Five Quarters of The Orange

Five Quarters of the Orange is a novel by Joanne Harris first published by Doubleday in 2001. Although featuring different characters, it is the third novel in the loosely-termed "food trilogy" that also includes Chocolat and Blackberry Wine.

Five Quarters of the Orange includes two time lines, alternating throughout the novel. The first time line begins in present-day France, following the life of the widowed Framboise Dartigen (Françoise Simon) in her return to the village of her childhood, from which her family was expelled during the Second World War. Now in her seventies, Framboise opens a small restaurant, cooking the recipes left to her by her mother, whilst concealing her identity, lest she be recognized as the daughter of the woman who once brought shame and tragedy upon the village. The rest of the story takes place during Framboise's early childhood, during the German Occupation. Here, Framboise remembers her difficult relationship with her mother and two siblings as well as her dangerous friendship with a young German officer. Five Quarters of the Orange deals with coming-of-age, the darkness of childhood, and most prominently, betrayal and the ripple effect it sets off.

As with her other works, Blackberry Wine and Chocolat, Joanne Harris places strong emphasis on the symbolic and emotioanl importance of food and cooking throughout the novel. For Framboise's mother, cooking is a means of expressing her love for her children, whereas others use food as a weapon, for bartering and blackmail. Food also serves its purpose as a gateway to the past and is a significant key to tying the two time lines together.