{"product_id":"9781443438902","title":"The Baker's Secret : A Novel","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eThe Baker's Secret\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Stephen P. Kiernan\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the critically acclaimed author of \u003cem\u003eThe Hummingbird\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Curiosity\u003c\/em\u003e comes a dazzling novel of World War II—a shimmering tale of courage, determination, optimism and the resilience of the human spirit, set in a small village in Normandy on the eve of D-Day\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn June 5, 1944, as dawn rises over a small town on France’s Normandy coast, Emmanuelle is baking the bread that has sustained her fellow villagers in the dark days since the Germans invaded her country. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnly twenty-two, Emma learned to bake at the side of a master, Ezra Kuchen. Apprenticed to Ezra at thirteen, Emma watched with shame and anger as her mentor was forced to wear the six-pointed yellow star on his clothing. She was powerless to help when Ezra was pulled from his shop at gunpoint, the first of many villagers stolen away and never seen again.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the years that her sleepy coastal village has suffered under the enemy, Emma has silently, stealthily fought back. Each day, she receives an extra ration of flour to bake a dozen baguettes for the occupying troops. And each day, she mixes that precious flour with ground straw to create enough dough for two extra loaves—contraband bread she shares with the hungry villagers. Under the watchful eyes of armed soldiers, she builds a clandestine network of barter and trade that she and the villagers use to thwart their occupiers. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut her gift to the village is more than these few crusty loaves. Emma gives the people a taste of hope—the faith that one day the Allies will arrive to save them. Stephen P. Kiernan paints a brilliant and vivid tableau of humanity during one of the most harrowing points of modern history. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eThe Baker’s Secret\u003c\/em\u003e: “Transcends even a critical moment in history to suggest the inescapable human condition of ignorance of the future, and the absolute necessity of hope, courage, and unselfish sacrifice.”\u003cbr\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eThe Curiosity\u003c\/em\u003e: “I absolutely loved \u003cem\u003eThe Curiosity\u003c\/em\u003e. It’s as thought-provoking and powerful as \u003cem\u003eFlowers for Algernon\u003c\/em\u003e and the writing is breathtakingly beautiful. And that ending? Poignant, luminescent, and absolutely perfect.”\u003cbr\u003ePraise for The Hummingbird: “\u003cem\u003eThe Hummingbird\u003c\/em\u003e is a novel that shares its unexpected gifts and teaches us that surrender is a part of love, and that giving away our weapons is the first step to peace.”\u003cbr\u003e“This many-faceted, thought-provoking story prompts soul-searching about life, war, and death.”\u003cbr\u003e“Remarkably touching, insightful and timely… bridges several powerful stories of life and death that explore the cost of courage and the true meaning of heroism… Illuminating, uplifting and ultimately redemptive.”\u003cbr\u003e“In this moving saga Stephen P. Kiernan tells the story of soldiers and survivors, heroes and healing. . . . I’m not sure I’ve ever read a novel that so poignantly depicts the brevity of life, the significance of each moment, the impact we have on one another.”\u003cbr\u003e“[The Curiosity] poses provocative questions about life and humanity.”\u003cbr\u003eAn emotionally satisfying and brisk narrative . . . [T]his is a gripping novel with a clever conceit.”\u003cbr\u003e“If you want your beach read to deliver some goose bumps, snag Stephen P. Kiernan’s The Curiosity. In this romantic thriller, a man who’s been buried in Arctic ice for over a century is reanimated, with shocking results.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781443438902\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":41091534586062,"sku":"9781443438902","price":14.62,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781443438902","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}