Julia Lombardi's amnesia becomes the central mystery, driving her every action as she navigates the strangeness of the Garden of Monsters. The garden itself, with its eerie statues and whispered secrets, serves as a metaphor for the weight of the unknown past, both Julia's and that of the world around her. As Julia grapples with fragmented memories and unsettling feelings of familiarity, King explores how the past, even when forgotten, continues to shape our present.

Salvador Dalí, with his flamboyant personality and obsessive artistic vision, embodies the intoxicating allure of artistic passion. Yet, the novel also delves into the darker side of such fervent dedication. Dalí's insistence on blurring the lines between reality and his artistic visions, particularly his fixation on Julia as Persephone, highlights how easily obsession can morph into manipulation and control. This theme plays out not only with Dalí but also with Ignazio, whose captivating charm masks a possessive undercurrent that further complicates Julia's journey of self-discovery.

King interweaves the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades throughout the narrative, mirroring Julia's own descent into the mysterious world of the Garden and her complex relationships with both Dalí and Ignazio. This constant interplay between myth and reality adds layers of symbolic depth to the story. The pomegranate seeds, a key element in the Persephone myth, become a recurring motif symbolizing choice, transformation, and the potential for both entrapment and liberation.