Another novel I recently found on one of our bookshelves, and one that Vera thought I would like, this presents an unfamiliar mixed complex culture that made for a fascinating read. Based in Kigali in 2011, after the Rwandan genocide, the central entrepreneurial character becomes a confidant, counsellor, and inspiration to a diverse group of survivors, ranging from a prostitute supporting her family by selling herself, to international diplomats, a Bible-thumping drunk, and single girls seeking a better life.
The are moral dilemmas in every encounter as the remaining Tutsi and Hutus struggle to find common ground. Muslims and Christians both incorporate elements of animalism and superstition to try to explain their plight. In every family, the devastation of the prevalent AIDS, profound poverty, and misogyny, force adoption of seemingly extremely flexible moral standards. A Christian baker decides to bake a cake to celebrate and then to attend the ‘circumcision’ of a Muslim friend’s daughter.
Parkin manages to give many of the characters a hopeful upbeat attitude in spite of the many hardships they face, and includes leavening humour. When an Egyptian man sends his servant to borrow some cardamon from a female neighbour, the language difficulties lead to her asking for condoms instead, resulting in hilarious misunderstandings.
Baking Cakes In Kigali presents a vivid portrait of a world that is so far removed from anything I have ever experienced that it could almost be from a different planet, (grasshoppers are fried as a delicacy) yet the individuals that occupy it share universal human virtues, vices, anxieties and sorrows with the rest of us. A very enjoyable read.
The Passionate Reader 