#WomensHistoricalFiction #HistoricalFiction #ForbiddenLove #FamilySecrets
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.
Buy The Resistance Bakery
Historical fiction is not often on my radar, but this one caught my attention because of the culinary aspect and the story being wrapped in WWII. Within a few pages, I felt whisked away inside the time period, a time before cell phones, social media, and other modern day conveniences. To absorb the atmosphere of the environment I was reading, I powered the TV off and turned off all notifications, leaving calls and texts to vibrate (in case of an emergency). Absolutely worth the quiet time because this book was incredible!
The dual timeline of the 1940’s to present (present being the 80’s for the book) flowed well as the story unfolded that Coralie was telling her granddaughter, Raven, a story that she’s kept locked up for years. She could have easily accepted an unfavorable path, instead, opting for one that provided adventure, courage, and a unfortunately, devastating heartache.
I put myself in Coralie’s shoes, absorbing the smell of the baked goods, the sights, sounds, physical touches, and the underlying fear of wondering if what she was doing would be the right choice. Working alongside the Abwehr (the enemy – Germany’s Intelligence Service), she has a front-row seat to their inner workings.
Coralie and Raven find a connection and eventually, a sense of peace during the time they share. It’s a bit sentimental as I long for the days that my own grandparents shared stories of triumph and tragedy of their own during the same time frame. Absolutely an incredible read for those who long to connect to the past!
A quote to leave you with that will stick with me: “In a world ruled by hatred and fear, happiness is an act of rebellion.”
About the Author | Siobhan Curham
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.
