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Baking Cakes in Kigali
Gaile Parkin
2009, 308 pages
Fiction; Setting: Modern-day Kigali, Rwanda
Angel Tungaraza is an unusual woman. She is from Tanzania and has her own cake-making business in Kigali, Rwanda. Angel makes beautiful cakes in all sorts of shapes with vibrant colors and decorations. The cakes are delicious, and some are filled with hidden meanings, such as reconciliation.
Angel runs a busy household in addition to her business. She and her husband had two grown children, but they both passed away. Now they are raising their five young grandchildren in a small apartment.
Angel hears all sorts of stories when people come to see her. A young man named Dieudonné lost most of his family in the genocide. He has been searching for them, and has finally found his mother and sister. The cake is for a party he will give to celebrate their reunion. Other people come to Angel about their problems and Angel is creative in how she helps them.
Angel has lots of talent and a huge heart. She deals with thorny issues and tragic stories, but she finds ways to help people, and she is filled with hope for the future.
