A first novel by Gaile Parkin is just what the librarian ordered for the armchair traveler who, not for lack of desire, has never made it to the beautiful and fierce continent of Africa. Written in the authentic voices of her many characters, from Egyptians to Americans as well as the many peoples of the continent, Parkin paints a multicolored and multilayered portrait of a country, Rwanda, in the aftermath of its terrible genocide.

“Angel Tungaraza—mother, cake baker, keeper of secrets—a woman living on the edge of chaos, finding ways to transform lives, weave magic, and create hope amid the madness swirling all around her. In Kigali, Angel runs a bustling business: baking cakes for all occasions—cakes filled with vibrant color, buttery richness, and, most of all, a sense of hope only Angel can deliver.”

Publisher Random House  notes, Parkin’s story “dazzles us with rare eloquence and humanity,… takes us to bold new places and into previously unimaginable lives.” A must-read!