Food, or more specifically the consumption of food, plays a significant role in She's Gone, often coming at emotionally charged moments. Dawes goes into great detail about the process of preparation and consumption, imbuing eating with an inescapable significance at points connection and tension.

It is downright sensuous.

Well-wrapped package

So when Keisha eats the tamarind balls that Kofi leaves as part of an early gift (along with an airline ticket to Jamaica to seriously reinforce his invitation) Dawes writes:

"A bundle of shimmering red wrapping paper with a pink ribbon tied in a bow rested in the box. She opened the package and found six small brown balls covered with white sugar wrapped in wax paper. They had a tangy scent. She nibbled into one of the sweets and her mouth filled with saliva from the tart and sweet taste that burst in her mouth. The rush of sensation caused her skin to pimple. She liked it. She liked it a lot."

Pregnant woman

When a pregnant Keisha is on the verge of getting back with Troy, things take a liquid turn:

"She took the glass and started to drink. She looked at him. He sat with his legs apart, his right hand dangling lewdly between his legs. He stared at her with confidence, waiting for her to make the move. "Give me a sip, baby," he said. She walked toward him and stretched her hand out with the glass. She put the glass to his lips and gently turned it up and watched as the water filled his mouth. He gulped. Drops spilled from the side. The trickle fell down his jaw and onto his shoulders. She poured more quickly, letting the water spill onto his chest. 'Uh-huh, u-huh,' he groaned between gulps. He rubbed the water on his chest. The spill left a dark stain on his sweat bottoms. She could see that he was aroused. She could feel the warmth of her own arousal."

And it is not surprising that the baby starts its passage down the passage when Keisha is in the kitchen:

"When she realised it was time, Keisha had been cooking. She did not want to rush. She stood in the kitchen and finished the stew peas and rice she was preparing."

Food first, baby next, just as how the child was conceived.