The Baker of Lost Memories - by Shirley Russak Wachtel

About the Book

"Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It's as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached. The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena's life, Lena forges ahead: college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena's happiness--and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come. Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents' anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart"--

Book Synopsis

From the author of A Castle in Brooklyn comes an epic novel spanning decades about the broken bonds of family, memories of war, and redemption and hope in the face of heartbreaking loss.

Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It's as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.

The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena's life, Lena forges ahead: college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena's happiness--and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come.

Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents' anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.

Review Quotes

"A poignant story of the power of memory and family, Wachtel's narrative moves easily through time and from mother to daughter." --Library Journal

"Wachtel [shows] how surviving the horrors of Nazi-occupied Poland...doesn't guarantee a 'happily ever after' in America but may become a source of pride, strength, and reconciliation for the next generation." --Historical Novels Review

"Showcasing novelist [Shirley Russak] Wachtel's genuine flair for the kind of deftly crafted narrative fiction that will hold the reader's full attention from start to finish, The Baker of Lost Memories is especially recommended as an enduringly popular pick..." --Midwest Book Review