I received this book through the Early Reviewers program, and while it took me a while to get to, once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. Parkin does an amazing job of weaving together the painful history of Rwanda with the power of hope for the future. A lovely story, I would recommend this to anyone! ( )

A wonderful book about Rwanda after the war. I love books about Africa. This book presents interesting people and discusses some of Africa's major issues. Maybe aide workers do not actually help.

A refreshing look at modern Africa, acknowledging the real issues without becoming too depressing. The main character does tend to become a two dimensional fairy godmother, sprinkling the fairy dust of understanding and harmony on every problem she comes across, homeless children, sex workers, the destruction of the environment, Aids, alcoholism, religious hypocrisy, colonial exploitation, special prices for Wazungu, diverting funds from development projects. She ends up rather like one of the cakes she bakes and decorates, too sweet to be true. ( )

Great read. The stories of Angel's cake customers pull you into the culture and the issues of Rwanda. Funny and poignant. ( )

A story set in a Rwanda still coming to terms with the bitter conflict which tore the nation apart in the mid 1990s may not appear to offer the prospect of an uplifting read, yet this book following a woman who runs successful business selling cakes is exactly that. Perhaps it is the yeast that makes the difference?

There are obvious parallels with Alexander McCall Smith's Botswanan lady detective books. Both feature successful female entrepreneurs, share a positive outlook on African life and have a sort of episodic structure - each new client having their own story to be told. However, there is more to this book than a publisher's attempt to cash in on what the reading public like. I'm a big fan of McCall Smith, but I would still venture to suggest that Parkin has here achieved even greater success in managing to combine dark and shade.

On the one hand there are the light and humorous sections - there are, for example plenty of laughs at the expense of "wuzungu" (white folk) with their peculiar liking for plain white wedding cakes - but the book also talks about serious matters, not least the Rwandan genocide, and yet still hangs together.

The main character spends a lot of time mulling over ethical dilemmas, both large and small, in a way that reminded me a little of another McCall Smith creation, the Edinburgh-based philosopher Isabel Dalhousie.

There is a slight bias against the westerners who feature, though US citizens may at least take some comfort that for a change it is a Canadian who appears in the worst light when stealing from a prostitute.

Towards the end, and without giving too much away, one of the most impressive episodes relates to a controversial practice affecting young women. This incident is resolved in a way that makes some interesting observations about gender relations in different cultures and whether it is always incumbent on an individual to tell the truth.

In summary, because I simply can't resist the pun, this has all the ingredients for a enjoyable, mood-enhancing read. ( )