In a beautifully written novel that brings the past and the
present together, Sarah McCoy's novel, THE BAKER'S
DAUGHTER, is testament to the forgiving powers of time and
love.
McCoy's sophomore tale focuses on two women's stories. Reba
Adams is a journalist in El Paso, Texas who is desperately
trying to find her sense of self-worth in both her work and
her love life. She loves her fiancé, Border agent Ricki
Chavez, but still has lingering doubts about their
relationship that seems to stem back to traumatic events
from her childhood. When she is assigned a fairly simple
story about different Christmas celebrations in the area,
she meets the owner of a popular German bakery who seems to
have more than a few secrets about baking.
Elsie Schmidt was a beautiful teenager on the cusp of
womanhood during World War II in Germany. The daughter of a
baker, and the fiancée of a powerful Nazi officer, Elsie
seemed to have it all, until one fateful night when she
meets a young Jewish boy who is on his way to the
concentration camps and her life changes for good. Giving
the small boy shelter in a hidden room of her parent's
home, Elsie must live a life of lies and concealment that
will haunt her even into her old age.
As Reba interviews Elsie for her article, she finds herself
drawn to this courageous woman who sacrificed so much. As
Elsie shares her story, Reba finds encouragement for
digging deep inside herself for strength and guidance.
Sarah McCoy has created a moving, emotional tale with THE
BAKER'S DAUGHTER. Weaving the two stories of these strong
ladies together, along with an endearing additional cast of
characters, McCoy pulls her readers into the heart of the
story with her brilliant gift of storytelling. THE BAKER'S
DAUGHTER
is thoughtful, mesmerizing and powerful -- all the key
ingredients for a classical, well-written story.
In 1945, Elsie Schmidt is a naive teenager, as eager for her
first sip of champagne as she is for her first kiss. She and
her family have been protected from the worst of the terror
and desperation overtaking her country by a high-ranking
Nazi who wishes to marry her. So when an escaped Jewish boy
arrives on Elsie’s doorstep in the dead of night on
Christmas Eve, Elsie understands that opening the door would
put all she loves in danger.
Sixty years later, in El Paso, Texas, Reba Adams is trying
to file a feel-good Christmas piece for the local magazine.
Reba is perpetually on the run from memories of a turbulent
childhood, but she’s been in El Paso long enough to get a
full-time job and a fiancé, Riki Chavez. Riki, an agent with
the U.S. Border Patrol, finds comfort in strict rules and
regulations, whereas Reba feels that lines are often
blurred.
Reba’s latest assignment has brought her to the shop of an
elderly baker across town. The interview should take a few
hours at most, but the owner of Elsie’s German Bakery is no
easy subject. Reba finds herself returning to the bakery
again and again, anxious to find the heart of the story. For
Elsie, Reba’s questions are a stinging reminder of darker
times: her life in Germany during that last bleak year of
WWII. And as Elsie, Reba, and Riki’s lives become more
intertwined, all are forced to confront the uncomfortable
truths of the past and seek out the courage to forgive.
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