Blog-A-Penguin

10 Responses to “Blog-A-Penguin”

Hazel Woodward Says:
February 10th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Persevere through the first chapter, even though you may feel overwhelmed with facts, which may give you a distinct “I saw my husband, the manager of K-Mart,” kind of feeling. Too much boring information. Luckily, the cakes on the table being iced in blue, green, black and yellow titillate one’s curiosity, and even though Angel’s disappointment in having to bake a white wedding cake is a little over the top, these facts hold your interest. (I must say, I was sure the boys’ soccer ball was going to hit the wedding cake!)
There’s little overt humour in the book, the entire African scene is more peaceful and gentle than that, but it keeps you smiling. Angel’s delicate machinations make small differences in people’s lives. I liked our protagonist’s manipulative way of dealing with the widely differing types of people she has to interact with and I enjoyed the fact that she usually gets her own way without confronting anyone. I also identified with her moral structures and the singular way she deals with moral dilemmas.
Descriptions of the cakes are accurate, amusing and respectful. Here’s an example:
“On the table sat an extended oblong cake decorated in a way that made it immediately recognizable – though its design had been simplified and modified – as an enormous version of the Rwandan 5 000 franc note. Against a pale pink background, the words Banque Nationale du Rwanda ran across the top edge of the cake in capital letters that were dark green at the top and red at the bottom: to the right of these words was the large figure 5 000, also green at the top and red at the bottom. Running across the bottom edge of the surface of the cake was a red stripe with a green stripe immediately above it, and outlined in pale pink above the two stripes, with the colours showing through, were the words cinq mille frances, and again the number 5 000. Those letters and numbers had been very difficult for Angel to write with her icing syringe; the next time Ken Akimoto went home to Washington she would send a note to June requesting a white Gateau Graffito pen.”
The story is quiet and satisfying and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys people-watching and who likes to experience foreign culture from the inside out.
Laura Franz-Kamissoko Says:
February 13th, 2009 at 9:18 am
A LIGHT, SWEET CONFECTION

If you’re an avid reader of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, then this is another book you’re bound to enjoy. But don’t mistake me: it’s by no means a lame attempt at copying his laid-back, meandering and observational style. Gaile Parkin does a great job with several characters who have to deal with some difficult, and not-so-difficult, situations against the backdrop of Rwanda coming to terms with its recent terrible past. Althought the book got off to a bit of a shaky start for me, once I got to know protagonist Angel Tungaraza a bit better, I raced through the pages. Angel is such a charming character because, although she’s a ‘professional somebody’ who bakes cakes for a living, she’s more like a local agony aunt (or granny, in her case) solving everyone’s problems, even though she very clearly has some demons of her own to confront. So, get yourself a copy, make yourself a cup of spicy tea, find a comfy spot, and enjoy. Oh, and a plate of cupcakes wouldn’t be amiss either!
Gill Cullinan Says:
February 17th, 2009 at 10:08 am
It took a while but the characters in this book grew on me and I enjoyed the Rwandan setting. It was a gentle, enjoyable read but at times I felt that Angel’s explanations of the various issues were a bit laboured.
A Tanzanian living in Rwanda, Angel Tungaraza is an integral part of her local community and she solves many of the problems facing her friends – issues ranging from choosing a child’s name to coping with adultery, HIV and female circumcision. She even succeeds in a bit of matchmaking. Her wildly colourful cakes are popular for Christenings, birthdays and other celebrations and each cake is designed specifically for the customer’s individual preferences – one gets a cake shaped like an aeroplane, another gets a Japanese flag cake. Through her interactions we hear the stories of how people have coped with betrayal and murder, loss and grief. By the end of the story Angel has faced her own demons and despite the reader knowing that the community will continue to face all sorts of problems, the book has a number of happy endings. A gently amusing book for a lazy day’s reading.
Binika Archary Says:
February 18th, 2009 at 11:40 am
A very simplistic novel about “daily life” in Rwanda.
Through, Angel Tungaraza, who is a talented, profession lady we get a glimpse of the social issues facing the Rwandan society. The sad reality is that these are just ordinary people with little or nothing to offer. “Mama Angel” does her best via her various interactions to make a difference and in the process to deal and come to terms with her own issues. I most certainly identify with and recognize “Mama”
lea-anne Says:
February 23rd, 2009 at 4:53 pm
This is a easy read about life in Rwanda and how Angel interacts with the community with her cakes in a celebration of life. The descriptions of the cakes make them come alive on the page. This is written in a real conversation style and gets into the heart and soul and the lives of the different characters in the book. Well done, worth reading.
Christine Says:
February 25th, 2009 at 10:12 am
If Alexander McCall Smith’s No 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun had a lovechild, Baking Cakes in Kigali would be it. Even though the style is easy and engaging, and the various characters’ stories seemingly simple and everyday, the underlying current is about how the people in Rwanda deal with the aftermath of the horrific genocide, and how life does indeed go on, whether you want it to or not.
If you don’t know anything about Rwandan history you probably won’t even notice her subtle references, or you won’t really know what she’s talking about, but I felt it added a depth to the story that makes it so much more than a light afternoon read. The issues Parkin touches on are contemporary and important, but she doesn’t force it down your throat; it is done in such a lighthanded way that it can easily be skimmed over.
I felt that the characters were well rounded and believable, even though there are a few she could’ve developed a bit more. Maybe leave that for the next book!
I absolutely loved this book and I hope there will be many more!
Helen Says:
March 9th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Baking Cakes in Kigali is a delightful and easy read. It is the sort of book I would usually read very quickly (possibly even in one sitting) but as my life has been particularly busy I only managed a few chapters a day over a couple of weeks, and I found it a pleasure to get back to each time. The pace is leisurely and the humour gentle. I found the main character, Angel, extremely likeable. She is the cake-baker of the title, also wife and grandmother to five. As we follow her on her various cake-baking assignments we see her makes new friends, have little adventures, face up to some difficult truths in her own life and make a real difference in the lives of those she encounters. It is very warm-hearted book even though it does touch on some serious topics, such as death, AIDS and reconciliation. It is set in Rwanda, after the atrocities, where people are trying to get by and rebuild their lives. The book celebrates the ordinary and everyday, the spirit of survival and community, the values of fairness and generosity. The story is colourful and very African, like the cakes Angel makes, and this is reflected in the unusual and vibrant cover the publishers have chosen. This book caught my eye before I was luckily enough to win a copy. I’m going to put this book into my book club where I am sure its going to be a popular read.
Barbara Gould Says:
March 13th, 2009 at 9:58 am
A tender telling of life in Rwanda. Angel leads us in to each person’s story in a caring manner. She is a real African matriarch, manipulating situations without people even noticing. A colourfully woven tapestry of stories providing understanding of life in African countries.
Amy Says:
March 20th, 2009 at 9:37 am
For some reason – maybe the cover? I thought this would be similar to Alexander Mccall Smith’s No.1 detective agency series. Unfortunatley although a nice gentle read, it was really a bit boring. I just found it never really got to a point. Just pleasant stories which touched in places on the harsh realities of what had happened in Rwanda and also the impact of AIDS. But I must admit this book didn’t live up to my expectations. Having said that though, I am a thriller fan, so perhaps its just not really my gendre. Its a very well written book and perhaps would go down better with a non-African audience?
Christine Says:
March 25th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I forgot to add, I also LOVE the cover! Absolutely beautifully designed and spot-on for the book.
I’m not sure what Amy means with it going down better with a non-African audience – I would venture a guess that all the commenters so far are African, and loved it. It is important for Africans to write and read their own stories. Maybe it is the wrong “gendre” for her after all.