The Baker’s Wife

It’s true that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, but it’s also true that covers are powerful. When I saw the cover for Erin Healy’s new novel, The Baker’s Wife, I was drawn to it immediately. Thankfully, the story did not disappoint. The Baker’s Wife is a powerful, intricate, fast-paced novel–the kind that kept me reading long past bedtime.

Audrey Bofinger’s life is upside down: her husband’s job as minister has been ruined by scandal, her teenage son is dealing with problems, and she is working diligently to operate a new bakery. In the early morning hours, Audrey is in an accident on her way to work. While driving through dense fog, she crashes into a motor scooter, but the body of the driver cannot be found. The accident begins a series of events that quickly spirals out of control, and Audrey must find answers before her family faces dire consequences. Members of Audrey’s community find themselves bound together through the events of the present and past, and they must deal with their pain as they struggle to find solutions to their problems. From the opening pages, I was pulled into Audrey’s life and the lives of all the characters involved.

As much as the story captured my attention, I did not enjoy the strong supernatural forces that played a part in this story. When other people in her community suffer from pain and illness, Audrey experiences their pain in a real, physical way. While this story is Christian fiction, Audrey’s physiological and psychic experiences, which are presented as messages from God, bothered me, and I felt this aspect of her character took away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

The Baker’s Wife is a fast-paced, enjoyable novel, and I recommend it (with warning about the supernatural aspect). To celebrate the release of her novel, author Erin Healy is hosting a Facebook party and giving away a Kitchen Aid mixer. For more information, be sure to click on the image below.