“Cake maker Angel Tungaraza lives in a multicultural community in Rwanda, where she finds healing after the losses of her two grown children as she helps others solve their own problems with equal doses of common sense and kindness. Tragedy and humor find balance in this thoroughly enjoyable novel.”
— Sandy Scott, The Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, VT
“Meet Angel Tungaraza, whose specialty is baking the perfect cake for any special occasion. Through Angel we meet various characters in her Rwandan community and learn of their challenges, culture, and history. Angel is part counselor, part matchmaker, mentor, and enforcer. Through her, Parkin portrays the strength of so many women whose lives have been marked by war, genocide, AIDS, genital mutilation, and more. These serious subjects are interwoven with hilarity, compassion, and humor. The book is a multi-layered cake, with surprise fillings between each sweet layer.”
— Gayle Wingerter, Inklings Bookshop, Yakima, WA
“All the sun and magic of Africa are baked into Gaile Parkin’s debut novel. . . . We peek into a warm and practical community as colorful as [the heroine’s] dazzling confections.”—The Christian Science Monitor
This soaring novel introduces us to Angel Tungaraza: mother, cake baker, pillar of her community, keeper of secrets big and small. Angel’s kitchen is an oasis in the heart of Rwanda, where visitors stop to order cakes but end up sharing their stories, transforming their lives, leaving with new hope. In this vibrant, powerful setting, unexpected things are beginning to happen: A most unusual wedding is planned, a heartbreaking mystery involving Angel’s own family unravels, and extraordinary connections are made—as a chain of events unfolds that will change Angel’s life and the lives of those around her in the most astonishing ways.
Praise for Baking Cakes in Kigali
“Everyone needs a neighbor like Angel Tungaraza . . . whose warmth and coolheaded cleverness might remind some readers of Precious Ramotswe from the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Remarkable . . . a powerful, thought-provoking work . . . filled with heartbreak but also with hope.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“Sweet and satisfying . . . gently draws readers into the daily rhythms of African life . . . Compassion and wisdom light up each page.”—Ventura County Star
“Will leave you feeling well satisfied.”—O: The Oprah Magazine (South Africa)