The descriptions of New York City, the characters' emotions, and the details of their surroundings immerse the reader in the story.
- Use of flashbacks and memories: The narrative incorporates flashbacks and memories to provide context and depth to the characters' relationships and motivations. These glimpses into the past help readers understand the origins of Daniella and Levi's bond and the events that have shaped their lives.
- Dialogue-driven scenes: The story relies heavily on dialogue to reveal character relationships and advance the plot. The conversations between Daniella and Levi, as well as her friends and family, are realistic and engaging, providing insight into their personalities and motivations.
Hidden Details & Subtle Connections
What are some minor details that add significant meaning?
- Strawberry shortcake: Levi's lifelong love for strawberry shortcake, and his offer of "free strawberry shortcake for the rest of your life," symbolizes his deep understanding of Daniella and his willingness to offer her comfort and happiness. It's a recurring motif that represents their enduring connection.
- The fairy vase: The fairy vase that Daniella hides before Levi arrives symbolizes her insecurity and fear of being seen as childish or immature. It represents her struggle to reconcile her true self with the image she wants to project to others.
- The ladybug phobia: Daniella's fear of ladybugs, stemming from a childhood incident, highlights her vulnerability and the lasting impact of seemingly insignificant experiences. It also serves as a humorous detail that reveals her quirky personality.
- The color brown: Daniella reflects on how she "never understood why anyone spoke poorly of the color brown, it was a dream on you," referring to Levi's hair. This seemingly throwaway line reveals her deep admiration for him and how she finds beauty in his natural features.
What are some subtle foreshadowing and callbacks?
- The prom night scene: The prologue foreshadows the heartbreak and separation that Daniella and Levi will experience, creating a sense of anticipation and dread. The image of Daniella being "stranded" as Levi rushes down the stairs hints at the power dynamics and emotional distance that will define their relationship.
- The tongue ring story: The "tongue story" that Gabe threatens to reveal foreshadows the awkwardness and vulnerability that Daniella will experience as she navigates her feelings for Levi. It also highlights the importance of honesty and communication in their relationship.
- The "friends" refrain: The recurring emphasis on Daniella and Levi being "just friends" serves as a subtle form of dramatic irony, as readers are aware of Daniella's true feelings and the potential for their relationship to evolve. It also creates a sense of tension and anticipation, as readers wait for them to finally acknowledge their love for each other.
- The wallpaper above her bed frame: Daniella reflects that "The wallpaper above her bed frame was glued in my brain the way it was glued against her walls. I got so close to running my fingers against it." This seemingly minor detail foreshadows the deep connection and familiarity between Daniella and Levi, as well as the lasting impact of their shared experiences.
What are some unexpected character connections?
- Marty and Levi: The revelation that Marty, the owner of Daniella's favorite bagel shop, is Levi's neighbor creates a sense of interconnectedness and serendipity. It highlights the small-world nature of New York City and the unexpected ways in which people's lives can intersect.
- Bella and Sarah: The connection between Bella and Sarah as friends adds complexity to the dynamic between Daniella, Levi, and Bella. It reveals that Bella is not simply an ex-girlfriend, but a part of Levi's family circle, making their interactions more nuanced and emotionally charged.
- Ethan and Levi: The subtle rivalry between Ethan and Levi, stemming from their differing views on Daniella's career and their unspoken attraction to her, creates tension and conflict in the story. It highlights the different paths that Daniella could take and the choices she must make about her future.
Who are the most significant supporting characters?
- Jia and Gabe: As Daniella's best friends, Jia and Gabe provide unwavering support, comic relief, and honest advice throughout her journey. They serve as a sounding board for her emotions and help her navigate the complexities of her relationship with Levi.
- Trish Coldwell: As Levi's mother, Trish offers Daniella a sense of family and belonging, providing a warm and accepting presence in her life. Her approval and affection for Daniella add another layer of complexity to Daniella's feelings for Levi.
- Sarah Coldwell: As Levi's sister, Sarah serves as a bridge between Daniella and Levi, offering insight into his character and motivations. Her support and encouragement help Daniella to embrace her true feelings and take risks in pursuit of her own happiness.
Psychological, Emotional, & Relational Analysis
What are some unspoken motivations of the characters?
- Levi's need to provide: Levi's strong desire to secure a job, even one he doesn't particularly want, stems from his deep-seated need to provide for his family. Having lost his father at a young age, he feels a responsibility to support his mother and sisters, even at the expense of his own happiness.
- Daniella's fear of vulnerability: Daniella's reluctance to confess her feelings for Levi is rooted in her fear of vulnerability and rejection. Having experienced loss and heartbreak in the past, she is hesitant to open herself up to the possibility of further pain.
- Bella's desire for validation: Bella's continued presence in Levi's life, despite their breakup, suggests a desire for validation and attention. She seems to enjoy the power she holds over him through her mother's influence and the lingering connection they share.
- Ethan's ambition and entitlement: Ethan's actions towards Daniella reveal his ambition and sense of entitlement. He believes that he is entitled to her affection and that his connections and expertise give him the right to pressure her into making certain choices.
What psychological complexities do the characters exhibit?
- Daniella's low self-esteem: Daniella struggles with low self-esteem and a tendency to compare herself to others. She often doubts her own worth and abilities, which influences her decisions and relationships.
- Levi's selflessness and guilt: Levi's selflessness and dedication to his family are admirable, but they also come with a sense of guilt and a tendency to put others' needs before his own. He struggles to balance his responsibilities with his own desires and happiness.
- Bella's manipulative tendencies: Bella exhibits manipulative tendencies, using her mother's influence and her past relationship with Levi to get what she wants. She seems to enjoy playing games and exerting control over others.
- Ethan's inflated ego: Ethan displays an inflated ego and a sense of entitlement, believing that his expertise and connections give him the right to pressure Daniella into making certain choices. He lacks empathy and fails to recognize the impact of his actions on others.
What are the major emotional turning points?
- The prom night confession: The prom night confession, though ultimately deferred, marks a significant emotional turning point for Daniella. It forces her to confront her feelings for Levi and consider the potential consequences of her actions.
- The discovery of the poetry book: The discovery of Levi's poetry book is a major emotional turning point, as it reveals the depth of his feelings for Daniella and challenges her assumptions about their relationship.
- The kiss: The kiss between Daniella and Levi is a pivotal emotional moment, as it blurs the lines between friendship and romance and forces them to confront their true feelings for each other.
- Ethan's actions: Ethan's actions towards Daniella are a major emotional turning point, as they force her to recognize her own worth and take control of her life. It also serves as a catalyst for her decision to pursue her dreams in Paris.
How do relationship dynamics evolve?
- Daniella and Levi: The relationship between Daniella and Levi evolves from a close friendship to a complex web of unspoken feelings, misunderstandings, and missed opportunities. Their dynamic is characterized by a push and pull between their desire for connection and their fear of vulnerability.
- Daniella and Ethan: The relationship between Daniella and Ethan evolves from a professional mentorship to a tense and uncomfortable power dynamic. Ethan's actions reveal his true character and force Daniella to assert her boundaries.
- Daniella and her friends: The relationship between Daniella and her friends, Jia and Gabe, remains a constant source of support and understanding throughout the story. Their unwavering friendship provides her with a sense of belonging and helps her navigate the challenges of her emotional journey.
Interpretation & Debate
Which parts of the story remain ambiguous or open-ended?
- The extent of Levi's awareness: While the poetry book reveals Levi's feelings for Daniella, the extent to which he was aware of his own emotions and the impact they had on her remains somewhat ambiguous. It's open to interpretation whether he was truly oblivious to her feelings or simply afraid to acknowledge them.
- The future of Daniella and Levi's relationship: While the story ends with Daniella and Levi together in Paris, the long-term prospects of their relationship remain open-ended. The challenges of distance, career aspirations, and personal growth could still test their bond in the future.
- The impact of Ethan's actions: The story leaves the reader to imagine the full consequences of Ethan's actions and the impact they will have on his career and reputation. It's unclear whether he will face any repercussions for his behavior or whether he will continue to exploit his power and influence.
What are some debatable, controversial scenes or moments in Picking Daisies on Sundays?
- Levi's relationship with Bella: Levi's continued contact with Bella, despite their breakup and her manipulative behavior, could be seen as controversial. Some readers may question his judgment and wonder why he continues to engage with someone who clearly doesn't have his best interests at heart.
- Daniella's decision to pretend: Daniella's decision to pretend to be Levi's girlfriend could be seen as controversial, as it involves deceiving his family and potentially hurting others. Some readers may question her ethics and wonder if the ends justify the means.
- Ethan's behavior: Ethan's actions towards Daniella are undoubtedly controversial and could be seen as a form of sexual harassment. Some readers may find his behavior disturbing and question the power dynamics that exist in academic and professional settings.
Picking Daisies on Sundays Ending Explained: How It Ends & What It Means
- Acceptance and self-love: The ending emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and self-love as Daniella finally embraces her own worth and takes control of her life. Her decision to pursue her dreams in Paris is a testament to her newfound confidence and her willingness to take risks in pursuit of her own happiness.
- The power of vulnerability: The ending highlights the power of vulnerability and the importance of open communication in relationships. By finally expressing their true feelings for each other, Daniella and Levi are able to overcome years of misunderstandings and build a stronger, more authentic connection.
- A hopeful future: The ending offers a hopeful vision of the future, as Daniella and Levi embark on a new chapter in their lives together. Their decision to move to Paris symbolizes a commitment to their relationship and a willingness to embrace the unknown, suggesting that their love can overcome any obstacle.
Download PDF
Download EPUB
.epub digital book format is ideal for reading ebooks on phones, tablets, and e-readers.
