In 1966, Kathleen Eaden, cookery writer and wife of a supermarket magnate, published The Art of Baking, her guide to nurturing a family by creating the most exquisite pastries, biscuits and cakes.

Now, five amateur bakers are competing to become the New Mrs Eaden. There's Jenny, facing an empty nest now her family has flown; Claire, who has sacrificed her dreams for her daughter; Mike, trying to parent his two kids after his wife's death; Vicki, who has dropped everything to be at home with her baby boy; and Karen, perfect Karen, who knows what it's like to have nothing and is determined her façade shouldn't slip.

As unlikely alliances are forged and secrets rise to the surface, making the choicest choux bun seems the least of the contestants' problems. For they will learn - as Mrs Eaden did before them - that while perfection is possible in the kitchen, it's very much harder in life.

There are many reasons to bake: to feed; to create; to impress; to nourish; to define ourselves; and, sometimes, it has to be said, to perfect. But often we bake to fill a hunger that would be better filled by a simple gesture from a dear one. We bake to love and be loved.

This book made my day! I was visiting a small library in Oulu today. There is a bookshelf for free books there. I left a bookcrossing book in it and found this one in return! All the way from the Canary Islands. :D

Baking is fun though I am not very good at it.

I am not much of a baker myself but the book certainly made me want to bake a cake! The term blind baking is new for me. It is simply pre-baking for example a pie crust without the actual filling.

I did not get into the characters so well even though they had problems of their own and the novel was not that light-hearted. Maybe they were a bit stereotypical? But it was okay so especially if you are into baking..

There is a surprise book in the basket!

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