Lydia's necklace

The three loops on Lydia's necklace are symbolic of family and deep abiding love. Lydia consistently wears a gold chain with three loops, each representing one of her immediate family members. Sebastian gave it to her when Luca was born and when she is nervous she has a "habit of looping the three interlocking circles together onto the tip of her pinky nail" (20). These loops and rings comfort and strengthen Lydia and represent the circle of familial love and motherhood. They remind her to honor Sebastian's death and protect Luca at all costs.

Tattoos

Tattoos mark cartel members and are symbolic of danger and death. Luca astutely notices Lorenzo's tattoo early on and is aware that the tattoo symbolizes violence. The tattoo is of a sickle with blood dripping from its tip. The drops of blood that drip from the sickle indicate the number of...