1870: The Prussians are at the city gates, intent to starve Paris into submission. When an excursion throws wealthy Lisette Vigneau into the path of a revolutionary National Guardsman, Thèodore Fournier, she gives up her life of luxury to join in the fight for a Paris of the People. She opens a small bakery with the hopes of being a vital boon to the impoverished neighborhood when the city falls into famine, and then rebellion. 1946: With the loss of her father and the disappearance of her mother, Micheline Chartier is charged with the raising of her two younger sisters. A well-meaning neighbor enrolls her in a prestigious baking academy. With her entire life mapped out for her, and feeling unequal to the task of raising two young girls, she becomes obsessed with finding her mother. Both women must grapple with loss, learn to accept love, and face impossible choices, while armed with little more than their courage and a belief that a bit of flour, yeast, sugar, and love can bring about a revolution of their own. -- adapted from back cover