Guest Review: Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas

A new adventure is on the menu . . .

Juliet has learnt that life is too short not to chase your dreams. But when she buys an old watermill in France, her tranquil new start is quickly kneaded into something far more ambitious when the local mayor offers her a deal she can’t refuse: reopen the village’s derelict boulangerie.

With a formidable rival – the owner of the local bread vending machine – determined to crush her, Juliet faces disgruntled villagers, her own lack of baking skills, and hidden secrets within the mill itself.

But with help from her outspoken neighbour and the charming Tabac owner, Juliet battles to bring back the aroma of freshly baked bread – and with it, the heart of the community.

Can she prove that even the biggest dreams start with just a little pinch of courage?

Review: I do love Jo Thomas’s books. They always whisk me off to captivating locations where there are interesting characters and always plenty of delicious food. I was attracted by the sound of a French bakery and could almost smell the bread cooking as I opened the book.

This story centres on forty-eight year old Juliet, who has recovered from a battle with illness and decides that life is too short not to follow your dreams. She returns to a village in Brittany where she spent a holiday with her husband and buys the old deserted watermill intending to turn it into a cafe, or salon de thé. However, her plans are blocked by the mayor, who offers her an alternative deal. She can open her tea shop if first she renovates the derelict boulangerie and starts to produce bread once more for the village. She has no choice but to agree, but is then faced with an uphill battle. There is competition from the owner of the bread vending machines situated in every local village, as well as opposition from the suspicious villagers, the large stumbling block of her lack of bread-making skills and difficulties in sourcing the necessary materials and good quality ingredients. Finally, she is able to enlist the help of a once hostile neighbour and local tabac owner, Laurent. Can she start to produce the baguettes that will appeal to the local people and break through the barriers to her success in starting a new life in this community?

I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Brittany and I am currently longing for a nice fresh baguette. This was a charming story of a woman stepping out of her comfort zone and going for what she wanted, showing determination and courage in the face of adversity from every direction. Juliet surprised everyone by her actions, but her serious health problems had been a real wake up call and she was no longer happy to settle into a quiet retirement. I loved the way in which she dealt with all the setbacks that came her way, not least the difficulties in making an acceptable baguette, until the once unhelpful and unfriendly Laurent stepped up to help her. The setting for the story was lovely. I could easily imagine the quiet little village with the menfolk sitting around chatting in the sun when their wives sent them out for the morning. The description of the watermill and the lake beside it made it sound quite idyllic. I think this would make a great summer read and would recommend it. Thanks to the author for the French onion soup recipe at the end of the book.

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