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The Lost Baker of Vienna
An historical novel inspired by the experiences of the author’s own family after the Holocaust, a sweeping saga about survival, loss, love, and the reverberating effects of war
Vienna,1946: Chana Rosensweig has endured the horrors of war to find herself, her mother, and younger brother finally free in Vienna. But freedom doesn’t look like they imagined it would, as they struggle to make a living and stay safe.
Despite the danger, Chana sneaks out most nights to return to the hotel kitchen where she works as a dishwasher, using the quiet nighttime hours to bake her late father’s recipes. As she tries to balance her love of baking against her family’s need for security, Chana finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle, torn between the black-market dealer who has offered marriage and protection, and the apprentice baker who shares her passions.
The Lost Baker of Vienna affirms the unbreakable bonds of family, while shining a light on the courageous spirit of WWII refugees as they battle to survive the overwhelming hardships of a world torn apart.
Vienna,1946: Chana Rosensweig has endured the horrors of war to find herself, her mother, and younger brother finally free in Vienna. But freedom doesn’t look like they imagined it would, as they struggle to make a living and stay safe.
Despite the danger, Chana sneaks out most nights to return to the hotel kitchen where she works as a dishwasher, using the quiet nighttime hours to bake her late father’s recipes. As she tries to balance her love of baking against her family’s need for security, Chana finds herself caught in a dangerous love triangle, torn between the black-market dealer who has offered marriage and protection, and the apprentice baker who shares her passions.
The Lost Baker of Vienna affirms the unbreakable bonds of family, while shining a light on the courageous spirit of WWII refugees as they battle to survive the overwhelming hardships of a world torn apart.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published August 19, 2025
273 people are currently reading
13297 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Kurtzman
2 books95 followersSharon Kurtzman worked in television marketing before pursuing her dream of becoming a writer. She earned her MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications. The Lost Baker of Vienna was inspired by the war and postwar experiences of her own family, who were Holocaust survivors. Kurtzman lives in North Carolina with her husband; they have two adult children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
August 16, 2025
I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.
There are so many books written about WWII that it’s rare to find one that stands out. THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA is unique in this crowded genre. Dual timelines with two strong women anchoring the storylines is based on events that occurred in author, Sharon Kurtzman’s family. Readers will feel the strength and passion of that connection on every page.
After the death of her grandfather, Zoe is left with financial problems and questions about her family history. There’s a clue in some pictures that point her to a bakery in Australia along with its reclusive owner. He’s willing to provide information but only if she will meet him in Vienna at a world famous baking conference where he’ll receive a lifetime achievement award. Henri, is an highly nuanced character who parses out half the story with love and compassion. Zoe undergoes a steady transformation while coming to understand the real story about how her family survived the holocaust and life after.
Chana, her mother and younger brother have survived the camps and secured passage to the USA. Things don’t go as planned and the family of three are stranded in Vienna. Chana is blessed to “look Aryan” and is able to secure decent employment for all three of them. She has turned the head of the black market leader coordinating their exit from Europe. He got them a decent apartment and takes extra steps to keep the little family safe. Life is very difficult, food is scarce, hatred of Jews remains rampant but the spirit and desire to survive and be free are strong.
Kurtzman has masterfully presented war torn Vienna such that the setting becomes a character itself. Additionally, she created a social structure that included all levels of society. It felt as real as my development and town that is currently experiencing difficult issues with racial integration.
Character development is steady and thorough for all the major players. Even the secondary characters received a good fleshing out. This allowed smart dialogue and emotional exchanges between characters that rang true.
Both storylines become more complex as the story develops. It’s well organized, not chaotic. A few twists keep readers from getting too sure of themselves which had me actually cheering for the author.
An excellent choice for readers of Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction and those who enjoy great stories with kitchen and baking theme📚
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC via Kindle, with thanks
There are so many books written about WWII that it’s rare to find one that stands out. THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA is unique in this crowded genre. Dual timelines with two strong women anchoring the storylines is based on events that occurred in author, Sharon Kurtzman’s family. Readers will feel the strength and passion of that connection on every page.
After the death of her grandfather, Zoe is left with financial problems and questions about her family history. There’s a clue in some pictures that point her to a bakery in Australia along with its reclusive owner. He’s willing to provide information but only if she will meet him in Vienna at a world famous baking conference where he’ll receive a lifetime achievement award. Henri, is an highly nuanced character who parses out half the story with love and compassion. Zoe undergoes a steady transformation while coming to understand the real story about how her family survived the holocaust and life after.
Chana, her mother and younger brother have survived the camps and secured passage to the USA. Things don’t go as planned and the family of three are stranded in Vienna. Chana is blessed to “look Aryan” and is able to secure decent employment for all three of them. She has turned the head of the black market leader coordinating their exit from Europe. He got them a decent apartment and takes extra steps to keep the little family safe. Life is very difficult, food is scarce, hatred of Jews remains rampant but the spirit and desire to survive and be free are strong.
Kurtzman has masterfully presented war torn Vienna such that the setting becomes a character itself. Additionally, she created a social structure that included all levels of society. It felt as real as my development and town that is currently experiencing difficult issues with racial integration.
Character development is steady and thorough for all the major players. Even the secondary characters received a good fleshing out. This allowed smart dialogue and emotional exchanges between characters that rang true.
Both storylines become more complex as the story develops. It’s well organized, not chaotic. A few twists keep readers from getting too sure of themselves which had me actually cheering for the author.
An excellent choice for readers of Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction and those who enjoy great stories with kitchen and baking theme📚
Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC via Kindle, with thanks
August 5, 2025
After surviving the Holocaust Chana Rosenzweig arrives in Vienna with her mother and brother and with the plan of immigrating to America. The two women start working in the kitchen of the Empress Hotel, where meals are included and to earn money, and while the officials try to locate their sponsor.
Here she meets two men, Meyer a black-market dealer who wants to marry her, and an apprentice baker Elias, they share an interest and Chana wonders if they can ever be more than friends and her mum is putting pressure on her to get married.
The war might be over, but for the Jewish refugees they still face the pain of the past, discrimination, violence, danger and everyone has the same plan and that’s to leave Europe, get away from their memories and there’s not enough visas for all of them.
Zoe Rosenzweig grandfather passes away from dementia, while going through his paperwork she discovers an envelope and some photos while going and she feels like he's trying to tell her something. Zoe travels to Vienna for work and searching for clues about his past and if he’s linked to the elusive owner of an Australian baking company and solve the mystery.
The story has a dual timeline and is told from Chana and Zoe's points of view and set in 1946 and 2018 and the only reason I had trouble following the narrative was due to the quality of the transcription and it constantly repeated itself.
I received a copy of The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman from Headline and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the author’s debut novel and it was inspired by her mothers and grandmothers experiences during the Holocaust and she wrote it during Covid.
Many families were torn apart and struggled after the Second World War ended and had secrets and this is the main theme I got from reading the book, how hard it was to keep a promise, the ending wasn’t predictable and kept me guessing until the final chapter.
Four stars and I recommend if you’re a fan of dual timeline historical fiction that promotes the strength and resilience of women, never giving up and following your dreams and decades later uncovering the truth and solving a puzzle.
Here she meets two men, Meyer a black-market dealer who wants to marry her, and an apprentice baker Elias, they share an interest and Chana wonders if they can ever be more than friends and her mum is putting pressure on her to get married.
The war might be over, but for the Jewish refugees they still face the pain of the past, discrimination, violence, danger and everyone has the same plan and that’s to leave Europe, get away from their memories and there’s not enough visas for all of them.
Zoe Rosenzweig grandfather passes away from dementia, while going through his paperwork she discovers an envelope and some photos while going and she feels like he's trying to tell her something. Zoe travels to Vienna for work and searching for clues about his past and if he’s linked to the elusive owner of an Australian baking company and solve the mystery.
The story has a dual timeline and is told from Chana and Zoe's points of view and set in 1946 and 2018 and the only reason I had trouble following the narrative was due to the quality of the transcription and it constantly repeated itself.
I received a copy of The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman from Headline and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the author’s debut novel and it was inspired by her mothers and grandmothers experiences during the Holocaust and she wrote it during Covid.
Many families were torn apart and struggled after the Second World War ended and had secrets and this is the main theme I got from reading the book, how hard it was to keep a promise, the ending wasn’t predictable and kept me guessing until the final chapter.
Four stars and I recommend if you’re a fan of dual timeline historical fiction that promotes the strength and resilience of women, never giving up and following your dreams and decades later uncovering the truth and solving a puzzle.
March 14, 2025
The Lost Baker of Vienna is a beautifully written and moving dual timeline set in the aftermath of WWII. Sharon Kurtzman has penned a dazzling debut that brings the struggles of postwar life in Vienna to light, from the perils and prejudice Holocaust survivors faced to the dangers of the black market. Chana is a brave and strong character, inspired by Kurtzman’s own family who survived the Holocaust and the treacherous days that followed. This is a powerful story historical fiction readers will love!
April 10, 2025
I am grateful to have been invited to read this advanced copy of The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman. This book has two storylines, one set in 1946 post WW2, and one in 2018. I found both stories intriguing and they seemlessly were woven together to tell a beautiful story about family love and loss. I highly recommend this book..
August 22, 2025
5⭐️
Some books feel like they find you at the exact right moment—the kind of story that doesn’t simply fill pages, but presses into your chest, leaving a lasting ache. The Lost Baker of Vienna was that book for me.
I had been eagerly awaiting this one, counting down the days. And yet, no amount of anticipation could have prepared me for how breathtakingly emotional, how devastatingly beautiful this story would be.
There are countless novels set around World War II. It’s a genre I’ve grown to love, though it can easily become crowded with familiar arcs and recycled themes. But Sharon Kurtzman does something extraordinary here. This is not a wartime novel in the traditional sense—it is what comes after. A haunting, poignant exploration of the ruins left behind, and the fragile strength it takes to rebuild when the dust hasn’t even settled.
The story unfolds in a dual timeline. In the present, Zoe loses her beloved grandfather Aron, the last tie she has to her family. Among his belongings, she discovers an envelope marked “for Zoe’s future,” filled with fragments of documents and hints to her family’s history—but not detail to what they mean. Then comes the call: Henri Martin, a stranger who claims to have known her family after the war, and urging her to come to Vienna if she wants the truth. Against the backdrop of her own grief and questions of identity, Zoe embarks on a journey that will carry her deep into the past.
And in 1946 Vienna, we meet young Chana Rosenzweig—Zoe’s great-aunt. A survivor of unfathomable horror, Chana finds herself in a broken world, forced to navigate choices that are both impossible and inevitable. Her resilience, her fierce determination, and her quiet, enduring strength are etched into every page. Through her, Kurtzman shines a light on not just survival, but on the costs of survival—the sacrifices, the guilt, and the unyielding hope that love might endure even in devastation.
This book tore at me. The prose is tender, lyrical, and raw—carrying both heartbreak and beauty in equal measure. Kurtzman weaves past and present with a masterful hand, revealing truths layer by layer, until I found myself holding my breath, unwilling to look away from what was unfolding. While the ending was predictable once the path revealed itself, it never lessened the impact. Sometimes, the power of a story is not in surprise, but in the inevitable ache of knowing where it must go.
At its heart, The Lost Baker of Vienna is not just about loss or survival—it’s about the fierce power of love, the strength of family, and the courage it takes to carry forward when so much has been stripped away. It is a reminder of the quiet bravery required to reclaim a future, and the ways memory and history are baked into us, carried forward like an heirloom recipe.
I tapped two fingers to my heart in honour of Aron and Chana, of Meyer and Elias, of Shifra and Mama Rosenzweig, when I closed this book. Their story, fictionalized through Kurtzman’s own family history, feels like a testament to countless lives lived, lost, and carried forward in spirit. This book will stay with me, quietly and insistently, for a very long time.
Buy tissues—truly. A box should come with every copy.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.**
And to Sharon Kurtzman—what a remarkable, powerful debut. This story is a gift, a tribute, and a reminder of why we must never forget.
Some books feel like they find you at the exact right moment—the kind of story that doesn’t simply fill pages, but presses into your chest, leaving a lasting ache. The Lost Baker of Vienna was that book for me.
I had been eagerly awaiting this one, counting down the days. And yet, no amount of anticipation could have prepared me for how breathtakingly emotional, how devastatingly beautiful this story would be.
There are countless novels set around World War II. It’s a genre I’ve grown to love, though it can easily become crowded with familiar arcs and recycled themes. But Sharon Kurtzman does something extraordinary here. This is not a wartime novel in the traditional sense—it is what comes after. A haunting, poignant exploration of the ruins left behind, and the fragile strength it takes to rebuild when the dust hasn’t even settled.
The story unfolds in a dual timeline. In the present, Zoe loses her beloved grandfather Aron, the last tie she has to her family. Among his belongings, she discovers an envelope marked “for Zoe’s future,” filled with fragments of documents and hints to her family’s history—but not detail to what they mean. Then comes the call: Henri Martin, a stranger who claims to have known her family after the war, and urging her to come to Vienna if she wants the truth. Against the backdrop of her own grief and questions of identity, Zoe embarks on a journey that will carry her deep into the past.
And in 1946 Vienna, we meet young Chana Rosenzweig—Zoe’s great-aunt. A survivor of unfathomable horror, Chana finds herself in a broken world, forced to navigate choices that are both impossible and inevitable. Her resilience, her fierce determination, and her quiet, enduring strength are etched into every page. Through her, Kurtzman shines a light on not just survival, but on the costs of survival—the sacrifices, the guilt, and the unyielding hope that love might endure even in devastation.
This book tore at me. The prose is tender, lyrical, and raw—carrying both heartbreak and beauty in equal measure. Kurtzman weaves past and present with a masterful hand, revealing truths layer by layer, until I found myself holding my breath, unwilling to look away from what was unfolding. While the ending was predictable once the path revealed itself, it never lessened the impact. Sometimes, the power of a story is not in surprise, but in the inevitable ache of knowing where it must go.
At its heart, The Lost Baker of Vienna is not just about loss or survival—it’s about the fierce power of love, the strength of family, and the courage it takes to carry forward when so much has been stripped away. It is a reminder of the quiet bravery required to reclaim a future, and the ways memory and history are baked into us, carried forward like an heirloom recipe.
I tapped two fingers to my heart in honour of Aron and Chana, of Meyer and Elias, of Shifra and Mama Rosenzweig, when I closed this book. Their story, fictionalized through Kurtzman’s own family history, feels like a testament to countless lives lived, lost, and carried forward in spirit. This book will stay with me, quietly and insistently, for a very long time.
Buy tissues—truly. A box should come with every copy.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.**
And to Sharon Kurtzman—what a remarkable, powerful debut. This story is a gift, a tribute, and a reminder of why we must never forget.
August 15, 2025
I absolutely loved this debut! Such a heartfelt and meaningful story of Vienna after WWII as displaced Jewish refugees try to pick up the pieces of their lives while dealing with the ever-present threat of violence. The way the story is crafted using a dual timeline is so well done, toggling back and forth in a way that makes you turn the pages fast.
If you liked “We Were the Lucky Ones,” this book will be for you. It was made even more special knowing that it is based on the author’s family history. So special!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.
If you liked “We Were the Lucky Ones,” this book will be for you. It was made even more special knowing that it is based on the author’s family history. So special!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.
August 20, 2025
4.5 Stars
The Lost Baker of Vienna is a story of courage and survival set in post WWII Vienna.
Chana and her mother and younger brother have endured the horrors of WWII and are living free in Vienna. However, life is not easy as they struggle to find safety, housing, employment, and food. Chana is fortunate to land a job as a dishwasher in a hotel, but she risks a great deal to sneak out at night to return to the kitchen and bake her late father’s favorite recipes alongside the apprentice baker who shares her passion for baking.
Along with other refugees, the family’s long-term plan is to get to America. While facing the pain of the past, continued discrimination, broken promises, setbacks, and a lack of money, the family is vulnerable. Chana needs to take some risks to face overwhelming hardships and ensure her family’s survival. At times, everyone is at risk, adding a generous serving of tension to the story.
Chana is strong, determined, brave, and resilient as she takes risks and navigates some challenging and life-threatening situations. How can she follow her own dreams, honor her father’s memory, and keep her family safe?
In The Lost Baker of Vienna, we have a dual timeline: 1946 and 2018. The historical timeline is the most engaging. Although the current-day timeline adds an element of mystery, it isn’t as engaging (in my opinion) and is used as a device to propel the story forward. The two timelines intersect in a satisfying conclusion.
Content Consideration: post-war hardships, antisemitism
Fans of WWII histfic will appreciate this glimpse into the life of a refugee family surviving the post-war years. The Lost Baker of Vienna is inspired by the author’s own family history.
Thanks #NetGalley @VikingBooks for a complimentary eARC of #TheLostBakerOfVienna upon my request. All opinions are my own.
For more reviews visit my blog www.readingladies.com where this review was first published.
The Lost Baker of Vienna is a story of courage and survival set in post WWII Vienna.
Chana and her mother and younger brother have endured the horrors of WWII and are living free in Vienna. However, life is not easy as they struggle to find safety, housing, employment, and food. Chana is fortunate to land a job as a dishwasher in a hotel, but she risks a great deal to sneak out at night to return to the kitchen and bake her late father’s favorite recipes alongside the apprentice baker who shares her passion for baking.
Along with other refugees, the family’s long-term plan is to get to America. While facing the pain of the past, continued discrimination, broken promises, setbacks, and a lack of money, the family is vulnerable. Chana needs to take some risks to face overwhelming hardships and ensure her family’s survival. At times, everyone is at risk, adding a generous serving of tension to the story.
Chana is strong, determined, brave, and resilient as she takes risks and navigates some challenging and life-threatening situations. How can she follow her own dreams, honor her father’s memory, and keep her family safe?
In The Lost Baker of Vienna, we have a dual timeline: 1946 and 2018. The historical timeline is the most engaging. Although the current-day timeline adds an element of mystery, it isn’t as engaging (in my opinion) and is used as a device to propel the story forward. The two timelines intersect in a satisfying conclusion.
Content Consideration: post-war hardships, antisemitism
Fans of WWII histfic will appreciate this glimpse into the life of a refugee family surviving the post-war years. The Lost Baker of Vienna is inspired by the author’s own family history.
Thanks #NetGalley @VikingBooks for a complimentary eARC of #TheLostBakerOfVienna upon my request. All opinions are my own.
For more reviews visit my blog www.readingladies.com where this review was first published.
January 27, 2025
Zoe Rosenzweig, a journalist, recently lost her grandfather, Aron Rosenzweig, who survived the Holocaust. Post-World War II, his family sought freedom & to leave Vienna, Austria. While he and his mother makes it to America eventually, his older sister, Chana, died in a fire before getting a chance for freedom in July 1946. In the present day in 2018, Zoe, seeks to learn more about her family heritage & discovers more secrets than she can imagine including ties to a famous Australian baking company.
In a dual timeline novel, The Lost Baker of Vienna, focuses on the importance of family, defining the meaning of freedom and what a wonan's vocation should be. It touches upon a post-World War II world where Jewish people continue to be marginalized & finding means for liberation without fear of persecution. It is a book you do not want to put down to find out what happens to Chana & the ties to the baking company. Although some parts may seem predictable, there is a twist at the end that will surprise readers.
Thank you NetGalley & Viking Penguin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
In a dual timeline novel, The Lost Baker of Vienna, focuses on the importance of family, defining the meaning of freedom and what a wonan's vocation should be. It touches upon a post-World War II world where Jewish people continue to be marginalized & finding means for liberation without fear of persecution. It is a book you do not want to put down to find out what happens to Chana & the ties to the baking company. Although some parts may seem predictable, there is a twist at the end that will surprise readers.
Thank you NetGalley & Viking Penguin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2024
Enjoyed the love story in this historical fiction. I appreciate that you always had an idea who Henri was but yet you also were never positive, it gave the book a little mystery about the choices Chana would make and how the story would play out. Enjoyed the characters. Appreciate how the author showed how some of the characters may have done things that made them appear like bad people but that circumstances sometimes dictate making decisions that are easier to judge when you were not in that situation.
September 8, 2025
Wow. This book was emotional, heartbreaking, intense, and captivating with a dash of hope.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction? But this one was a hit different than those I’ve read in the past and I really enjoyed it. I was fully immersed in this story.
After reading the authors note and learning that this book was inspired by the authors mother and her families experiences, it made me appreciate this book even more.
I am a huge fan of historical fiction? But this one was a hit different than those I’ve read in the past and I really enjoyed it. I was fully immersed in this story.
After reading the authors note and learning that this book was inspired by the authors mother and her families experiences, it made me appreciate this book even more.
January 26, 2025
Thank you NetGalley & Viking Penguin for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I truly am so grateful I had the opportunity to read "The Lost Baker of Vienna." I am always game for a WWII novel but I do not always love dual timelines; often they lack character development or I like one timeline but not the other...that was simply not the case here. Kurtzman does such a phenomenal job developing the characters in BOTH timelines.
Both Chana and Zoe are compelling characters with stories of pain, redemption, perseverance and resilient love that overcomes the odds. The supporting characters such as Chana's mother, Meyer, friends, etc. also showcased how many refugees were forced to make difficult decisions post war in order to continue to survive - hopefully this novel will help remind us to remain compassionate in our own present time.
This book also repeatedly emphasized not to allow the evil or hatred of what others have done to us to turn us into monsters ourselves, In a moment that was worthy of a response, maybe even violence, Chana reflects and redirects by saying "Hate has created enough monsters already."
I will say that the description of the book itself is spot on :)
I truly am so grateful I had the opportunity to read "The Lost Baker of Vienna." I am always game for a WWII novel but I do not always love dual timelines; often they lack character development or I like one timeline but not the other...that was simply not the case here. Kurtzman does such a phenomenal job developing the characters in BOTH timelines.
Both Chana and Zoe are compelling characters with stories of pain, redemption, perseverance and resilient love that overcomes the odds. The supporting characters such as Chana's mother, Meyer, friends, etc. also showcased how many refugees were forced to make difficult decisions post war in order to continue to survive - hopefully this novel will help remind us to remain compassionate in our own present time.
This book also repeatedly emphasized not to allow the evil or hatred of what others have done to us to turn us into monsters ourselves, In a moment that was worthy of a response, maybe even violence, Chana reflects and redirects by saying "Hate has created enough monsters already."
I will say that the description of the book itself is spot on :)
August 29, 2025
Based on her family history, Sharon Kurtzman has written an excellent post WW2 historical fiction novel.
Her characters are so real and moving. I enjoyed every page.
Her characters are so real and moving. I enjoyed every page.
August 26, 2025
In the landscape of Holocaust literature, where survivor stories have become both sacred testimony and literary touchstones, Sharon Kurtzman's debut novel "The Lost Baker of Vienna" emerges as a profoundly personal yet universally resonant work that transcends the familiar boundaries of historical fiction. This isn't merely another war story—it's an intimate exploration of how the past whispers through generations, revealing itself in the most unexpected moments and places.
A Tale of Two Timelines: Structure That Mirrors Memory
Kurtzman demonstrates remarkable structural sophistication in her dual-timeline narrative, weaving together the stories of Chana Rosenzweig in 1946 Vienna and her great-granddaughter Zoe in contemporary Raleigh, North Carolina. The parallel structure isn't just a literary device; it becomes a metaphor for how trauma and resilience echo across generations. Like the layers of dough in Chana's beloved croissants, each timeline enriches the other, creating depth and texture that single-period narratives often lack.
The author's decision to begin in the present day with Zoe's discovery of mysterious family documents creates an immediate sense of mystery that propels readers into the past. This technique mirrors the way family secrets often surface—not through grand revelations, but through quiet discoveries that unravel entire histories. Kurtzman's pacing here is particularly masterful, revealing information at precisely the right moments to maintain tension while allowing emotional resonance to build.
The Heart of Survival: Character Development and Authenticity
Chana Rosenzweig: A Portrait of Complexity
Chana emerges as one of the most compelling protagonists in recent Holocaust fiction. Unlike many fictional survivors who are defined primarily by their trauma, Chana possesses agency, desire, and dreams that extend beyond mere survival. Her passion for baking becomes both refuge and rebellion—a way to reclaim beauty and creation in a world that has shown her primarily destruction.
Kurtzman's portrayal of Chana's romantic entanglements with Meyer Suconick and Elias reflects the author's nuanced understanding of post-war realities. This isn't simply a love triangle for dramatic effect; it represents the impossible choices faced by displaced persons who must balance survival with desire, security with authenticity. Chana's internal conflict between accepting Meyer's protection through marriage and following her heart toward Elias captures the broader tension between pragmatism and hope that defined the refugee experience.
The Supporting Cast: Layered and Authentic
The secondary characters avoid the trap of serving merely as historical window dressing. Ruth, Chana's mother, embodies the protective desperation of parents who have lost too much to risk losing more. Her insistence that Chana marry Meyer isn't portrayed as mere controlling behavior but as the calculated decision of someone who understands survival requires uncomfortable compromises.
Meyer himself deserves particular attention. Rather than creating a simple antagonist, Kurtzman presents him as a complex figure whose own survival has required moral flexibility. His work in the black market and his ultimate revelation as Henri Martin in the contemporary timeline creates one of the novel's most surprising and emotionally satisfying narrative arcs.
The Sensory World of Post-War Vienna
Kurtzman's background as a food writer serves her exceptionally well in creating the sensory landscape of 1946 Vienna. The descriptions of bread, pastries, and cooking aren't merely decorative—they become essential elements of character development and thematic exploration. When Chana sneaks into the hotel kitchen at night to bake her father's recipes, these scenes crackle with both sensuality and spirituality.
The author's research into post-war Vienna creates an authentic backdrop that avoids both romanticization and excessive grimness. The city emerges as a place caught between destruction and rebuilding, where beauty and danger coexist in every neighborhood, every relationship, every decision. The black market activities, the threat of violence against women, and the bureaucratic obstacles to emigration all feel grounded in historical reality rather than plot convenience.
Contemporary Echoes: Zoe's Journey
The modern timeline, following Zoe's investigation into her family's past, serves multiple functions beyond simple framing device. Zoe's career as a food journalist creates natural parallels with Chana's baking, while her complicated relationship with her aging grandfather Aron adds emotional weight to the historical revelations.
Kurtzman uses Zoe's professional context—working for a culinary magazine, traveling to Vienna for a conference—to explore how family histories influence our choices in ways we might not recognize. The revelation that Henri Martin, the celebrated baker Zoe is interviewing, is actually Meyer Suconick transforms what could have been a simple genealogical mystery into a meditation on identity, reinvention, and the long reach of the past.
Thematic Depth: Beyond Survival
The Alchemy of Memory and Narrative
One of the novel's most sophisticated themes involves the relationship between memory and storytelling. As Henri/Meyer reveals his version of events to Zoe, readers must grapple with questions of reliability, perspective, and the way survival sometimes requires reconstructing not just circumstances but identity itself. The gradual revelation that Meyer became Henri, that survival required not just escape but complete reinvention, adds layers of complexity to questions about authenticity and transformation.
Food as Cultural Preservation
The baking scenes function as more than beautiful description—they represent cultural continuity in the face of destruction. When Chana recreates her father's recipes, she's not just making bread; she's maintaining connections to a murdered parent, a destroyed community, and a way of life that the Nazis sought to obliterate. This theme resonates particularly strongly in contemporary discussions about cultural preservation and the role of food in maintaining identity across generations.
The Cost of Safety
Perhaps most powerfully, Kurtzman explores the question of what people sacrifice for security. Chana's arranged engagement to Meyer isn't presented as simple victimization but as the result of impossible circumstances where every choice carries enormous risk. The novel asks difficult questions about agency, survival, and the price of protection without offering easy answers.
Literary Craftsmanship: Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works Brilliantly
Kurtzman's prose style deserves particular praise. Her sentences have a clean, elegant quality that serves the story without calling attention to itself. The dialogue feels authentic to both time periods, and her ability to shift between Chana's more formal speech patterns and Zoe's contemporary voice demonstrates considerable skill.
The author's research clearly informs every page without becoming burdensome exposition. Details about displaced persons camps, immigration quotas, and the Brihah organization emerge naturally through character interactions rather than information dumps.
Areas for Critical Consideration
While the dual timeline structure generally succeeds, there are moments where the contemporary sections feel less emotionally compelling than Chana's story. Zoe's professional challenges and romantic subplot, while competently handled, occasionally pale in comparison to the life-and-death stakes of the historical narrative.
Some readers might find the revelation of Meyer's identity as Henri somewhat convenient, though Kurtzman has seeded enough clues throughout to make it feel earned rather than coincidental. The romance between Chana and Elias, while touching, sometimes veers toward the predictable, particularly in their shared scenes in the hotel kitchen.
The novel's ending, while emotionally satisfying, ties up loose ends perhaps too neatly. The reunion between the separated family members and the establishment of new lives in America provides closure but might strike some readers as overly optimistic given the historical realities facing post-war refugees.
Cultural and Historical Significance
"The Lost Baker of Vienna" makes valuable contributions to Holocaust literature by focusing on the often-overlooked period immediately following liberation. While much fiction about the Holocaust centers on the camps or the war itself, Kurtzman illuminates the complex challenges faced by survivors trying to rebuild their lives in a world that often remained hostile or indifferent to their plight.
The novel also adds to our understanding of the displaced persons experience and the underground networks that helped survivors escape Europe. The depiction of Brihah operations and the black market activities that sustained many refugees provides historical insight wrapped in compelling narrative.
Final Assessment: A Debut Worth Celebrating
"The Lost Baker of Vienna" succeeds as both an engaging family saga and a meaningful contribution to historical fiction. While it occasionally succumbs to the optimism that readers of the genre often crave, it more often provides the kind of complex, nuanced exploration of survival, identity, and family that elevates historical fiction above mere entertainment.
Sharon Kurtzman has crafted a novel that honors both her family's experiences and the broader historical moment while creating characters and situations that will resonate with contemporary readers. The book succeeds in its most important mission: ensuring that stories of resilience, love, and survival continue to be told with the care, complexity, and hope they deserve.
A Tale of Two Timelines: Structure That Mirrors Memory
Kurtzman demonstrates remarkable structural sophistication in her dual-timeline narrative, weaving together the stories of Chana Rosenzweig in 1946 Vienna and her great-granddaughter Zoe in contemporary Raleigh, North Carolina. The parallel structure isn't just a literary device; it becomes a metaphor for how trauma and resilience echo across generations. Like the layers of dough in Chana's beloved croissants, each timeline enriches the other, creating depth and texture that single-period narratives often lack.
The author's decision to begin in the present day with Zoe's discovery of mysterious family documents creates an immediate sense of mystery that propels readers into the past. This technique mirrors the way family secrets often surface—not through grand revelations, but through quiet discoveries that unravel entire histories. Kurtzman's pacing here is particularly masterful, revealing information at precisely the right moments to maintain tension while allowing emotional resonance to build.
The Heart of Survival: Character Development and Authenticity
Chana Rosenzweig: A Portrait of Complexity
Chana emerges as one of the most compelling protagonists in recent Holocaust fiction. Unlike many fictional survivors who are defined primarily by their trauma, Chana possesses agency, desire, and dreams that extend beyond mere survival. Her passion for baking becomes both refuge and rebellion—a way to reclaim beauty and creation in a world that has shown her primarily destruction.
Kurtzman's portrayal of Chana's romantic entanglements with Meyer Suconick and Elias reflects the author's nuanced understanding of post-war realities. This isn't simply a love triangle for dramatic effect; it represents the impossible choices faced by displaced persons who must balance survival with desire, security with authenticity. Chana's internal conflict between accepting Meyer's protection through marriage and following her heart toward Elias captures the broader tension between pragmatism and hope that defined the refugee experience.
The Supporting Cast: Layered and Authentic
The secondary characters avoid the trap of serving merely as historical window dressing. Ruth, Chana's mother, embodies the protective desperation of parents who have lost too much to risk losing more. Her insistence that Chana marry Meyer isn't portrayed as mere controlling behavior but as the calculated decision of someone who understands survival requires uncomfortable compromises.
Meyer himself deserves particular attention. Rather than creating a simple antagonist, Kurtzman presents him as a complex figure whose own survival has required moral flexibility. His work in the black market and his ultimate revelation as Henri Martin in the contemporary timeline creates one of the novel's most surprising and emotionally satisfying narrative arcs.
The Sensory World of Post-War Vienna
Kurtzman's background as a food writer serves her exceptionally well in creating the sensory landscape of 1946 Vienna. The descriptions of bread, pastries, and cooking aren't merely decorative—they become essential elements of character development and thematic exploration. When Chana sneaks into the hotel kitchen at night to bake her father's recipes, these scenes crackle with both sensuality and spirituality.
The author's research into post-war Vienna creates an authentic backdrop that avoids both romanticization and excessive grimness. The city emerges as a place caught between destruction and rebuilding, where beauty and danger coexist in every neighborhood, every relationship, every decision. The black market activities, the threat of violence against women, and the bureaucratic obstacles to emigration all feel grounded in historical reality rather than plot convenience.
Contemporary Echoes: Zoe's Journey
The modern timeline, following Zoe's investigation into her family's past, serves multiple functions beyond simple framing device. Zoe's career as a food journalist creates natural parallels with Chana's baking, while her complicated relationship with her aging grandfather Aron adds emotional weight to the historical revelations.
Kurtzman uses Zoe's professional context—working for a culinary magazine, traveling to Vienna for a conference—to explore how family histories influence our choices in ways we might not recognize. The revelation that Henri Martin, the celebrated baker Zoe is interviewing, is actually Meyer Suconick transforms what could have been a simple genealogical mystery into a meditation on identity, reinvention, and the long reach of the past.
Thematic Depth: Beyond Survival
The Alchemy of Memory and Narrative
One of the novel's most sophisticated themes involves the relationship between memory and storytelling. As Henri/Meyer reveals his version of events to Zoe, readers must grapple with questions of reliability, perspective, and the way survival sometimes requires reconstructing not just circumstances but identity itself. The gradual revelation that Meyer became Henri, that survival required not just escape but complete reinvention, adds layers of complexity to questions about authenticity and transformation.
Food as Cultural Preservation
The baking scenes function as more than beautiful description—they represent cultural continuity in the face of destruction. When Chana recreates her father's recipes, she's not just making bread; she's maintaining connections to a murdered parent, a destroyed community, and a way of life that the Nazis sought to obliterate. This theme resonates particularly strongly in contemporary discussions about cultural preservation and the role of food in maintaining identity across generations.
The Cost of Safety
Perhaps most powerfully, Kurtzman explores the question of what people sacrifice for security. Chana's arranged engagement to Meyer isn't presented as simple victimization but as the result of impossible circumstances where every choice carries enormous risk. The novel asks difficult questions about agency, survival, and the price of protection without offering easy answers.
Literary Craftsmanship: Strengths and Weaknesses
What Works Brilliantly
Kurtzman's prose style deserves particular praise. Her sentences have a clean, elegant quality that serves the story without calling attention to itself. The dialogue feels authentic to both time periods, and her ability to shift between Chana's more formal speech patterns and Zoe's contemporary voice demonstrates considerable skill.
The author's research clearly informs every page without becoming burdensome exposition. Details about displaced persons camps, immigration quotas, and the Brihah organization emerge naturally through character interactions rather than information dumps.
Areas for Critical Consideration
While the dual timeline structure generally succeeds, there are moments where the contemporary sections feel less emotionally compelling than Chana's story. Zoe's professional challenges and romantic subplot, while competently handled, occasionally pale in comparison to the life-and-death stakes of the historical narrative.
Some readers might find the revelation of Meyer's identity as Henri somewhat convenient, though Kurtzman has seeded enough clues throughout to make it feel earned rather than coincidental. The romance between Chana and Elias, while touching, sometimes veers toward the predictable, particularly in their shared scenes in the hotel kitchen.
The novel's ending, while emotionally satisfying, ties up loose ends perhaps too neatly. The reunion between the separated family members and the establishment of new lives in America provides closure but might strike some readers as overly optimistic given the historical realities facing post-war refugees.
Cultural and Historical Significance
"The Lost Baker of Vienna" makes valuable contributions to Holocaust literature by focusing on the often-overlooked period immediately following liberation. While much fiction about the Holocaust centers on the camps or the war itself, Kurtzman illuminates the complex challenges faced by survivors trying to rebuild their lives in a world that often remained hostile or indifferent to their plight.
The novel also adds to our understanding of the displaced persons experience and the underground networks that helped survivors escape Europe. The depiction of Brihah operations and the black market activities that sustained many refugees provides historical insight wrapped in compelling narrative.
Final Assessment: A Debut Worth Celebrating
"The Lost Baker of Vienna" succeeds as both an engaging family saga and a meaningful contribution to historical fiction. While it occasionally succumbs to the optimism that readers of the genre often crave, it more often provides the kind of complex, nuanced exploration of survival, identity, and family that elevates historical fiction above mere entertainment.
Sharon Kurtzman has crafted a novel that honors both her family's experiences and the broader historical moment while creating characters and situations that will resonate with contemporary readers. The book succeeds in its most important mission: ensuring that stories of resilience, love, and survival continue to be told with the care, complexity, and hope they deserve.
April 19, 2025
Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read The Lost Baker Of Vienna. This is a heart wrenching story about family and just how much we are willing to risk for those we love. This dual timeline tale tells us about Zoe & Chana. This is a book you will not be able to put down. I devoured this book. Grab tissues.
May 10, 2025
“The Lost Baker of Vienna” by Sharon Kurtzman is an interesting dual timeline story set in the aftermath of WWll and 2018. The story revolves around a female Jewish Holocaust survivor trying to make her way in war-torn Vienna. She and her family are constantly dealing with hunger and physical violence, as they seek protection while waiting for a visa to emigrate to the US.
The 2018 timeframe follows a young woman’s journey to discover her family’s history. Upon the recent passing of her beloved grandfather she finds mysterious documents relating to the horrific suffering shared by his family during the Holocaust, and the mystery surrounding his sister who she always believed perished.
As an investigative reporter, she flies to Vienna to cover the story of a man, a famous baker, she believes to have known her family and begins to unravel this remarkable tale.
This book is a wonderful testament to the courageous survivors, and an honor to those who tragically did not survive.
Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 27, 2025
It has been a long time since a novel has grabbed me from the first word, held me captive, and left me weeping…not just for the inhumanity of the subject matter but for the breathtakingly beautiful telling of the story. THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA did just that…and so much more.
When Zoe Rosenzweig’s grandfather dies, Zoe finds clues among his belongings of the family’s life after the Holocaust and of his beloved sister, Chana, whom Zoe has never known. Determined to discover what happened to her family during and after World War II, Zoe embarks on a journey of discovery to Vienna.
Drawing from her mother’s life as a Holocaust survivor, author Sharon Kurtzman has written a tender, touching, visually vibrant tribute…a heartwarming show of a daughter’s love and respect for her beloved mother. Readers will be transformed by this remarkable story.
When Zoe Rosenzweig’s grandfather dies, Zoe finds clues among his belongings of the family’s life after the Holocaust and of his beloved sister, Chana, whom Zoe has never known. Determined to discover what happened to her family during and after World War II, Zoe embarks on a journey of discovery to Vienna.
Drawing from her mother’s life as a Holocaust survivor, author Sharon Kurtzman has written a tender, touching, visually vibrant tribute…a heartwarming show of a daughter’s love and respect for her beloved mother. Readers will be transformed by this remarkable story.
August 29, 2025
A good historical debut full of surprises
September 4, 2025
Wonderful novel based on the author’s family history. Impeccably researched, the book has everything I look for in a historical novel - gripping plot, action, tension, suspense and beautifully developed characters. All set against brilliantly described backgrounds in Europe. (The New Jersey settings are fine but not as important.)
August 21, 2025
WOW. I don’t even know where to begin. I cried, laughed, got angry, got sad, and experienced any other emotion possible. The ending had my MOUTH AGAPE. literally WHATTT. if you like historical fiction &/or WWii this would be a phenomenal book to read. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and I am SO glad I got to read it. Amazing writing, storyline, themes, and emotions. WOWWWW. A must read. I literally have so many photos of quotes that I loved.
July 30, 2025
Beautifully written, this is a powerful story intertwining two timelines seamlessly.
Right away, I was tuned in to Zoe Rosenzweig’s grandfather who talked about Seattle’s restaurant on the top (of course, the Space Needle) where you could see forever -- a place I loved. He said to her it was where she could wave to her parents in heaven. They died when she was just 11. She was now 28, a food writer in Raleigh, NC, 2018.
Her grandfather died the next day and she found an envelope with clues about her ancestors. I imagined that the plot would be very similar to other books where a family member finds hidden information and goes back (1946) to dig up the past.
Yet, this book grabbed me from the start with the vivid characters that were etched in my mind. I couldn’t put the book down and ended up reading almost all night just to get to the last page. It was heart-breaking at times and full of suspense with a glimpse of well-researched pieces of history, the importance of family and meaningful love.
I wish more people in America would read books like this to grasp what happened not that long ago. I believe it can help us avoid another dark, dreadful period.
My thanks to Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of August 19, 2025.
Right away, I was tuned in to Zoe Rosenzweig’s grandfather who talked about Seattle’s restaurant on the top (of course, the Space Needle) where you could see forever -- a place I loved. He said to her it was where she could wave to her parents in heaven. They died when she was just 11. She was now 28, a food writer in Raleigh, NC, 2018.
Her grandfather died the next day and she found an envelope with clues about her ancestors. I imagined that the plot would be very similar to other books where a family member finds hidden information and goes back (1946) to dig up the past.
Yet, this book grabbed me from the start with the vivid characters that were etched in my mind. I couldn’t put the book down and ended up reading almost all night just to get to the last page. It was heart-breaking at times and full of suspense with a glimpse of well-researched pieces of history, the importance of family and meaningful love.
I wish more people in America would read books like this to grasp what happened not that long ago. I believe it can help us avoid another dark, dreadful period.
My thanks to Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of August 19, 2025.
January 26, 2025
Wow, not the ending I expected! A brilliant story addressing the divisions that existed in Vienna post war. Having visited the city (and loved it) I could picture myself there and my mouth watered at all the bakery items that were mentioned!
I did struggle with some of the men's names and knowing who was on which "side".
I enjoyed the dual time line and wish more had been said about the modern day and wish we'd maybe got to know Zoe's Grandad more before he passed away and more about what Zoe did after her trip to Vienna.
The persecution of the Jews by the Hitler regime is one of the most devastating periods of modern day history and something that everyone should know more about.
Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an Arc copy.
I did struggle with some of the men's names and knowing who was on which "side".
I enjoyed the dual time line and wish more had been said about the modern day and wish we'd maybe got to know Zoe's Grandad more before he passed away and more about what Zoe did after her trip to Vienna.
The persecution of the Jews by the Hitler regime is one of the most devastating periods of modern day history and something that everyone should know more about.
Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an Arc copy.
January 31, 2025
4 and a half stars rounded up to 5. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me access to this book for my review.
The story is told from the point of view of Zoe in 2018 and from the point of view of Chana from Mid 1940s
This book is about freedom, independence, career, friendship, and love. It’s a tearjerker and beautiful. The things Chana goes through for those she loves, for who she wants to be, for her dream to own a bakery. She never gives up. Zoe learns of this story and discovers happiness and family in an unexpected way.
The story is told from the point of view of Zoe in 2018 and from the point of view of Chana from Mid 1940s
This book is about freedom, independence, career, friendship, and love. It’s a tearjerker and beautiful. The things Chana goes through for those she loves, for who she wants to be, for her dream to own a bakery. She never gives up. Zoe learns of this story and discovers happiness and family in an unexpected way.
April 24, 2025
A stunning, emotional story inspired by true family history. The Lost Baker of Vienna beautifully weaves past and present as Zoe uncovers her family’s hidden legacy. Chana’s resilience, her passion for baking, and the impossible choices she faces in post-war Vienna absolutely broke and healed my heart. This is a powerful tribute to survival, love, and the strength of family through even the darkest times.
September 8, 2025
Author Sharon Kurtzman’s debut novel, THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA, is a must-read for all fans of historical fiction! Told between two timelines, Sharon writes a moving story about one Jewish family’s experience after surviving the Holocaust, inspired by the true story of her mother’s family.
In 1946 Vienna, Austria, Holocaust survivors Chana Rosensweig, along with her mother and brother, find themselves trying to restart their lives after living through horror. With plans to leave war-torn Europe behind for a fresh start in America, the Rosensweigs find out that leaving isn’t so easy. As they wait for their turn to be welcomed into America, a black-market dealer helps the Rosensweigs find work in a hotel kitchen. There, Chana meets an apprentice baker who lets her sneak into the kitchen at night to bake with him. Before the war tore up her life and the Nazis murdered her father, Chana worked with him in their family bakery. Soon, Chana finds herself in a love triangle between the baker, who shares her passion for baking, and the black-market dealer who can provide her family safety and a ticket to a new life.
In the present day, Zoe, a food journalist, finds clues about her family’s experience during the Holocaust hidden among her grandfather’s belongings. Wanting to know more about her grandfather’s life and about the Great Aunt she never knew, she sets off on an adventure to Vienna to walk in the footsteps of her family and comes face-to-face with the past she had never known.
THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA is a beautiful, moving story. Sharon’s writing transported me back to war-torn Vienna, and I could feel Chana’s emotions of fear, grief, helplessness, and hope as I read.
This novel opened my eyes to a part of WWII that I fear often goes overlooked. While many WWII stories end with the war over and people celebrating, for many, life didn’t immediately return to normal. Based on true events, THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA sheds light on what many Jewish families experienced in the years after surviving the Holocaust and is eerily relevant to the world we live in today.
In 1946 Vienna, Austria, Holocaust survivors Chana Rosensweig, along with her mother and brother, find themselves trying to restart their lives after living through horror. With plans to leave war-torn Europe behind for a fresh start in America, the Rosensweigs find out that leaving isn’t so easy. As they wait for their turn to be welcomed into America, a black-market dealer helps the Rosensweigs find work in a hotel kitchen. There, Chana meets an apprentice baker who lets her sneak into the kitchen at night to bake with him. Before the war tore up her life and the Nazis murdered her father, Chana worked with him in their family bakery. Soon, Chana finds herself in a love triangle between the baker, who shares her passion for baking, and the black-market dealer who can provide her family safety and a ticket to a new life.
In the present day, Zoe, a food journalist, finds clues about her family’s experience during the Holocaust hidden among her grandfather’s belongings. Wanting to know more about her grandfather’s life and about the Great Aunt she never knew, she sets off on an adventure to Vienna to walk in the footsteps of her family and comes face-to-face with the past she had never known.
THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA is a beautiful, moving story. Sharon’s writing transported me back to war-torn Vienna, and I could feel Chana’s emotions of fear, grief, helplessness, and hope as I read.
This novel opened my eyes to a part of WWII that I fear often goes overlooked. While many WWII stories end with the war over and people celebrating, for many, life didn’t immediately return to normal. Based on true events, THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA sheds light on what many Jewish families experienced in the years after surviving the Holocaust and is eerily relevant to the world we live in today.
April 30, 2025
A 5 star read for me.
Following the death of her beloved grandfather, Zoe is trying to put her life together. She inherits an assortment of cuttings with the instructions to find out more about her family background.
This quest takes her to Vienna to meet Henry Martin who tells her about Chana, her great aunt, and life in Vienna after the Second World War.
Zoe is torn between learning more about her family and honouring her obligations to her editor for a story about the elusive Mr Martin. As she learns more she is forced to decide where her loyalties lie.
She comes to appreciate her great aunt’s courage and her determination to save her family but also preserve her freedom to decide her own future. Her greatest wish is to become a baker like her father.
A beautiful story - one which will stay with me.
Following the death of her beloved grandfather, Zoe is trying to put her life together. She inherits an assortment of cuttings with the instructions to find out more about her family background.
This quest takes her to Vienna to meet Henry Martin who tells her about Chana, her great aunt, and life in Vienna after the Second World War.
Zoe is torn between learning more about her family and honouring her obligations to her editor for a story about the elusive Mr Martin. As she learns more she is forced to decide where her loyalties lie.
She comes to appreciate her great aunt’s courage and her determination to save her family but also preserve her freedom to decide her own future. Her greatest wish is to become a baker like her father.
A beautiful story - one which will stay with me.
September 6, 2025
Kurtzman has crafted a beautiful, emotionally-wrenching dual-timeline novel. In post-war Vienna, Chana, a Holocaust survivor, is caught in a love triangle with a black-market dealer and an apprentice baker. In 2018, Zoe, a Raleigh food journalist, strives to ferret out the truth about her family's harrowing experiences as Holocaust survivors in post-war Vienna. A page-turner - highly recommended!
August 18, 2025
3.5/5
RTC
RTC
August 25, 2025
Good author’s note reflecting on the book. The books itself was good. It’s hard to find a totally original WW2 historical fiction novel. This takes place just after the war so it was interesting to get a take on post war Austria.
August 26, 2025
This book is a fictionalized accounting of the author, Sharon Kurtzman’s experiences during WW2 and their life after the war, when they escape a DP camp, to wait in Vienna for US visas (they had immediate family in New Jersey).
Sharon has researched the many details of life for Jews after the war in these places, and the result is The Lost Baker of Vienna!
The story is told in a dual timeline, which is easy to follow.
Congratulations Sharon on writing your family’s story(no minor achievement)!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sharon has researched the many details of life for Jews after the war in these places, and the result is The Lost Baker of Vienna!
The story is told in a dual timeline, which is easy to follow.
Congratulations Sharon on writing your family’s story(no minor achievement)!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 8, 2025
Emotional and heartbreaking. A powerful debut. I look forward to more of this authors work.
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