W3 Book Club-“Baking Cakes in Kigali,” by Gaile Parkin

by Teri E. Popp & Laura Chin, Tastemakers in Residence

Sometimes a book’s message is so important, it’s worth re-visiting ten years after you read it the first time. I felt “Baking Cakes in Kigali”—a novel written by Gaile Parkin—fit into that category for me, so I featured it in my January book club this year. Fittingly, it deals with forgiveness of others, even in the event of death and genocide. While I originally chose the book based on our turbulent year of political divide, the theme really hit home in the aftermath of the insurrection that took place in our Nation’s Capitol on January 6th.

The most interesting aspect of Parkin’s novel is that she writes about such deep topics with a deceptively light style. Her protagonist, Angel Tungaraza, bakes tantalizingly delicious cakes for 14 different friends and neighbors, each dealing with their own trauma. And, in doing so, Angel, herself learns to heal and forgive as those around her do the same. She learns that sometimes the hardest person to forgive is ourself.

*insert photos from Dropbox file W3 Book Club 154-Baking Cakes in Kigali-January 2021

For most book club meetings, W3 themes its attire, food, beverages and activities around the book and socializing. As we couldn’t meet in person this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I searched for an activity that would work for a virtual environment while still tying to this great read. And a painting class served this purpose nicely.

I located a company, Ryptic Room Escape, that usually offers their courses to other businesses; however, since our club could guarantee at least 10 attendees, they were willing to schedule a special time slot for just our group. The added bonus of going through this company was that, they not only provided the instructor and the Zoom meeting format, they also sent out painting kits to each of our participants. The kits consisted of a canvass, easel, paint, palette and brushes. For more information on Ryptic Room, see https://teambuilding.ryptic.com/events/virtual-paint-night

All the ladies of W3 added their own libation of choice for the evening as they painted their renditions of a tree silhouetted by an African sunset. While painting, we discussed “Baking Cakes in Kigali” and the ramifications of forgiveness in the aftermath of societal upheaval. This is a timeless message told through the eyes of a masterful storyteller—a message of particular importance to our nation at this moment in time.