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The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods
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1
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30
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September 3, 2025
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Overall, what did you think of The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris? (no spoilers, please!)
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36
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429
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September 3, 2025
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Why do you think Hugo felt compelled to help with his father’s company once his brother, Stéphane, passed away? Do you believe he had any options? What would you have done in his shoes?
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14
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39
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September 3, 2025
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Edie explores the many kinds of bread the bakery produces, later expanding their offerings to other types of treats. Do you ever bake your own bread? What’s your favorite type to make or eat? If you're a baker do you have a specialty?
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13
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39
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September 3, 2025
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Edie says, “Ever since I could remember, I’d been obsessed with the city of love.” What is it about Paris, in your opinion, that leads so many to think of it in those terms? Have you been to Paris? Would you like to go, if you had a chance?
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13
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57
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September 3, 2025
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Edie accepts the job at the bakery with very little information. Why do you suppose she didn’t do more research before heading off to France? What do you think you would have done in her situation?
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13
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36
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September 3, 2025
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Several times in her first few days at the bakery Edie thinks she should return home. Why does she stay, do you believe?
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10
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23
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September 3, 2025
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Edie says she wanted to be a singer but “abandoned it altogether as a stupid dream.” She goes on: “Abandoning your dreams is like abandoning a part of yourself.” What do you think about this statement? Should one always hold on to one's dream?
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10
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25
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September 3, 2025
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Why do you suppose the various characters – Monsieur Legrand, Nicole and Johnny, Geoff, and Edie herself, to name just a few – are so determined to save the bakery?
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10
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27
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September 3, 2025
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Have you read any of Evie Woods’ other novels, and if so, how do they compare to The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris?
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10
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90
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September 3, 2025
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To what audience would you recommend The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris? Is there another book or author you feel addresses related themes or who writes in a similar style?
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10
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29
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September 3, 2025
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How does the author use French culture, setting and history to add depth to the story? Could the novel have been set anywhere else? Did you learn anything new from the book about the country, culture or the history of the area?
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8
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28
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September 3, 2025
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Madame Moreau is at first very cool to Edie but welcomes her into her home after Edie discovers the truth about the bakery. What is it about Edie’s response to the situation, do you feel, that elicits this change?
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7
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18
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September 3, 2025
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What did you think of Edie’s initial reaction to Compiègne? How did you see her opinion of the town change over time? What do you think this suggests about expectations versus reality?
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7
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27
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September 3, 2025
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What do you think the author says about the concepts of “home” and “family” over the course of the novel? Do you agree with her definitions of these subjects?
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6
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13
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September 3, 2025
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Edie happily spent her young adulthood caring for her mother but feels she’s missed out. “There are some things that are better done when you’re young and foolhardy and unafraid of failure.” What do you make of this statement? Do you agree with it?
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6
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19
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September 3, 2025
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Pierre Moreau wanted to become a baker because “Offering food, it seemed, held a kind of magical power to elevate people out of the ordinary...” How does this play out in the book? Do you agree with him? Have you seen this “magical power” yourself?
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4
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16
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September 3, 2025
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As she arrives in Compiègne, Edie recalls how enthusiastic her friend, Gemma, had been about her “finding my true self.” What do you suppose it means to find one’s true self? In what ways do you feel Edie achieves this goal by the end of the book?
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4
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29
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September 3, 2025
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Proust's novel Swann’s Way features prominently throughout the book. What role do you think his text plays? What overt references did you find? If you’ve read the work, were there more subtle allusions to it scattered throughout the novel?
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4
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25
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September 3, 2025
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Is there a quote or scene that stood out for you? Why do you suppose it struck a chord?
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4
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14
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September 3, 2025
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Madame Moreau tells Edie that her father once said, “[T]he love you have in your heart for someone you cannot be with is never a burden to be carried. It is…[a] gift you can share in other ways.” What do you feel he meant? Do you agree with him?
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2
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14
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September 3, 2025
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