Eleven-year-old Mira “Mimi” Mackson is
a baking prodigy from a small Massachusetts city referred to as Comity (a thinly
disguised Harmony).
Mimi is the youngest member of a
massive household: Her Indian American mother is a profitable software program advisor, her
white dad is a famend meals author and critic, and her three older siblings
(all biracial, like Mimi) excel at appearing, dance, and soccer. Though Mimi
enjoys creating new treats for her household and experimenting with unusual
flavors, she typically feels misplaced and invisible amid her completed
siblings. When a brand new bakery on the town, the Whereas
Away Bakery and Café, proclaims a baking contest for youngsters,
Mimi is worked up to compete and showcase her abilities. Issues get difficult,
nonetheless, when Mimi’s father falls underneath an enchantment that causes him to not
solely lose his refined sense of style, but additionally eat every little thing in sight. Loosely
primarily based on A Midsummer Night time’s Dream and impressed by TV exhibits like The
Nice British Baking Present, LaRocca’s debut is authentic and compelling. The
lifelike characters and complicated household dynamics increase the tightly knit plot,
and the mouthwatering descriptions of meals are assured to make readers
hungry. Three recipes on the finish of the novel (primarily based on the characters’
concoctions) are an added bonus for these focused on growing their
culinary expertise.
A tasty deal with for meals and
literary connoisseurs alike. (Fantasy.
Eight-12)
