A wonderfully written story that will remain with you long after you finish reading. This book haunts the soul and makes you long for just one more chapter before it ends.

This was a good WWII story set in a small town in occupied France in 1943. This book besides from the main plot is very much about the characters.
I love a story that delves into the complexities of all of the characters, making me feel for them or not, and able to slowly find out the many stories that they each bring to the story, and why they are driven to do what they do..
Andre Albert, his wife Mireille and there son Frederic, own a Patisserie, which like all of the other businesses on their street are struggling to survive under the German rule.
One day Andre comes down stairs to find his wife missing, his son wandering around alone and a Jewish woman, Emilie, hiding behind his pastry display cases, and from this point on the search begins for Andre, to find his wife.
The story keeps you on edge wondering what will happen to the main characters and their friends, through many Nazi officers, encounters, and the secrets they all keep.
I would like to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a copy of this book.

Losing his wife to Nazi soldiers changes Andre’s life immensely. Taking in an escaped Jewish woman to care for his son, Frederic, and dealing with his life changes make Andre desperate to find his wife Mireille. Set in a small French town, the characters are well described and sensitively portrayed in this excellent historical novel.

'T he French Baker's War' by Michael Whatling is a story of love, loss, devotion, and sacrifice set in WWII France. The brilliant descriptions put me right into the little pastry shop. I was able to smell the aromas and feel the fear that Frederic, Anrde' ,Emilie and Frederic felt when the Nazi showed up. This riveting story made me not want to put my book down. I give 'The French Baker's War'five stars. Thanks Netgally for giving me this book

Set in Paris during the Nazi occupation, this story delivers an emotional view of a fascinating cast of people who desperately tried to stay alive. Despite the devotion to each other and to their son, both Andre and his wife hold secrets. At first glance, they seem to be a straightforward couple striving to survive the war while raising their son to the best of their abilities. However, their secrets lead to betrayal, agony and tragedy for all involved. The story is a reminder that while we like to think we're in control of our lives, momentous things occur in a second to forever change our destiny. I found myself thinking "But if only...." many times through the story. Captivating book that lingers long past the last page.

I have a fondness for WWI and II stories. This debut novel is excellent. The mystery of Mereille’s disappearance along with Nazi occupation is a winner and as a bonus a bakery thrown in. Beautiful prose and descriptions in this story a little different than other WWII stories. I highly recommend this, especially to book clubs. I’m definitely recommending to my book club. Looking forward to more by this author.

The first thing that struck me about this book was the title. I love a good book that is interesting, historical and has anything to do with food and cooking so I requested it and have been lucky enough to read this wonderful and heartfelt story.

Yes it is about the war, occupied France in 1943. It is based on past events but it is still so poignant and such a great story to be told. When the baker's wife goes missing and a Jewish woman is found hiding in the bakery a whole range of emotions become apparent and the baker André Albert, is left to look for his missing wife, look after his young son and keep the secret of the hidden Jewish woman now in his home.

It is very well written starting and slowly (but not too slowly) building up throughout so it keeps you interested and reading the whole time. The characters are complex and compelling, The story is strong and is filled with plenty of passion, intrigue, danger and emotion. The story flows through the lives of these people, the hardships they endured and their strength and compassion.

Loved it and highly recommend.

The French Baker's War is a historical fiction book set during WWII in France. A baker's wife disapears one day and her husband is left with their child to discover what happened and find her. I'm giving this book 2 stars, which means this was an okay reading experience for me (I'm using the Goodreads rating system). I'm glad I read it but there were some things I did not enjoy.
The positives:
- The concept was definitely intriging and that kept me wanting to keep reading to find out more answers.
- The cover design is beautiful and captivating
- It's an easy read and a page-turner, only took me two days to read which is quite fast for me.
- The characters were flawed and real, something I always look for in books. My favourite character was the bookseller.

The negatives:
- There was quite a lot of miscommunication and dishonesty between the characters in order to further the plot, which I don't appreciate.
- The setting and the story at times felt a bit overdone and unoriginal for me, Probably due to the huge amount of holocaust stories in the market today.
- The ending was anticlimatic and even a bit confusing, with the characters changing their minds very quickly.

Overall, I think a lot of people would enjoy this story, even though it felt a bit lackluster to me.
I would definitely recomend this book to people who love to read holocaust stories like The Tattooist of Aucshwitz or The Book Thief.

Firstly thanks to NetGalley, Booksgoscoial and the author for this preview edition for an honest review. Michael Whatling’s beautifully written book is a page-turner from chapter one. It is an emotional and moving WW11 story, starting with the mystery disappearance of Mireille, the baker’s wife and the plight of a young Jewish woman hiding from the Nazis. The fear and tension that the characters feel from the beginning is palpable and the sign of a skilfully written narrative by the author. Highly recommended..

This debut novel by Mr Whatling was an interesting read. It is set in France in 1943
A Jewish girl, who escaped from the Germans, ends up changing places with a French baker’s wife
Andre tries desperately to find his missing wife when he finds his young son alone in the street.
This is a good story but if I am honest it lost me in parts.
Thanks to#NetGalley for the advance copy in return for an honest review

What can i say?. I have been through every emotion possible as it shifts from gritty resistance fighting, to emotional reunions, to fear, and everything else in between...
The clever construction of the book has twists and turns and i loved the ending as it turns everything that had happened up side down.....
Read it and go on a journey of emotion

This debut novel by Mr Whatling was an interesting read. While WWII plays a huge role in this book, it's more a story about love, families, and what one is willing to do to protect those we care about. What are our moral obligations to speak up when others are being threatened or mistreated - even if speaking up places both parties in greater danger? I greatly enjoyed how the son in the story, Frederic, is portrayed - he is a special child. I also greatly enjoyed the character of the bookseller, Monsieur Durand. While we got some of his backstory, I'd love to have known more about him (and about his bookstore). I did, though, have some issues with parts of the story (Would someone really be welcomed into a resistance movement without reservations? Would a guarded munitions factory be surprising to others in the area?), the writing style (the simile "... went to their separate beds coated in the molasses of animosity" was so awkward I ceased reading for a few moments puzzling it out; two other similes compared reactions to classical painting styles), and some actions by the characters (would one really feel that "too much time had passed" regarding an argument the previous evening and the number of train trips taken toward the end of the book, when food and money are scarce?). Overall, I found this an okay book - the story opened decently and grabbed my attention with the mystery, the main characters were distinct and interesting, but while it held my interest, I didn't always feel engaged with the story.

Great story, great writing! This well written novel tells us how a Jewish girl, who escaped from the Germans, ends up changing places with a French baker’s wife and all the troubles that are endured due to this change.
Be prepared to experience a roller coaster of emotions as you read how Andre tries desperately to find his missing wife. Lies, suspense, and deceit on the part of Andre’s “friends” provide pitfalls for him as he desperately searches for Mireille to no avail.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Living during wartime it can be cruel and dangerous. When France was Occupied by the Germans , supplies became low and life became precious because from one day to the next one could vanish without a trace. French Baker Andre and his wife Mireille found themselves in a world of lies, betrayal and death because of the Germans hatred of Jewish people.
This book I had a difficult time reading and connecting with the characters. It seemed to be over the top in its wordiness. I would find myself skipping paragraphs and I fell asleep reading and I hate to admit to that.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

“They hold great advice. Having books is an act of faith – beams of light in the darkness.”
– Monsieur Durand

Rather than battle-focused, this five-star historical fiction novel highlights the difficult choices ordinary French citizens made in wartime and how their lives were transformed as a result. It’s set in a small town in Nazi occupied France during a 7-week period from October 19 – December 5, 1943. Andre and Mireille Albert own the town’s patisserie and it’s been difficult to keep open because baking supplies have been so difficult to obtain. One day Andre returns home, haggard from obtaining rationed ingredients, only to find his four-year-old son, Frederic, alone in the street, his wife’s torn apron lying beside him, and a starving and disheveled Jewess hiding in his bakery. His wife is nowhere to be found. Is the arrival of this cowering woman in his shop a coincidence?

What an absorbing read! I didn’t need confirmation that the author was a teacher – I could tell by the splendid metaphors and similes and how they were incorporated into his well-structured writing. The fantastic pacing of the plot kept me reading and the masterfully created and authentic characters pulled me deeper into the story. Whatling, in his debut novel, has managed to accurately convey the tension of France under German occupation. I was aware of Andre’s desperation; he was torn finding someone to trust, yet reticent under the circumstances. Does he look for his wife? Should he continue his life as if she has left him? What does he do with this woman in the shop? What about his son? The light in the midst of this was the ever-present helping hand of Monsieur Durand, the local bookseller. What I loved about this novel were the twists and turns which made the plot unpredictable. The ending left me wanting more…but, perhaps the author has future plans to continue Andre and Mireille’s tale.

A fellow Canadian and a fellow teacher, Whatling penned this tale during COVID lockdowns “in order to feel productive.” It checks all the boxes for a great historical read and I’d recommend it to others.

I was gifted this copy by Michael Whatling, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I highly recommend this book! It's a brilliant written story set in France during WWII and it's really powerful and compelling. The characters are really interesting and resilient. There's mystery, suspense, danger and intrigue with some plot twists along the way.

Thanks NetGalley!

This is Michael Whatling's first novel and it's truly impressive.

The book takes place from mid-October to early December 1943. Just seven weeks. But it turns out quite a lot can happen and people can change dramatically in that time when they are living through the horrors of a world war.

Based on a true story, this historical novel begins by meeting the talented French bakers André and Mireille Albert, a married couple with a four year old son, Frédéric, -- all three of them living in a small town under German occupation. Food and money are scarce, businesses are feeling pinched, but André and Mireille are devoted to one another and to maintaining their business, which has been in Mireille's family for generations.

Then one day, happenstance. A random event, born of desperation and terror, changes the Albert's world forever. And without giving anything away, what happens during the rest of the novel, is the slow unfolding of what happens to people who are tested by circumstances. The range of emotions is exhaustive. Panic, guilt, fury, lust, shame, fear -- just to name a few. Whatling looks at how such dispiriting experiences can alter people. Even in a short period of time.

This is a taxing, emotional novel, often difficult to read. But it's also powerful in its ability to translate the whole experience of war into the story of one small family. It is also masterful in exposing the strange, varied, and sometimes pitiful processing of the human mind under pressure. Like me, you will no doubt end the book realizing that no one escapes any war unscathed. Strongly recommended.

When I first started this novel, I went into it with low expectations. Mostly because it's historical fiction and it is super rare to find a fast-paced and entertaining historical fiction novel, a lot of them are a total yawn unless you are interested in the subject. I do have to say that The French Baker's War did not disappoint. In my head, After the first chapter, I recognized that this story is about to get intense. A woman shows up at the boulangerie and she has the Juif mark and the family does everything they can to save them. It is such a deep and beautiful story. You cannot have a light heart reading this novel since WWII is a graphic and sensitive subject matter, but overall, a well written story that can easily be made into a move.

The only reason why I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5, is that it is HARD reading about how awful people can be.

A strikingly painful war between love and duty. Inspired by a true event, this story revolves around a baker who lived in a small village in occupied France in 1943.

A somewhat buoyant life of Andre (a baker) is turned upside down when he finds his four-year-old son in the street with his wife Mirelle nowhere in sight. On top of this, he finds a bruised and battered Jewish woman hiding inside his patisserie. In pursuit of finding Mirelle and hiding Emile, the escapee, Andre discovers shocking truths and is torn between saving his family and Emilie.

In today's world, how much longer will one go to uphold their principles and protect their family? In this character-driven story, Andre in the attempt to find his wife undergoes a lot of emotions. Anger, confusion, longing, hopefulness. The journey of Andre from being the kind loving person to a volatile individual is shockingly true and it resonates with everyone's attitude when it comes to protecting their own. The subtle build-up of characterisation for Mirelle with the painstakingly powerful ending will leave the readers gasping for air. The characters Emilie and Monsieur Durrand definitely needs a separate book! Mirelle's desperation, the kid's oblivion to his own mother, the affection of M Durand and the love between Andre and Mirelle tore my heart into pieces. I was bristled by Emilie at the start yet she was the one for whom I wept most.

A must-read for everyone, especially, those who adore Holocaust novels. I haven't read many books that take place during WWII except "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" yet I could say this is something unique that will have control over the reader's heart.

A book that teaches us something powerful. Powerful to change one's life. i.e, Love.

WWII historical fiction? Sign me up! Tragic and heartbreaking, this book is set in occupied France in 1943. Focusing on the difficult and often impossible decisions people are forced to make in war times, you can’t help but be pulled into this story and feel deeply for every character. The author has a unique way of painting both scenery and character relationships that make it feel like a movie playing out in your head. The complexity of the characters is what kept me wanting more of this book. You could love and hate the same character within just a few chapters. Overall, I would recommend this book to other lovers of historical fiction and tragic stories of trying times.