Last month at Harcourt Book Group we read Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin, an uplifting novel set in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. As the novel is centred on the activity of a small cake business, our hostess Hope made beautifully decorated cupcakes to get us in the mood.
Harcourt Road Book Group
The cake business is run by Tanzanian Angel Tungaraza. At the beginning of the story Angel had recently moved to Kigali from Tanzania with her husband Pius and their five orphaned grandchildren. It soon becomes clear that she has already made a name for herself in Kigali, and it isn’t long before she becomes a central member of the community.
Angel quickly becomes famous for her delicious, brightly coloured and elaborate cakes, which she bakes for the special occasions of her friends and neighbours, locals and foreigners alike. Through her customers’ visits we are introduced to new characters and get to know their background stories. Angel very much takes on an Agony Aunt role, gaining the confidence of all her clients.
The novel is set in the present day, after the horrific Genocide of 1994 when an estimated 800,000 people were murdered due to conflict between the Tutsis and the Hutus. In a subtle way, the reader is exposed to the devastating after-effects of these events, and we see how people have managed to rebuild their lives.
For a full review, as well as a discussion with the book group about some of the main issues in Baking Cakes in Kigali, please click on the audio link below.
Do you have a neighbourhood book group? Perhaps you would like to join one or even create one? Please let us know your ideas and experiences.
TO LISTEN TO THE FULL REVIEW AND INTERVIEW WITH THE HARCOURT BOOK GROUP PLEASE CLICK HERE.
By Emma Wass
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