My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Novels that jump back and forth over the span of 60 years are difficult to do well, but this one shows how to make it work.
The historical story of an ordinary teenager trying to survive in Nazi Germany is very well told, with an appealing character in young Elsie. Elsie’s family loves their country, if not everything that is happening there. Elsie is growing up and trying to come to terms with the (genuinely) nice young Nazi officer courting her, the absence of her sister, and her changing relationship with her parents.
That was then.
60 years later, Elsie and her adult daughter live in El Paso, Texas, running a German bakery. Reba is a young reporter, out to write a puff piece about Christmas around the world. Now the story is about Reba and her fiancé Riki and the world they live in. Reba is also an interesting character, and someone I enjoyed spending time with and watching grow. Reba is an adult with a career and ambitions, but has no idea who she really is, and this affects her personal life, particularly her relationship with Riki.
On the surface, the stories don’t have much in common. Even at that, the book works, with the modern story breaking up the unpleasantness of WWII Germany, and raising questions and hope for Elsie’s future.
On further reflection, there are elements that echo, shedding light on one another. I suspect there are many I missed. This is a book that is well constructed
The Baker’s Daughter was readable and thought provoking, an excellent combination. I think it would make for excellent book club discussion.
I read this book for a TLC Book Tour. Thank you to Trish and Broadway for sending this book and giving me the opportunity to participate.
For other views on this book, check out the other tour stops:
- Monday, August 6th: Rhapsody In Books
- Wednesday, August 8th: Girls Just Reading
- Thursday, August 9th: Colloquium
- Friday, August 10th: Life In Review
- Monday, August 13th: The Book Garden
- Wednesday, August 15th: Literary Feline
- Thursday, August 16th: Luxury Reading
- Friday, August 17th: My Bookshelf
- Monday, August 20th: I Read. Do You?
- Tuesday, August 21st: A Novel Source
- Wednesday, August 22nd: The 3 R’s: Reading, ‘Riting, and Randomness
- Thursday, August 23rd: The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader
- Friday, August 24th: A Chick Who Reads
- Monday, August 27th: Lit and Life
- Tuesday, August 28th: Peeking Between the Pages
- Wednesday, August 29th: Life is Short. Read Fast.
- Thursday, August 30th: Drey’s Library
- Friday, August 31st: My Bookshelf
- Monday, September 3rd: Twisting the Lens
- Tuesday, September 4th: Walking With Nora
- Wednesday, September 5th: Bookstack
