Smoke & Mirrors

The Resistance Bakery by Siobhan Curan is a powerful dual timeline historical novel that totally consumed me.

The action is set in Paris during the Nazi occupation from 1940 and also in America in 1984. Chapters alternate between the two time periods which are linked by a granddaughter hearing of her grandmother’s wartime exploits.

We see that not all Germans are Nazis who agree with Hitler. “I was … taken aback by how normal they [Nazis] looked.” Evil does not look so different from anyone else.

As young French and German people mixed in a hotel kitchen, hatred did not come easily. They were all united in their love of cooking. “The whole point of war is to get us to hate each other, but for what?” War seemed even more futile when the enemy was just like us.

A young French pastry chef is conflicted in her mind between the dreadful treatment of her Jewish friend and also the kindness of a German cook. Her emotions are tossed by the wind.

The non-Jewish pastry chef shows her loyalty to her Jewish friend by wearing the star of David on her clothes too. “I’m choosing not to see it as a target … I’m choosing to see it as a sign of how much I love you.” Resistance comes in many forms as seen when the two women dress up in their posh frocks, wear a smile and sing.

In 1984 there was the fear of a nuclear war between Russia and the United States. No one wants war but politicians drag the people into it. “It gives me hope that ordinary people are the same all over the world, it’s just our leaders that get us into these messes with their crazy power games.”

The granddaughter in 1984 feels misunderstood and invisible to her parents but bonds with a grandmother she has not seen for five years. Despite the generational gap, the two are united especially as the grandmother ‘sees’ and ‘gets’ her granddaughter. We see the importance of listening and of letting people express their individuality.

As the characters bond over food, the reader’s taste buds are tempted. Creating food and pastry dishes can be seen as an art form.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Resistance Bakery. It was an engaging read with a delightful set of characters.

I will leave you with my favourite quote:

“In a world ruled by hatred and fear, happiness is an act of rebellion.”

I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

JULIA WILSON

Book Description:

Paris, 1943. The scent of fresh baguettes hangs in the air as Coralie unbolts the door to her bakery with trembling fingers. She must get out of the city. Hiding her precious leather recipe book inside her coat, she promises never to let the secret locations of the people she worked tirelessly to save fall into German hands…

Present day. Raven is unhappy about being shipped off to the other side of the country for the summer to stay with the mysterious French grandmother she barely knows. And discovering a tattered, leather-bound book with yellowed pages full of handwritten recipes and coded numbers, she is stunned.

Her grandmother has never baked for her. And she refuses to talk about Paris, or the past. Flipping through the book, a faded photograph of a laughing couple falls out. As Raven scans the writing on the back she can scarcely believe her eyes…

What really happened in that tiny French bakery all those years ago? And could this forgotten recipe book finally bring healing to a woman still haunted by wartime secrets? Or has Raven’s discovery shattered any chance of bonding with her grandmother, before her time runs out?

The Resistance Bakery is an unforgettable page-turner about forbidden love and family secrets in World War Two. Fans of The Letter, The Nightingale and Fiona Valpy will be totally hooked.

Author Bio:

Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.

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Buy Link:

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Sarah Hardy

Publicist

Bookouture
Storyfire Ltd
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ

Storyfire Limited, a member of Hachette UK Group, registered in England and Wales under company no. 7893911

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