Baking Cakes in Kigali

Gaile Parkin writes about the triumphs and tragedies of living in modern day Africa, specifically in the country of Rwanda . The book gradually reveals the life story of Angel Tungarza a lady who maintains a cheerful demeanor and open understanding heart despite the difficult challenges she has faced and overcome. It is about courage, faith, creativity, and about choices. Angel Tungaraza helps provide an extra income to her family by baking cakes. Angel is a baking artist. She is a creative genius who decorates cakes for special occasions. Each cake has her unique personal touch and is individually designed for the person and event. Angel is married to a university professor. They had two adult children, a son and daughter, both of whom were college educated. Both died as young adults leaving behind a total of five grandchildren to raise. Her son died of AIDS and her daughter died of an unknown illness related to severe headaches. Angel acts as a beacon of good will in the neighborhood. Through her baking business she develops many contacts and friendships. Her advice and help is often sought out. She provides an ear to those who need someone to listen and gives advice when the situation calls for it. She is a rare example of a successful female entrepreneur in a part of the world where this seldom happens. Yet, there is a sad truth from which she is hiding, something she has not admitted, faced or even discussed with her husband. Eventually, Angel is able to deal with a repressed, hidden secret that gnaws at her heart and makes peace with a very difficult event in her life. This book is most highly recommended. The author writes about human experiences and strong emotions which leave a deep impact on the reader but she does it in a gentle and compassionate manner through describing the life of Angel Tungaraza and the many lives she touches. Although Angel has buried a secret, she continually faces what she has repressed and eventually her personal strength and committment allows her to accept the truth. This reader was awed by the author's sensitivity and subtle approach to serious matters which impact the lives of many Africans today. She has brought to light the difficult and painful issues that they face and how it affects families, friends and neighbors. The reader is guided through a maze of complex political situations over which the average African citizen has no control and also is shown how personal choices made by individuals can make or break a life. Gaile Parkin shows how one individual can make a difference in the lives of the many people with whom she interacts and how every life is precious. This is an outstanding and amazing book. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

I was once a devoted follower of THE NO.1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY series. I enjoyed the lighthearted mystery and the chance to catch a glimpse of a different culture through the eyes of endearing characters, but I have not picked up the last two books because I have found them a bit repetitive and formulaic. "Baking Cakes in Kigali" in some ways felt like the beloved McCall Smith series, but with fresh faces and deeper stories. Angel Tungararza, a cake maker from Tanzania, moves with her husband and grandchildren to Rwanda, and the story is driven by the people who come into her life to order cakes. We hear their stories and how their lives become woven together through shared experiences and acquaintances. The scars of atrocities in Rawanda's past are acutely felt in this novel - Parkin fictionalizes the stories she heard while working there. She manages to discuss very serious topics such as genocide, HIV/AIDS (here simply called "the virus"), and female genital mutilation, but does so with respect and care. Part of what I enjoyed so much about this book, apart from the wonderful characters that populate its pages, was that Parkin manages to address these potentially depressing, horrifying subjects while maintaining a tone of hope and renewal. This was a relatively quick read for me and I looked forward to picking it up every night. I was a little sad to say goodbye to these characters because I truly cared about their futures and found myself hoping that they would be alright after I turned the final page and placed the book on the shelf. This book has mass appeal and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed "The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency."

This is a lovely, sweet book about a kind-hearted woman, named Grace, who bakes exquisite (and colorful!) cakes for her community. As Grace interacts with her customers and neighbors, their stories of survival come forth. There's no politics, or heavy history involved- this is a book about everyday *people* who have lived through extraordinary events. I was a bit nervous before I started the book- how can a story about survivors in Rwanda be charming, funny, etc.? But while there are heartbreaking moments in the book, the overall theme is how resilient the human spirit can be. The truth is told, but never in a way that makes the book too heavy. It's a gentle look at the incredibly difficult experiences of a group of people, but it's never sugar-coated. There are a LOT of similarities to Alexander McCall Smith's "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" books that can't be overlooked. But while "Ladies' Detective" is a love song to Botswana, "Baking Cakes in Kigali" is a love song to the people who live there.

She is a little bit of everything, a baker, a grandmother raising her grandchildren, a wife, a business woman, and a wonderful person to talk to when you have a problem. The characters in this story come to life, and at the end you are wishing the story could continue so you could find out what happened next

This is a story of a woman named Angel Tungaraza who lives in Rwanda with her husband and five grandchildren. She runs a cake baking business out of her home. They live in a compound that is full of foreigners who are in Rwanda to help after the genocide. Angel is a very complex and friendly woman who tries to help everyone she meets. But this story is more than one of family and friendship, it dwells also on the horrors of what happened in Rwanda and how the people are trying to move forward with their lives. I loved many things about this book, i.e., the way her customers would confide in her and tell her secrets. The way she had of listening to these secrets and always seemed to have a correct response to them. Through Angel's eyes we see the goodness in the world. Also we get to see what haunts Angel and through her interactions with other people she will find peace for herself. This is a lovely and charming book written simply but deeply. It was a really moving story which I hated to see end.