The Gist:
Daisy thought that her life had turned upside-down when she lost her
high-powered job and returned to work in her family’s bakery, but one more
life-changing discovery sends her reeling again! Dealing with personal crisis on top of supervising much
needed bakery renovations stretches Daisy to her breaking point. In desperate need of a distraction and
a change in perspective, she is blessed with a mystery.
An old recipe box is discovered in the wall of the bakery, and with it
comes a chance to help a man discover his heritage- which really hits home with
Daisy. In researching, baking, and
paying visits to new friends, Daisy discovers that although your past plays a
part in who you are, it does not need to dictate the happiness of your future.
What I thought:
First, I have to begin
by saying that this was the first novel that I have ever read by Mary Ellen
Taylor, and I have not read the first novel, The Union Street Bakery. This book was very hard for me to get
into, probably because the characters were set-up more in the first novel. I struggled to get through the first
half of this book. I just couldn’t
relate to Daisy no matter how hard I tried.
However, the second half of the book changed my opinion entirely. As Daisy softened, I began to like her
more. I appreciated how she stuck
to her guns and followed her truth.
I enjoyed watching her unravel the mystery of the recipe box, especially
the visits to people who lived through WWII. I felt that Miss Taylor did an excellent job with her
telling of a former soldier’s reminiscences, and the nostalgia seeped off the
page.
Reading this story has led
me to one conclusion... I need to pick up The Union Street Bakery, and
see what I have missed in the lives of Daisy and her sisters!
