Blending not only flour, eggs, butter and sugar with their exacting baker’s hands, A Bakery In Paris also combines the key ingredients of drama, romance and courage that make this historical tale a success
Paris, 1870 and the Prussians are on the move to surround Paris to bring the city to her knees. The Versaillais are in disarray and unable to rise to the threat, but underneath the battle for power is a rising movement – The Communards within the National Guard and there’s an anthem of revolution coursing through mind and body.
The lines are drawn within polite society, but reputation and riches are a feeble defence when the city borders are locked and the siege of Paris has begun. Young Madame Lisette must decide where her loyalties lay and what cost she is prepared to pay as she is enraptured with the ideals for a Paris Commune.
In a dual era tale – Lisette’s great-grand-daughter, Micheline is trying to solve the mystery of her mother Eliane’s disappearance during the liberation of Paris at the end of World War Two. In 1946, left with two younger sisters, Micheline must carve out an income and keep the family home as they await their mother’s return. Hope is found in a kindly neighbour who knew Lisette, the history of their Montmartre home and all the culinary secrets that will inspire Micheline too.
The link is their baker’s skills and delicate pastry craft – gifts passed down through the generations and when there’s social upheaval only meaningful, purposeful work will suffice. But, the Parisian women have the bonds of a weathered recipe book to glean from and it is this that underpins this captivating historical tale.
Drama, friendships forged through shared ideals, romance and courage are the essential ingredients that combine perfectly with the whisks and pastry delicacies created by the women across three generations that was a joy to read.
Harper Collins
ISBN 9780063350304