The Sweetness of Forgetting

Hope McKenna-Smith runs a Cape Cod bakery inherited from her grandmother Rose, but the business is failing and her personal life is in turmoil. When Rose, now suffering from Alzheimer's, presents Hope with a list of names and a mission to track them down in Paris, Hope reluctantly embarks on the journey. In Paris, Hope discovers her grandmother's hidden past as a Jewish teenager in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. The quest leads her through bakeries and synagogues across the city as she pieces together Rose's connection to the names on the list and uncovers long-buried family secrets. The story moves between present-day Paris and 1940s France, connecting generations through recipes passed down in Rose's family bakery. The investigation forces Hope to confront questions about faith, identity, and the choices people make in impossible circumstances. This novel explores themes of religious persecution, family bonds, and the power of food to preserve cultural memory. Through Hope's journey to understand her grandmother's past, the narrative examines how trauma and resilience echo across generations.

Readers praise the historical accuracy and emotional depth of this multi-generational story, particularly appreciating the detailed research into both World War II and Alzheimer's disease. Many reviews highlight the bakery descriptions and recipes as adding authenticity to the narrative. Positive reviews focus on: - The parallel storylines between past and present - Complex family dynamics - Educational aspects about religious persecution - Character development of Hope and her grandmother Common criticisms include: - Predictable romance subplot - Slow pacing in the first third - Some plot points feeling contrived - Too many coincidences in the story resolution Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (21,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (2,100+ ratings) BookBrowse: 4/5 One frequent reader comment notes: "The baking descriptions made me feel like I was in the kitchen with them." Another states: "The Holocaust elements were handled with sensitivity, though the modern-day love story felt unnecessary."

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles Based on true events, this dual-timeline novel follows a librarian in WWII Paris and a modern teenager who uncover family secrets linked to the American Library in Paris during the Nazi occupation.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel A present-day librarian confronts her past as a document forger who helped Jewish children flee Nazi-occupied France while preserving their original identities through a secret code hidden in an old book.

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff A woman's discovery of abandoned photographs in Grand Central Station leads to uncovering the story of female secret agents during WWII and their missing leader.

The Baker's Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan A young baker in Nazi-occupied Normandy uses her daily bread delivery route to help feed her starving neighbors and gather intelligence for the resistance.

The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel Three lives intersect in occupied Paris when an American woman, a Jewish teenager, and a Royal Air Force pilot become connected through an underground resistance network.

🌟 Author Kristin Harmel was inspired to write this novel after learning about Muslims in Paris who helped protect Jews during World War II, a little-known historical aspect of the Holocaust. 🍪 The traditional recipes featured in the book, including those from the protagonist's family bakery, were developed and tested by the author herself in her own kitchen. 🗺️ The story spans three continents and multiple time periods, weaving together events in contemporary Cape Cod, World War II-era Paris, and pre-war Berlin. ⚜️ Part of the novel takes place in Paris's historic Le Marais district, which was once home to one of Europe's largest Jewish communities and remains a center of Jewish culture in France today. 💝 The book explores the real-life phenomenon of Holocaust survivors developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease at higher rates than the general population, a connection that medical researchers continue to study.