The Baker of Lost Memories

A Novel

By: Shirley Russak Wachtel

Narrated by: Emily Lawrence

From the author of A Castle in Brooklyn comes an epic novel spanning decades about the broken bonds of family, memories of war, and redemption and hope in the face of heartbreaking loss.

Growing up in 1960s Brooklyn, Lena wants to be a baker just like her mother was back in Poland prior to World War II. But questions about those days, and about a sister Lena never even knew, are ignored with solemn silence. It’s as if everything her parents left behind was a subject never to be broached.

The one person in whom Lena can confide is her best friend, Pearl. When she suddenly disappears from Lena’s life, Lena forges ahead: college, love and marriage with a wonderful man, the dream of owning a bakery becoming a reality, and the hope that someday Pearl will return to share in Lena’s happiness—and to be there for her during the unexpected losses to come.

Only when Lena discovers the depth of her parents’ anguish, and a startling truth about her own past, can they rebuild a family and overcome the heart-wrenching memories that have torn them apart.

©2025 Shirley Russak Wachtel (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“A poignant story of the power of memory and family, Wachtel’s narrative moves easily through time and from mother to daughter.” —Library Journal

“Wachtel [shows] how surviving the horrors of Nazi-occupied Poland…doesn’t guarantee a ‘happily ever after’ in America but may become a source of pride, strength, and reconciliation for the next generation.” —Historical Novels Review

“Showcasing novelist [Shirley Russak] Wachtel’s genuine flair for the kind of deftly crafted narrative fiction that will hold the reader’s full attention from start to finish, The Baker of Lost Memories is especially recommended as an enduringly popular pick…” —Midwest Book Review

Horrible narration

The book was OK. The narration was horrible. I felt like the inflection was all wrong for this story. I had a hard time continuing with the book because listening to it was painful.

Depressing

I don’t feel resolved with Pearl.
I know it was a bit off but it was just a weird part of the story that didn’t make sense to me, l loved all the descriptions of the Jewish pastry as I have worked in this type of bakery. I don’t feel it was complete,

Family

I liked that the story tied back to family. Although, the story was sad. But they survived…together!

Terrible narration.

The story was good, but the narration was awful. The narrator constantly spoke in a smooth, wispy voice as though she were talking about walking through a beautiful forest, all while she was describing the Holocaust and other awful or emotional parts. It was so irritating I stopped halfway through.

The horror of Hitler's persecution of the Jews and how few survivors there were with stories to share.

A beautiful story about about survival and adjustment after living through the unthinkable. It was a bit of a rollercoaster of ups and downs, but it all came together at the end. I did think some of it was a bit predictable from the beginning, but overall it was good.