The French Baker's War
Michael Whatling
Publisher : Mortal Coil Books (April 14, 2021)
Language : English
Hardcover : 265 pages
ISBN-10 : 177756994X
ISBN-13 : 978-1777569945
Absence isn’t a hole. It’s a presence living inside you, eating its way out.
Occupied France, 1943. Returning home from the daily hunt for the rationed ingredients necessary to keep his family pâtisserie open, André Albert finds his four-year-old son in the street, his wife gone, and a Jewish escapee cowering behind the display case.
Without Mireille, the foundation of André’s world crumbles. He desperately searches for her, but finds more trouble than answers. Lives are further jeopardized when he agrees to hide Émilie, the escapee, and a Nazi officer shows up to investigate Mireille’s disappearance.
André will do anything to bring his wife home, catapulting him, their son, and Émilie on a perilous journey impeded by temptation, past trauma, and stunning revelations.
The French Baker’s War is as relevant today for its themes of duty to strangers and sacrifice for family.
Review: The French Baker's War by Michael Whatling
It's reported that in the Second World War, French food rationing was more stringent than that of any other Occupied country in Western Europe.
The following foods were restricted: bread, meat, cheese, fats (lard, oil, etc.), sugar, milk, chocolate, and milled products. Other essentials could be obtained but it was hard to get them.
Can you imagine trying to operate a pâtisserie with the shortages listed above?
Throw into the mix an increase in stunting and tuberculosis morbidity due to lack of proper food and living arrangements.
This storyline definitely depicts the vulnerabilities, economic/ social decline, and psychological consequences of war.
The story begins with a small family operating a pâtisserie during the Nazi occupation in France.
André goes out to hunt for butter and his wife Mireille and four-year-old son Frederic stay behind at the pâtisserie. Andre returns to find Mireille is missing. A Jewess, Emilie, is in his shop.
While André hunts for his wife, he encounters his parents, recognizes how friends become deadly enemies, and examines his love for his son - stating, "He's my life."
I believe, in the end, André comes full circle as he finds common ground taking his father's advice. Bringing to the forefront that when parents love you, they sacrifice much, for your well-being.
I received a copy of this book from the author Michael Whatling.
About the Author
Michael Whatling began his career as a technical writer for engineering firms in Canada and Japan. Leaving to teach at the secondary and university levels, he returned to writing by penning A Vigil for Joe Rose, a collection of young adult short stories, based on his doctoral research, that made the American Library Association’s Rainbow List. He’s the writer of the award-winning independent film, “The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova.”