The Baker's Secret
A Novel
Stephen P. Kiernan
- A
- tale
- beautifully,
- wisely,
- and
- masterfully
- told.”
- —
- Paula
- McLain,
- author
- of
- The
- Paris
- Wife
- and
- Circling
- the
- SunFrom
- the
- multiple-award-winning,
- critically
- acclaimed
- author
- of
- The
- Hummingbird
- and
- The
- Curiosity
- comes
- a
- dazzling
- novel
- of
- World
- War
- II—a
- shimmering
- tale
- of
- courage,
- determination,
- optimism,
- and
- the
- resilience
- of
- the
- human
- spirit,
- set
- in
- a
- small
- Normandy
- village
- on
- the
- eve
- of
- D-Day.On
- June
- 5,
- 1944,
- as
- dawn
- rises
- over
- a
- small
- town
- on
- the
- Normandy
- coast
- of
- France,
- Emmanuelle
- is
- making
- the
- bread
- that
- has
- sustained
- her
- fellow
- villagers
- in
- the
- dark
- days
- since
- the
- Germans
- invaded
- her
- country.Only
- twenty-two,
- Emma
- learned
- to
- bake
- at
- the
- side
- of
- a
- master,
- Ezra
- Kuchen,
- the
- village
- baker
- since
- before
- she
- was
- born.
- Apprenticed
- to
- Ezra
- at
- thirteen,
- Emma
- watched
- with
- shame
- and
- anger
- as
- her
- kind
- mentor
- was
- forced
- to
- wear
- the
- six-pointed
- yellow
- star
- on
- his
- clothing.
- She
- was
- likewise
- powerless
- to
- help
- when
- they
- pulled
- Ezra
- from
- his
- shop
- at
- gunpoint,
- the
- first
- of
- many
- villagers
- stolen
- away
- and
- never
- seen
- again.In
- the
- years
- that
- her
- sleepy
- coastal
- village
- has
- suffered
- under
- the
- enemy,
- Emma
- has
- silently,
- stealthily
- fought
- back.
- Each
- day,
- she
- receives
- an
- extra
- ration
- of
- flour
- to
- bake
- a
- dozen
- baguettes
- for
- the
- occupying
- troops.
- And
- each
- day,
- she
- mixes
- that
- precious
- flour
- with
- ground
- straw
- to
- create
- enough
- dough
- for
- two
- extra
- loaves—contraband
- bread
- she
- shares
- with
- the
- hungry
- villagers.
- Under
- the
- cold,
- watchful
- eyes
- of
- armed
- soldiers,
- she
- builds
- a
- clandestine
- network
- of
- barter
- and
- trade
- that
- she
- and
- the
- villagers
- use
- to
- thwart
- their
- occupiers.But
- her
- gift
- to
- the
- village
- is
- more
- than
- these
- few
- crusty
- loaves.
- Emma
- gives
- the
- people
- a
- taste
- of
- hope—the
- faith
- that
- one
- day
- the
- Allies
- will
- arrive
- to
- save them.
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