Deborah Wiles (Revolution) introduces the citizens of Aurora County to the Cake family in this sweet tale of friendship and establishing roots.
Emma Alabama Lane Cake is the only girl child in her family. She has five brothers and four dogs, all of whom pack into their family's van every time father Leo Meyer Lemon Cake decides it's time to move. "We don't settle down, Emma," Leo proudly proclaims to his daughter, "We come from a long line--" She knows this speech well: "--of itinerant bakers," she finishes for him. Emma's brothers have no problem making friends at each new stop, but she struggles; leaving is heartbreaking every time.
To ease the pain, Emma has created a "Friend Atlas" that she carries with her to each new city, a personal record documenting all the special friends she's met throughout her nomadic life. This time, Emma is determined not to add to her Friend Atlas--her heart can't take saying goodbye to another best friend. But Emma didn't plan on meeting Ruby Lavender.
A Long Line of Cakes is a delightful, zany story and a delicious recipe for friendship, with plenty of laughs thrown in. The challenges Emma grapples with are like those of regularly displaced children, such as kids from military families, but anyone who's ever had to bid farewell to a loved one will empathize with her plight. Plus, the charming, idiosyncratic dynamics of the Cake clan add another layer to an already rich plot. Wiles claims that "[b]aking is chemistry as an art form, and the Cakes had mastered it." Wiles, too, is a master of her art, and readers get to savor the result. --Jen Forbus, freelancer