Synopsis:
Riga, 1943. Cycling the streets to deliver fresh loaves, Zenta passes empty houses, curtains open, doors unlocked, their occupants forced out by Russian or German hands. Above the newly built town hall, a Nazi flag waves in the breeze. Since her brother became a soldier and her sister joined the resistance, Zenta is all her parents have left.
Then one morning her sister returns. Tired, worn, with a newly rounded belly, Estere is as determined as ever to fight for their freedom. She convinces Zenta to join the Latvian resistance efforts and use her bread deliveries as a cover for smuggling letters, newspapers and supplies.
When the bell over the bakery door chimes and German officers cross the threshold, Estere pleads with her sister to run – and to take her new-born daughter with her. An agreement between sisters made in the desperation of war sends Zenta to a new life across the world, a baby at her side, with a secret she’ll never tell. Until, decades later, now a grandmother, the smells and warmth of the bakery still in her heart, Zenta is finally ready to set the truth free…
What To Expect:
Readers can expect a novel that mostly takes place during WWII in Latvia, but also more modern where family secrets become revealed due to the war. There are themes of strong family love and sacrifice during the incredible hardship of war.
Content Warnings:
Language: Moderate
Sexual Content: Closed door – Nothing too descriptive
Violence: Moderate to Heavy – Graphic war time violence and death. Mentions of rape by military members. Domestic abuse.
Substance Use: Moderate – Alcoholic family member
Prejudices: Moderate – WWII prejudices, antisemitism, concentration camps
Religious Themes: A few prayers said in times of peril, nothing major throughout the book
Other Topics: Pregnancy out of wedlock, pregnancy loss
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