Throughout this winter academic term, I have been slowly making my way through the fictional novel “Baking Cakes in Kigali” by Gaile Parkin, which I picked up at the Corvallis Public Library. This has truly been my first “pleasure reading” book I’ve picked up in years and have actually completed. I’ve never been much of a reader, but since finishing this 300-page novel, I now have the desire to pick up another good read.
“Baking Cakes in Kigali” follows the life of a woman, Angel, in the small rustic African town of Kigali, Rwanda where she bakes cakes, a novelty service in her area that earns her much attention and praise. The story, or stories as I should say, develop through her cake business as she meets many new people, those generally being her clients. As the reader, you are put in Angel’s place as she learns not only about the lives of the people she becomes acquaintances with, but also her own family’s troublesome past.
What I really enjoyed about Parkin’s novel is that, in all, it is a good and enjoyable read. Throughout its entirety, there is no central issue or plot that the text leads up to. The story, moreover, just spans a chronological portion of her life, creating a theme of development. In this time, we learn about Angel herself, as well as the clients and others in her life. I was annoyed when I finished reading “Baking Cakes in Kigali” because I know it will be difficult for me to find another novel that follows its same type of “development” storyline, because this is what really made me appreciate the writing style of the book aside from the well-flowing thoughts and ideas Parkin lays out.
This is Gaile Parkin’s first novel, and I hope she publishes again soon.
"Baking Cakes in Kigali" - Gaile Parkin
