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There are currently 18 member reviews
for Baking Cakes in Kigali
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Linda K. (Belvidere, IL)
There's More To A Cake Than Flour And Water
The main character, Angel, bakes cakes. Her cakes are far more than an edible pastry. Each cake she bakes celebrates an occasion that is laced with sadness and despair, as no one has gone untouched by the horrors of genocide Rwanda lived through. If that was not enough, Africa has been haunted further by the impact of the AIDS epidemic. Despite these conditions, Angel brings hope and healing with every cake she bakes. This is a book that cannot be put aside. It begs to be read, just as Angel’s cakes beg to be eaten. I’ll be looking forward to the next “slice” Gail Parkin cooks up!
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Katherine W. (El Sobrante, CA)
When it comes to writing books Gaile Parkin is a very impressive Somebody!
"Baking Cakes in Kigale", a first novel by Gaile Parkin, Takes place in Rwanda some years after the civil war. Each chapter is titled after an occasion for which the main character, Angel Tungaraza, has been hired to bake one of her famous cakes. In getting to know the people for whom she is creating her confectionery masterpieces, Angel learns the stories of their lives, some tragic, some full of humor. This is one of those special books that keeps you fully engaged while at the same time infusing the story with an important political message. It bears witness to the terrible tragedies of AIDS, genocide, malaria, poverty and government corruption, and all the while manages to be heartwarming and full of joie de vivre.
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Eileen L. (Danvers, MA)
Draws you in and does not let go
Baking Cakes in Kigali is a long winding road of a book. Centered around Angel, a baker of specialty cakes, you are immediately drawn into her world. Her strength, her sense of family, and her willingness to listen and learn endear her to the reader almost immediately. While the hardship in her life, and lives of those around her, is obvious, you get the sense that life, to Angel, holds endless possibility and undiscovered joy. This book is truly a journey, and one well worth taking. You really just want it to go on and on.
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Barbara B. (Alta Loma, CA)
Baking Cakes in Kigali
I love to bake and I love to eat cake and I love learning and reading stories about Africa, so I knew Baking Cakes in Kigali had to be a recipe for a great read and I was not disappointed.
All of the characters were delightful and I enjoyed the way Angel, the cake baker, engaged her customers to tell their stories over a cup of tea and a cupcake. The fact that these stories were based on real stories made the book especially interesting. It is hard to read about genocide and poverty, but Parkin's characters overcame their tragedies.
Angel, is middle aged and she dealt with issues many people deal with such as raising grandchildren, the change & even AIDS. I was wishing recipes had been at the end of the book. I was hungry for cake!
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Becky H., children's librarian (Chicago, Illinois)
Don't miss this one!
Angel, a Tanzanian living in Rwanda after the genocide, bakes cakes for celebrations. The book seems at first to be a gentle tale but slowly reveals the darker, yet uplifting, side of everyday life. Frequently funny, Baking Cakes is filled with wisdom, unforgettable characters and situations and, throughout, an indomitable spirit. Written with empathy and clarity and an obvious love of Africa and African culture,. this one will stay with you a long time. A book to read and re-read and then pass on.
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Kathryn M. (Bethel, CT)
Great Summer Read
Angel Tungaraza and her family live in a compound in Rwanda among many expatriates. Angel brings together, is touched and touches, the lives of many as she meets with her fellow expatriates and shares their stories to make them the most wonderful, beautiful cakes. I had some trouble in the very beginning finding Angel's voice, but once I got past that I enjoyed the book, found the shared stories and revelations insightful and would recommend this book. Definitely a great book club book.
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Pat N. (Pittsboro, NC)
Don't Miss This One!
With a light hand the author has created characters who will make you laugh, and others, who will make you cry. Parkin gives an insight into the everyday lives of people in Africa and their ability to survive in face of Aids and recent genocide. Not a depressing book but rather a novel of celebration of humanity and the living. It is a wonderful bookclub novel as it raises so many issues of particular interest to women.
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