A Bakery In Paris

One of the many books I’ve been speeding through these past few days is A Bakery In Paris by Aimie K. Runyan who I did a Q&A with earlier this year. The book goes between two timelines 1870s Paris The Prussians are at the city gates with one goal to starve Paris and bend the city to its will. Lisette Vigneau is safe in her wealthy gilded cage expected to marry a man her parents have chosen for her. Lisette meets National Guardsman Theodore Fournier and sees how the working class lives and gives up her life to join the Paris of the people and opens a bakery in Montmarte. The city falls to famine and then rebellion and there’s one point where Lisette is tempted to go back to the life she once knew. In 1946 nineteen year old Micheline Chartier the great granddaughter of  Lisette is struggling to take care of her  young sisters after losing their father to war and their mother’s disappearance. With the help of a well-meaning neighbor, Micheline is enrolled in a baking academy wanting to reopen the bakery her great grandmother did so long ago realizing her dream, learning to accept love and letting go of the past.  

Writing, Setting & Story

I love the idea for the story and I was not disappointed as I read this. I love the fact that when both Micheline and Lisette’s stories are unfolding that they are telling it in first person. I love both timelines which is 1870s and 1946. Normally when there’s dual timelines I tend to prefer one timeline over the other and one character over another but I enjoyed both timelines equally.  The writing is descriptive and makes the story come alive I felt as though I was in the Paris of the 1870s and the Paris of 1946. The ending for both characters I really loved.

Characters & Growth

Most of the characters I liked. Lisette & Micheline grew as characters I liked that Micheline realized that she had to let go of the past and embrace her dream. I also liked how Lisette went from being reckless at times to using her head. I also liked Gaspard, Lisette’s intended. Although I understood not being forced to marry a man your parents wanted you to, I felt Lisette judged him too harshly when she barely knew him. Theodore was not my favorite character. I felt he was the typical revolutionary that wanted to act before he thought despite the fact that his well-meaning friend Sebas tried to get him to use his head. Sebas had a lot of sense.

Overall

Overall if you are a fan of historical fiction novels, books taking place in Paris and dual timelines I recommend A Bakery In Paris. Thank you Aimie K. Runyan for this novel, and I can’t wait to do the Behind The Book Q&A and read all of your books in the future.