Baking Cakes in Kigali

"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)

Gaile Parkin was born and raised in Zambia and studied at universities in South Africa and England. She has lived in many different parts of Africa, including Rwanda, where Baking Cakes in Kigali is set. She spent two years in Rwanda as a VSO volunteer at the new university doing a wide range of work: teaching, mentoring, writing learning materials, working with the campus clinic to counsel students with HIV/AIDS, and doing gender advocacy and empowerment work. Evenings and weekends, she counselled women and girls who were survivors. Many of the stories told by the characters in Baking Cakes for Kigali are based on or inspired by stories Parkin was told herself. She is currently a freelance consultant in the fields of education, gender, and HIV/AIDS.