The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris and Assorted French Pastries

A book about French food? Check! Ghost story? Check! Finding magic on each page? Double check! That’s right my fellow Francophiles, we have a wonderful novel from Evie Woods called, “The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris.”  It is about an Irish woman who is looking to start anew after selflessly caring for her ailing mother.  When she sees an ad to become an assistant manager in a French bakery, she jumps at the chance.  However, she is met with more surprises than she had ever thought possible.  So, what are we looking at here?  Let’s take a look.

Oooh! A Mystery!

The Story

The story follows a woman from Ireland named Edith “Edie” Lane who has just recently lost her mother to Cystic Fibrosis.  This is a horrible disease where the organs of your body whether it is your lungs, liver, etc. will eventually fail.  Edith feels this loss so deeply that she knows she has to make a fresh start in the place where she and her mother have watched countless movies about: In Paris.  She sees an ad calling for someone to work in a bakery who knows how to speak English.  She does not hesitate to take the job even though she has to leave her father behind. 

Upon arrival, Edie is not in Paris like she originally thought but in Compiegne.  It also seems like she is off to a cold and distant start with her new boss Miss Moreau and her brilliant grandson Manu.  Never-the-less, she is determined to make her dreams come true.  Eventually, things get a little bit better for her.  She makes friends with a vivacious locale named Nicole, gets to know the rich history that Compiegne has, and maybe a little romance with a sexy photographer named Hugo.  Little does she know that not everything is as it seems.

Not only does there seem to be magic in the baked goods that keeps customers coming back for more but there are a lot of secrets hidden within the walls of where she works.  To top it all off, a promise of bad luck coming to the bakery and perhaps Compiegne itself.  Can Edie find out all the secrets, get rid of this supposed curse, and find the magic within herself?  You tell me.

My Review

This book was nothing short of magical and inspiring.  I loved every minute of it.  You can feel Edie’s grief over the loss of her mother and therefore is at a loss of herself.  She has cared for her for so long and it was clear that it was a loving relationship.  Suffice to say, Edie is lost and does not know what to do.  That is something that many people can feel from time to time.  Edie is clearly a person that we can all sympathize or empathize with and therefore a great character.

There are many great characters in this book from Edie’s new cranky boss and her bright-eyed grandson Manu to Nicole who soon becomes Edie’s best friend and (last but not least) Hugo.  Hugo is a man with a couple of secrets himself.  He loves old storefronts which is why he loves to take pictures of them and he also finds himself smitten with Edie.  The two of them both share a loss of a loved one, a love of jazz music, and are quickly finding Compiegne to be home.  The romance between the two of them appears to be very real and beautiful.

However, romance is not what the book it is about.  It is about finding who you are and fighting for what’s right even if it looks impossible.  I suppose it is up for debate but that is what I took from the story.  There also happens to be a ghost! (So cool) He is the original owner and he pops up now and again.  There will be no details given but he is an important part of the story, you’ll see.

Speaking of the story, it was marvelous.  I love how the hot chocolate is so magical (so much so that I want to replicate it and try some) that it suddenly puts you in a place that you need to be whether literally or figuratively.  If only that can happen for every steamy beverage we drink. 

The theme of France is awesome and the look into its history is absolutely fascinating.  The things that happened in WWII is so eye-opening if not heartbreaking.  It’s unimaginable what so many people especially in the smaller towns like Compiegne must have gone through.  This book is a good window into the past.  However, it is also a good window into humanity. 

The only thing I can think of that is wrong with this book is that there are points when it seemed kind of predictable.  An example of this is when Edie met Hugo.  It was in a bar and you can immediately tell that the two of them were going to be lovers.  Other than that, I can safely say that this book is a must read. 

It’s like being in Paris!

The Pairings

There are too many things that could go great with this book.  So, to keep it simple, I suggest getting an assortment of French pastries since that is exactly what keeps getting featured in this book.  Well, that and true-blue French-made hot chocolate.  You can reach for whatever you wish for but in this case, I would recommend a variety of fruit flavoured croissants and a pain au chocolat.  These are the pastries that seemed to be featured the most in this book.  But still, how can one resist a rich flaky bit of goodness that melts like the butter it was made from?  Whether you are a chocoholic with a taste for that velvety goodness or want a taste of freshly made jams with vibrant flavours of fruit dancing on your tongue, you will have a smile on your face with each bite.  Now when it comes to the hot chocolate, you will have the luxurious taste cocoa, the creaminess of the milk/cream mixture, and a hint of spice that is like a secret whisper which is a perfect compliment to any pastry.       

The Rating/Final Thoughts

9/10

This book has brought a lot of smiles and giggles.  Sure, there are times that the story can get a little cliched but there is nothing terribly wrong with that either.  There were times that it made me hungry but I do not regret that.  Luckily there are French pastries here in Calgary that can help kick those cravings.  Now if I can just get my hands on that particular hot chocolate.