Weekend Cooking: The Midnight Bakery by Emma Davies

When Francis decides to start again, one of the first things she does is change her name to one that she actually likes  and one that she feels is more representative of who she wants to be. Francis.....meet Frankie! 

Beginning again also means a new job in a new location, and so it is that Frankie finds herself working all night in Duggan's Bakery getting all the goods ready for the next day. She doesn't mind working overnight in the bakery by herself. In fact she prefers to be alone. She listens to music and dances around the bakery, she dreams about the changes she would make if she owned the bakery, and she begins to heal herself from her past. It is a place of safety for her. And the small flat above the bakery is home.

One night, Frankie witnesses a woman take a tumble near the bakery. She insists on providing some first aid, little knowing that this one interaction is going to change her life, bringing new people into her life and forming a circle of support that she didn't know that she craved. 

Beth is a nurse who works the night shift at the local hospital. Her husband Jack had an accident on their farm which left him in a wheelchair. Beth is now the primary earner and works night so that can be there for her husband when he needs help during the day. They can't afford to hire a carer so it all falls on Beth. And she is tired. So, so tired. She would do anything for Jack, but she is running on empty. When her job is threatened Beth can't see how she can keep going. 

William is a man with a past, one that means that it could be difficult for him to find work. Right now though, he is working at a nearby club as security. He suspects that there are some dodgy dealings going on at the club but he has to be so careful not to lose his job. He also knows that if he gets caught up in anything illegal he could end up back in prison.  His past actions have left him separated from his family but he is determined that this time will be different. This time, he will become someone that his new friends can be proud of.

And finally there is Tam. Tam is a failed businessman whose biggest mistake was trusting his best friend. After losing everything and being declared bankrupt, he is working a job as a carer in a nursing home and doing his best to pay back those who lost money. He has lost everything, is sleeping in his car in a car park near the bakery but he has his job and his integrity. When his job is threatened because he doesn't have a fixed address, he doesn't see much of a future.

I really loved how these four came together, and how well they were able to help each other. Whilst Frankie is obviously the main character, they each had a turn where their story was told and by working together they found ways for each of them to find a way forward. I particularly enjoyed the direction that Tam's story took, where he was able to use his compassion and ingenuity in a way that might be completely unexpected at the beginning of the book. 

Frankie's heart is what brings this group together, but it is their admiration and friendship that bring her the strength she needs when her own past catches up with her.

Given that this book is set in a bakery there are plenty of scenes where the characters are creating delicious sounding baked goods. I could see the shelves full of bread, cinnamon rolls and other treats all lined up at the end of each night, ready to be sold during the day.  There were times I could smell the bread baking. This is not a book to read when you are hungry..

You know that I am a sucker for a foodie book, in particular a book set in a bakery, so I was relatively confident that I would like it. The book does still need to have interesting characters and a good story. It can't just rely on the foodie aspects. Luckily, this book had both of these plus strong food elements. I also loved how the friendship grew between these four people as they navigated the issues that they had in their individual lives.

Each person's story was treated with dignity and I closed the book with a contented sigh.

You may notice that purple is my favourite colour and so I loved this cover the minute I saw it! Interestingly, this book had a last minute title change. Originally it was called Frankie Nightingale Begins Again and that is the title that my review copy had. However, just before publication date it had a last minute changes to The Midnight Bakery. I think that the original title was more unique but the second title would be an easier title to remember, even if it is more generic. What I can say is that regardless of the title, this will be a book that I will remember for some time! I am not sure why, but for some reason I thought that this was a historical fiction story so it was a bit of a surprise when it wasn't. 

This is the first time I have read anything from this author. She does have quite a big backlist and it appears that she writes across several genres. I did see that she has just announced a new Christmas book which will be out in October. I will be keeping a look out for it and intend to see what backlist books might work for me! In other words, Emma Davies has a new fan!

I am sharing this review with Foodie Reads hosted at Based on a True Story and with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog. This was also one of the books that I nominated to read as part of 20 Books of Winter.

Rating 4/5

Weekly meals

Saturday - Minestrone
Sunday - Minestrone
Monday - Pork steaks with mash, broccoli and mushroom sauce
Tuesday - Out for dinner
Wednesday - Chicken stir fry
Thursday - Chicken Enchiladas
Friday - Out for dinner

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page