[ This review has been updated with the recent re-release of this novel ]
The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris is a book written by Irish writer Evie Woods (Gaughan).
‘An enchanting and escapist novel for 2025 from the internationally bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop‘
A little escapism to a world where good things happen, I felt now was a good time to sit down, have a coffee and a croissant and let myself relax into a world of mysticism & joie de vivre.
Please join me…….
Nestled among the cobblestone streets of Compiègne, there existed a bakery unlike any other.
Rumours were whispered through the town that its pastries offered a taste of magic, chasing away the darkest of sorrows. Just one bite of a croissant might bring luck, unlock a precious memory or reveal hidden longings.
But dark clouds were looming on the horizon…
For Edie Lane, a recipe for disaster doesn’t require that many ingredients. Take an unhealthy amount of wishful thinking and a sprinkle of desperation and that’s how Edie left everything behind in Ireland for her dream job at a bakery in Paris. Except the bakery isn’t in Paris – and neither is Edie.
Edith Lane makes a decision that will change the course of her life.
One day, sitting at the local bus stop, whilst offering a mint to a little girl ‘with all the vintage charm of a fifties housewife,’ Edith decides to pack her bags and start a new life for herself.
Grieving for her mother who passed away the previous year, Edith makes the very brave decision to leave her father and all that is familiar to her, to take up a position managing a small bakery in Paris.
On arrival in Paris, Edith soon realises that she may have been a little impetuous in her move as all is not as she had imagined.
Edith finds herself working for the very elusive and stern Madame Moreau.
M.Moreau is the owner of ‘La Boulangerie et Patisserie de Compiegne’, selling all the produce expected of a French bakery. Edith is in awe of the breads, the pastries and the beautiful smells of the shop.
Part of her job package includes accommodation within the premises and Edith begins to question where all the produce comes from. Under strict instruction from M Moreau to remain out of the kitchen, Edith begins to suspect all is not as it seems.
It’s not long before Edith finds friends within the community and starts to adapt to the French ways. As her confidence increases she starts to question herself and how she has unwittingly stopped herself from living the life she was given.
She discovers that she has a very tenacious personality as she finds herself embroiled in a story that she least expected. As the history of M. Moreau and the town of Campiegne is slowly unveiled to Edith, she is both shocked and intrigued with what she discovers.
Reminiscent of Joanne Harris’, Chocolat, Evie Gaughan has written a story about the magic & mystery of a small French town on the outskirts of Paris. We travel on a journey with Edith as she discovers herself and learns to deal with her grief.
The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris provides just the right amount of sweetness and romance. It’s the perfect escapism for a rainy afternoon and as Evie herself says ‘I was really able to indulge my love of magical realism in this story. Finding magic in the everyday is a very strong theme for me and one which I always return to.’
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Bio:
Evie Woods is the author of The Lost Bookshop, the #1 Wall Street Journal, Sunday Times, Spiegel and Amazon Kindle bestseller, which was shortlisted for a British Book Award, and translated into 31 languages. Her new novel, The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris will be published in March 2025.
Evie lives on the West Coast of Ireland where she escapes the inclement weather by writing stories that push the boundary between what is real and what we wish were so. Drawing inspiration from the unseen forces that shape our lives and the healing power of storytelling, she invites the reader to embrace the magic that exists in our ordinary lives.
