The Resistance Bakery by Siobhan Curham

 

Description from Goodreads:

"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?"

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I have read a fair few historical fiction books covering this era but, I have to say, this is one of the best so far and I have read some really good ones.

This one covers two timelines; 1940's Paris and 1980's America and far from this being confusing, it is what makes this book so very good.  Both story lines are equally as good as each other - which doesn't happen often - and both are as riveting.  The characters of Coralie and Raven are just excellent however, so are all the other characters in this book.

I won't go into the ins and outs of the plot or story but will just say that it's excellent and one I would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to be engrossed and isn't afraid to lose a few hours of your day.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts on this enthralling book.

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Check out other Siobhan Curham books I have reviewed:

The Paris Network [Audiobook]

The Storyteller of Auschwitz

The Storyteller of Auschwitz by Siobhan Curham

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"Auschwitz, 1942. ‘When this is all over, you will be able to tell the world what they did to us.’ The Nazis have already ended so many stories way too soon, but can a person truly die if their story lives on? I have to survive. The world needs to know what’s happening here…

Stumbling through the terrifying wrought iron gates of Auschwitz, Jewish author Etty Weil longs for her apartment overlooking the Seine, where she used to laugh with friends, her shelves full of records and her beloved typewriter by the wide window. Now she looks on in horror as a young girl, Danielle , is ruthlessly torn apart from her sobbing mother. Etty has always longed for the warm embrace of and trapped inside the maze of barbed wire, she takes fourteen-year-old Danielle under her wing and soon comes to cherish her like a sister.

Every evening, Etty tells Danielle stories, building a beautiful world of imagination and hope for Danielle to escape into. Soon, Etty realises that the other women in their cramped hut are listening too. She encourages them to share their lives, to talk about their darling children running around clutching their favourite toys, the love affairs they once had and the beloved family they’ve already lost. Etty must survive this terrible if only to keep her promise to these brave women that their stories will not be forgotten.

But the more hope Etty gives Danielle, the more chances the young girl begins to take with her life, rebelling against the brutal SS guards and forcing Etty to protect her. And one day, Danielle goes too far…"

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Oh my word, I am an emotional wreck after reading this book!

Let's be honest, books about the Holocaust are always difficult to read and although this is a work of fiction, the story is inspired by a mix of real authors from that time and real events that actually happened which are taken from the witness statements from the people who were there and survived that horrendous period.  It has been said before many times but we can never let something like this happen again ... we just can't! 

I fell in love with all the main characters in this book but admit to Solly and Danielle being my favourites apart from Etty of course and became totally immersed in their stories and I am not ashamed to say that I cried on more than one occasion and had to actually put the book down and stop reading as I couldn't read the words for the tears in my eyes but there were also parts that made me smile.

The Storyteller of Auschwitz is a powerful story of hope and friendship, bravery and survival and how powerful stories can be.

Many, many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this fantastic book that is a must-read.

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Check out another of Siobhan's books I have reviewed:

The Paris Network [Audiobook] by Siobhan Curham

 

Narrated by Laurence Bouvard

Description from Goodreads:

"Paris, 1940: He pressed the tattered book into her hands. ‘You must go to the café and ask at the counter for Pierre Duras. Tell him that I sent you. Tell him you’re there to save the people of France.’

Sliding the coded message in between the crisp pages of the hardback novel, bookstore owner Laurence slips out into the cold night to meet her resistance contact, pulling her woollen beret down further over her face. The silence of the night is suddenly shattered by an Allied plane rushing overhead, its tail aflame, heading down towards the forest. Her every nerve stands on end. She must try to rescue the pilot.

But straying from her mission isn’t part of the plan, and if she is discovered it won’t only be her life at risk…

America, years later: when Jeanne uncovers a dusty old box in her father’s garage, her world as she knows it is turned upside down. She has inherited a bookstore in a tiny French village just outside of Paris from a mysterious woman named Laurence.

Travelling to France to search for answers about the woman her father has kept a secret for years, Jeanne finds the store tucked away in a corner of the cobbled main square. Boarded up, it is in complete disrepair. Inside, she finds a tiny silver pendant hidden beneath the blackened, scorched floorboards.

As Jeanne pieces together Laurence’s incredible story, she discovers a woman whose bravery knew no bounds. But will the truth about who Laurence really is shatter Jeanne’s heart, or change her future?

Inspired by true events, an epic and emotional novel about one woman’s strength to survive in the most difficult circumstances and the power of love in the face of darkness. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Lost Girls of Paris will be completely gripped from the very first page."

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"I am not afraid.  I was born to do this."

This was a powerful and emotional story that I found myself being drawn into but only the historical sections; the more recent sections I didn't particularly think added that much to the story as a whole.

I listened to the audio book and whilst I think the narrator did a good job, I did find her interpretation of some of the French characters' voices was a bit jarring. I also found it odd that the main character of Laurence, who is French, spoke to other characters in a French accent however, her inner-dialogue was American.

Having said all that, I was captivated by Laurence's story and loved the way books played a pivotal and vital role in this book; this was unique for me and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

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