A tale beautifully, wisely, and masterfully told.” — Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun
From the multiple-award-winning, critically acclaimed author of The Hummingbird and The Curiosity comes a dazzling novel of World War II—a shimmering tale of courage, determination, optimism, and the resilience of the human spirit, set in a small Normandy village on the eve of D-Day.
small Normandy village on the eve of D-Day.
On June 5, 1944, as dawn rises over a small town on the Normandy coast of France, Emmanuelle is making the bread that has sustained her fellow villagers in the dark days since the Germans invaded her country.
Only twenty-two, Emma learned to bake at the side of a master, Ezra Kuchen, the village baker since before she was born. Apprenticed to Ezra at thirteen, Emma watched with shame and anger as her kind mentor was forced to wear the six-pointed yellow star on his clothing. She was likewise powerless to help when they pulled Ezra from his shop at gunpoint, the first of many villagers stolen away and never seen again.
In the years that her sleepy coastal village has suffered under the enemy, Emma has silently, stealthily fought back. Each day, she receives an extra ration of flour to bake a dozen baguettes for the occupying troops. And each day, she mixes that precious flour with ground straw to create enough dough for two extra loaves—contraband bread she shares with the hungry villagers. Under the cold, watchful eyes of armed soldiers, she builds a clandestine network of barter and trade that she and the villagers use to thwart their occupiers.
But her gift to the village is more than these few crusty loaves. Emma gives the people a taste of hope—the faith that one day the Allies will arrive to save them.
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It was a very well written account of life during the Occupation .
Good history of communist times.
The characters were so real and heartwarming.
the WWII occupation seems forgotten and it is good to remember the the French civilians lost ?50x more that the allies. This tale [? actual] is a well told reminder.
In a French village by the sea, in the years of German occupation, there is enough of privation and want to despair. But the villagers trust Emma the baker to keep them alive. A heartwarming tale of someone who takes it upon herself to do what she can to keep her village alive. I loved this book and stayed up way too late finishing it. I’m sure you will too.
Interesting and sad.
Could hardly put it down..
Well written story of strength and perseverance during the Nazi occupation of northern France. A character driven novel that seems to have more than a hint of truth.
Loved this book. Easy to read and gave a good picture of what occupied countries endured during World War II. The German Nazis were brutal in their treatment of the French among others. It was a wonderful story of endurance, courage and ingenuity
Beautiful, lyrical, real. Complex characters deal with hard situations in varying and realistic ways. Not predictable. Very satisfying.
Loved it!
Wonderful depiction of of what the French people who lived on the coast during the German occupation and the Allied invasion.
A vivid cast of indomitable French suffer under the Nazi occupation during WW2.
This realistic book showed the power of one woman’s power to alter a town.
This book was very enjoyable. Like many stories if WW2 and the occupation of France, it was filled with sadness but also a story of heroics in the face of adversity. A fully enjoyable read!!
Loved it!
I loved the history. Wonderful story and hard to put down!
I loved the book. I would have liked to what happens to the characters next, will there be a sequel?
Well-written with good character development. I anticipated a different ending but as not disappointed in the conclusion.
It was an amazing nteresting vignette of that period.