Enjoyed the love story in this historical fiction. I appreciate that you always had an idea who Henri was but yet you also were never positive, it gave the book a little mystery about the choices Chana would make and how the story would play out. Enjoyed the characters. Appreciate how the author showed how some of the characters may have done things that made them appear like bad people but that circumstances sometimes dictate making decisions that are easier to judge when you were not in that situation.

Sharon Kurtzman's The Lost Baker of Vienna is a welcome new take on a World War II novel. In Kurtzman's book, the events of the Holocaust are backstory, touched on briefly but casting a shadow over the characters and their interactions. The story concerns a food writer whose grandfather has just died, leaving behind a mystery about his connection to an elusive Australian couple known for a popular commercial baked good. Without giving away any details, what I liked most was the depiction of the aftermath of World War II, the confusing Wild West-like environment of Europe, in which people could be murdered with little consequence, black marketeers ruled everything, and all Holocaust survivors wanted was a way out. While there were a couple of wiggly or unlikely historical details, the story was satisfying and the twist, while a bit predictable, accomplished what it needed to. I probably would have given this 4-1/2 stars had that been an option, but I will recommend it to others.