In 1870 Paris, young Lisette Vigneau lives a life of luxury in the Place Royale with her wealthy parents and employees. While she complies with her mother’s commands, she sneaks into the kitchen to learn and assist the servants in how to cook the house’s meals. However, the Prussians are at the city’s gates and obstructing the food supply. And when she meets National Guardsman Theodore Fournier, her world expands far beyond the walls of her home. In 1946 Paris, young Micheline Chartier is raising her two younger sisters. She endures the death of her father and disappearance of her mother two years prior, during WWII. With the help of her neighbor, she enrolls in a prestigious baking academy but the path ahead overwhelms her. But her classmate Laurent Tanet lends a helping hand each step of the way. Yet she continues to search for answers as to her mother’s whereabouts, unable to accept the possibility that she won’t return home. A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan is a historical fiction novel that details the lives of two young women, generations apart, connected by simple bakery, where they both must overcome loss in order to persevere. 

When Lisette meets Theodore, she learns about the pending revolution led by the commoners. They want to overthrow the monarchy and take back their country. Theo’s ability to inspire the people hooks Lisette. She is also starting to realize that not all Parisians are as fortunate as her. So when her parents arrange an engagement to Versaillas troop member Gaspard d’Amboise, she realizes she wants more than to be a housewife. But walking away from the arrangement means leaving behind her luxurious life and everything she’s ever known. Even so, she makes the choice to join Theo’s cause. Forced into poverty due to the impending invasion, she opens a small bakery to feed the people and contribute to the community. 

The other point of view in A Bakery in Paris is Micheline’s. At age nineteen, she’s had to make choices and sacrifices to ensure her sisters were cared for. At the same time, she hasn’t given up on finding her mother. She makes regular visits to the authorities to inquire about the search. Meanwhile, at the baking academy, she works tirelessly to create edible dishes and avoid failure. Luckily the bistro below her apartment, along with her great-grandmother’s recipe journal, are available and equipped with the resources she needs to practice. And with the help of Laurent, all hope is not lost for her. 

Runyan beautifully weaves the two stories together in A Bakery in Paris. Readers can easily make the connections between them, outside of geographic location. Both young women face loss due to violent conflict and war. But their tenacity and determination are what helps them thrive against all odds. While life’s circumstances pushed both women into their respective life changes, they each adapt and overcome – but not without some heartbreak along the way. 

I definitely recommend A Bakery in Paris – especially to fans of historical fiction and lovers of baking. Runyan interweaves Lisette’s and Micheline’s connected POVs with recipes for various French pastries. Runyan cleverly uses these dishes to move both plots along and strengthen the connection between these two lives, generations apart. This novel will make anyone believe in the power of food. If not, they are at least highly likely to rush to their nearest bakery for a delicious and flakey treat. 

A Bakery in Paris is available August 1.