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A Cup of Redemption: A Novel
Like the braiding of three strands of brioche, the lives of three women―Sophie Zabél Sullivan, Marcelle Pourrette Zabél, and Kate Barrington―become inextricably intertwined as each struggles to resolve issues from past wars that have profoundly impacted their lives. Sophie believed her childhood nightmares were safely behind her once she married and moved to the U.S. from France ―until she is called to her mother, Marcelle’s, deathbed to honor one final “Search for my father! Search for Pourrette!” Born on the last day of World War I, Marcelle, whose life epitomizes the human cost of war, never knew her father, yet carried the Pourrette name, along with the shame of illegitimacy, as did her two oldest sons born during World War II. Enlisting the expertise of a friend and family therapist, Sophie encourages Kate to join her in France to help find her grandfather scour the stain of illegitimacy from her family’s name. Unbeknownst to Sophie, Kate’s 34-year-old illegitimate daughter, given up for adoption during the Vietnam War, has recently reappeared. Kate, struggling with her own shame and guilt, pushes aside her feelings to join Sophie in France. Rising out of the collateral damage wrought by war, A Cup of Redemption is a touching story about love, loss, and the search for identity.
398 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2014
8 people are currently reading
509 people want to read
About the author
Carole Bumpus
9 books21 followersOnce I set my mind on a project, it becomes a passion and heaven help the poor soul who tries to tell me otherwise. I love collecting family stories about food and family, no matter the culture. And I enjoy knowing how families celebrate life in the kitchen. So, when I first interviewed a gentle elderly Frenchwoman about her favorite foods and began hearing her real story, I knew this was a story I couldn't walk away from. Twelve years later my debut novel, A Cup of Redemption, was published, and is based on this woman's life. Part historical novel, part mystery, all bound up in the framework of women, food, family and war. Published: October 27, 2014 (She Writes Press) In August, 2015, I will publish Recipes for Redemption: A Companion Cookbook to A Cup of Redemption (She Writes Press) — the recipes from the novel are given in the voices of the characters readers loved, and also tell the stories from the families that taught the women to cook the wonderful dishes.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 13, 2018
If I had to describe this book in one word, I'd use the word "journey".
This incredibly breath-taking tale by Carole Bumpus wow-ed me more than I can say in a few words. When I started reading this book, I just figured it was another Women's Fiction novel that would be a great 'on the side' read to keep my mind off of my homework. Once I got into the book, I was instantly hooked and amazed at how Carole can weave words into the most beautiful and heart breaking tale I've ever read! It's an Oscar-worthy book that is shockingly under-appreciated! Seriously, this is in my Top 10 reads now from how freaking fantastic is was!
A Cup of Redemption follows multiple generations in one family. Sophie's Mother (Marcelle) has just passed and she is asked to investigate her family tree. She goes on this wild adventure about her heritage with her friend Kate, and enlists the help of some of her siblings. Along the way, we learn about the haunting past of her, her mother and her grandmother. These tales are seamlessly written and tie in with one another throughout the story. This book will break your heart, warm your heart, and then make you believe in familial love all over again.
There's a splash of history in this book, since it goes over the World Wars and other historical events that occur behind the scenes (or during the scenes!) of the story. There's a wee bit of romance, a whole lot of drama, and a splash of mystery as well! If you like fiction where the story slowly unfolds and everything comes into view, then you will love this book! The ending isn't right out there, you have to learn through Sophie and the other characters what really happened in the past - and I loved that aspect. I'm glad the ending wasn't obvious like some mystery novels.
I loved the characters and how they interacted with each other. Even when Carole is changing back and forth between the decades, she makes these characters lovable and feel real. At times, I could relate way harder to these characters than I ever expected to. That realism is what really sets this book apart from other stories like this. I almost felt like this could be a non-fiction retelling of a woman's life. Seriously, it's that good.
The downfalls of this book are as followed:
1. There's a lot of characters to follow, and if you put down this book a few times like me - you might forget who's who!
2. There are some plot points that don't end up resolved, but they aren't major ones. I would have liked a few more of my questions answered, but the story does come to a close so I guess that's a bit of a positive...
3. This book can be quite...upsetting. There's rape, sexual assault and other dark occurrences in the book that aren't for the light of heart.
By the end of this book, I couldn't put it down! I absolutely loved it! Even with the slow start, it slowly burned a hole into my heart and I absolutely need more by Carole Bumpus! If you haven't picked this book up, seriously, get on it! I'm utterly surprised by how well this book connected with me and I want to make sure more readers are able to connect to books with this much talent in it!
Five out of five stars!
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
This incredibly breath-taking tale by Carole Bumpus wow-ed me more than I can say in a few words. When I started reading this book, I just figured it was another Women's Fiction novel that would be a great 'on the side' read to keep my mind off of my homework. Once I got into the book, I was instantly hooked and amazed at how Carole can weave words into the most beautiful and heart breaking tale I've ever read! It's an Oscar-worthy book that is shockingly under-appreciated! Seriously, this is in my Top 10 reads now from how freaking fantastic is was!
A Cup of Redemption follows multiple generations in one family. Sophie's Mother (Marcelle) has just passed and she is asked to investigate her family tree. She goes on this wild adventure about her heritage with her friend Kate, and enlists the help of some of her siblings. Along the way, we learn about the haunting past of her, her mother and her grandmother. These tales are seamlessly written and tie in with one another throughout the story. This book will break your heart, warm your heart, and then make you believe in familial love all over again.
There's a splash of history in this book, since it goes over the World Wars and other historical events that occur behind the scenes (or during the scenes!) of the story. There's a wee bit of romance, a whole lot of drama, and a splash of mystery as well! If you like fiction where the story slowly unfolds and everything comes into view, then you will love this book! The ending isn't right out there, you have to learn through Sophie and the other characters what really happened in the past - and I loved that aspect. I'm glad the ending wasn't obvious like some mystery novels.
I loved the characters and how they interacted with each other. Even when Carole is changing back and forth between the decades, she makes these characters lovable and feel real. At times, I could relate way harder to these characters than I ever expected to. That realism is what really sets this book apart from other stories like this. I almost felt like this could be a non-fiction retelling of a woman's life. Seriously, it's that good.
The downfalls of this book are as followed:
1. There's a lot of characters to follow, and if you put down this book a few times like me - you might forget who's who!
2. There are some plot points that don't end up resolved, but they aren't major ones. I would have liked a few more of my questions answered, but the story does come to a close so I guess that's a bit of a positive...
3. This book can be quite...upsetting. There's rape, sexual assault and other dark occurrences in the book that aren't for the light of heart.
By the end of this book, I couldn't put it down! I absolutely loved it! Even with the slow start, it slowly burned a hole into my heart and I absolutely need more by Carole Bumpus! If you haven't picked this book up, seriously, get on it! I'm utterly surprised by how well this book connected with me and I want to make sure more readers are able to connect to books with this much talent in it!
Five out of five stars!
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
November 6, 2014
Here is the Goodreads blurb:
Like the braiding of three strands of brioche, the lives of three women Sophie Zabel Sullivan, Marcelle Pourrette Zabel, and Kate Barrington become inextricably intertwined as each struggles to resolve issues from past wars that have profoundly impacted their lives. Sophie believed her childhood nightmares were safely behind her once she married and moved to the U.S. from France until she is called to her mother, Marcelle s, deathbed to honor one final request: Search for my father! Search for Pourrette! Born on the last day of World War I, Marcelle, whose life epitomizes the human cost of war, never knew her father, yet carried the Pourrette name, along with the shame of illegitimacy, as did her two oldest sons born during World War II. Enlisting the expertise of a friend and family therapist, Sophie encourages Kate to join her in France to help find her grandfather scour the stain of illegitimacy from her family s name. Unbeknownst to Sophie, Kate s 34-year-old illegitimate daughter, given up for adoption during the Vietnam War, has recently reappeared. Kate, struggling with her own shame and guilt, pushes aside her feelings to join Sophie in France. Rising out of the collateral damage wrought by war, A Cup of Redemption is a touching story about love, loss, and the search for identity."
I liked Cup. It's different from just about anything else I have read. I have to admit that I made an immediate connection to Marcelle, who the reader finds out is dead in the 1st 4 lines of the book. After I read the stories about her with Sophie and Kate, I felt a little bit of loss. Crazy.
The story is mostly about Sophie looking for answers to a lot of questions about her parents and her siblings. But Kate's self-exploration plays a big part too. There are a ton of characters, and it would have been confusing - except that Carole has a List of Characters at the front of the book with 26 names on it. It's important to refer to that list on a regular basis so as not to say "Now, who's that again?" Or even "Who's that?" Most books don't need that list, but this one does.
Carole's writing is very good. In describing Kate's 1st meeting with her husband, he says to her: "Even from far away, I can hear your smile." That's pretty darn romantic. And when Kate talks about her children, she says: "Two of her own children hadn't launched well and kept returning as if on bungee cords." That's quite a visual.
Again, keep your eye on the List of Characters, and you will enjoy this book. Another strong debut novel from another local author. As I've said many times before, the Bay Area is loaded with good solid authors.
Like the braiding of three strands of brioche, the lives of three women Sophie Zabel Sullivan, Marcelle Pourrette Zabel, and Kate Barrington become inextricably intertwined as each struggles to resolve issues from past wars that have profoundly impacted their lives. Sophie believed her childhood nightmares were safely behind her once she married and moved to the U.S. from France until she is called to her mother, Marcelle s, deathbed to honor one final request: Search for my father! Search for Pourrette! Born on the last day of World War I, Marcelle, whose life epitomizes the human cost of war, never knew her father, yet carried the Pourrette name, along with the shame of illegitimacy, as did her two oldest sons born during World War II. Enlisting the expertise of a friend and family therapist, Sophie encourages Kate to join her in France to help find her grandfather scour the stain of illegitimacy from her family s name. Unbeknownst to Sophie, Kate s 34-year-old illegitimate daughter, given up for adoption during the Vietnam War, has recently reappeared. Kate, struggling with her own shame and guilt, pushes aside her feelings to join Sophie in France. Rising out of the collateral damage wrought by war, A Cup of Redemption is a touching story about love, loss, and the search for identity."
I liked Cup. It's different from just about anything else I have read. I have to admit that I made an immediate connection to Marcelle, who the reader finds out is dead in the 1st 4 lines of the book. After I read the stories about her with Sophie and Kate, I felt a little bit of loss. Crazy.
The story is mostly about Sophie looking for answers to a lot of questions about her parents and her siblings. But Kate's self-exploration plays a big part too. There are a ton of characters, and it would have been confusing - except that Carole has a List of Characters at the front of the book with 26 names on it. It's important to refer to that list on a regular basis so as not to say "Now, who's that again?" Or even "Who's that?" Most books don't need that list, but this one does.
Carole's writing is very good. In describing Kate's 1st meeting with her husband, he says to her: "Even from far away, I can hear your smile." That's pretty darn romantic. And when Kate talks about her children, she says: "Two of her own children hadn't launched well and kept returning as if on bungee cords." That's quite a visual.
Again, keep your eye on the List of Characters, and you will enjoy this book. Another strong debut novel from another local author. As I've said many times before, the Bay Area is loaded with good solid authors.
October 27, 2014
Based on a true story, Sophie was raised under traumatic circumstances. Her parents were part of the French Resistance during WWII and married during that time. Her mother, Marcelle, already had two illegitimate children, Thierry and Gerard, earlier during WWII. Jules, Marchelle's husband was violet towards the children, especially the oldest, Thierry.
Marcelle, herself was also born as an illegitimate child and never knew her father. Sophie, her daughter, was called back to France from the U.S., to Marcelle's death bed. Marcelle's dying with was for Sophie to find out who Marcelle's father was.
After her mother's death, Sophie's friend, Kate, joined her in France to help research who Sophie's grandfather was. On their odyssey, they discover many answers to family secrets. Meanwhile, Kate had secrets of her own.
I loved 'A Cup of Redemption', I couldn't put it down and when I did, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It haunted me, especially at night, trying to fall asleep. Once I did fall asleep, I dreamed about it, almost non-stop. Seriously, I would wake up to relieve myself, have troubling falling back asleep thinking of the dream I just had and then, when I finally fell back asleep the dream picked up where it left off.
I have never experienced a book like I experience 'A Cup of Redemption.' This book and characters will stick with me for the rest of my life, of that, I am sure. This is a must read for historical fiction lovers!
Marcelle, herself was also born as an illegitimate child and never knew her father. Sophie, her daughter, was called back to France from the U.S., to Marcelle's death bed. Marcelle's dying with was for Sophie to find out who Marcelle's father was.
After her mother's death, Sophie's friend, Kate, joined her in France to help research who Sophie's grandfather was. On their odyssey, they discover many answers to family secrets. Meanwhile, Kate had secrets of her own.
I loved 'A Cup of Redemption', I couldn't put it down and when I did, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It haunted me, especially at night, trying to fall asleep. Once I did fall asleep, I dreamed about it, almost non-stop. Seriously, I would wake up to relieve myself, have troubling falling back asleep thinking of the dream I just had and then, when I finally fell back asleep the dream picked up where it left off.
I have never experienced a book like I experience 'A Cup of Redemption.' This book and characters will stick with me for the rest of my life, of that, I am sure. This is a must read for historical fiction lovers!
July 20, 2015
A Cup of Redemption combines the two delightful preoccupations — food and travel — in a beautiful woven story of women, family, and the celebration of survival. American Kate meets French ex-pat Sophie and her mother Marcelle in her quest to perfect French cooking. This chance meeting leads them all on a life changing adventure.
After meeting Kate, 80-something Marcelle begins to open up about her life and her past in ways she never has before. The new-found friends plan a cross-country trip to retrace Marcelle’s movements through WWII France. The trip is never to happen, as Marcelle dies suddenly. But she leaves directions for Sophie and Kate to make the journey with Marcelle in spirit. In a search for Marcelle’s roots, they uncover darkness, secrets, and long lost knowledge that changes both their understandings of themselves and family, eating lavishly along the way.
It is apparent that Carole Bumpus is a first-time fiction author; the narrative is rough around the edges. However, Bumpus’ project is so compelling, and the journey so rich, that it is thoroughly worth reading. So, while I would give the bones a 2 ½, the meat is definitely a 4 ½, so I’ve compromised. (Look for my review of Carole’s companion cookbook Recipes for Redemption and find my interview with Carole on San Francisco Book Review )
After meeting Kate, 80-something Marcelle begins to open up about her life and her past in ways she never has before. The new-found friends plan a cross-country trip to retrace Marcelle’s movements through WWII France. The trip is never to happen, as Marcelle dies suddenly. But she leaves directions for Sophie and Kate to make the journey with Marcelle in spirit. In a search for Marcelle’s roots, they uncover darkness, secrets, and long lost knowledge that changes both their understandings of themselves and family, eating lavishly along the way.
It is apparent that Carole Bumpus is a first-time fiction author; the narrative is rough around the edges. However, Bumpus’ project is so compelling, and the journey so rich, that it is thoroughly worth reading. So, while I would give the bones a 2 ½, the meat is definitely a 4 ½, so I’ve compromised. (Look for my review of Carole’s companion cookbook Recipes for Redemption and find my interview with Carole on San Francisco Book Review )
January 23, 2016
An interesting novel in terms of depicting the destructive tentacles within generations of a family due to 'secrets and lies' and the traumas of war. I'm not a huge fan of any book with 'redemption' or 'redemptive' in its title or description--and I'm not a fan of dialogue-driven narratives, but this one was quite sweet in its own way. Plus, having just met the author in person, I can attest to the fact that she is as warm and genuine as is 'Kate'--the character who is really Carole in the novel. I haven't seen it yet, but I imagine her companion recipe book is scrumptious.
March 20, 2015
Do you like history, mystery, food, and great characters on a search for meanings? then this is your book. I could really envision this as a film.
The two main characters drew you into the story immediately and the author kept you interested all the way to the very satisfying close. I was surprised and happy at how much I enjoyed this.
The two main characters drew you into the story immediately and the author kept you interested all the way to the very satisfying close. I was surprised and happy at how much I enjoyed this.
April 19, 2015
I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.
A Cup of Redemption was a wonderful read. I enjoyed the back and forth storytelling, jumping between past and present. Really made me think about the history that is passed on within families about previous generations and their journey to the present.
A Cup of Redemption was a wonderful read. I enjoyed the back and forth storytelling, jumping between past and present. Really made me think about the history that is passed on within families about previous generations and their journey to the present.
January 13, 2015
I received this book from the goodreads first reads program.
Every book takes the reader on a journey and this journey was hauntingly beautiful. Even though there are many ugly secrets that the characters find hidden in the past they are still able to come to accept themselves and their choices along with the choices of their loved ones. Beautifully written.
Every book takes the reader on a journey and this journey was hauntingly beautiful. Even though there are many ugly secrets that the characters find hidden in the past they are still able to come to accept themselves and their choices along with the choices of their loved ones. Beautifully written.
February 13, 2016
This was a very interesting book that really brought the experience of living in occupied France during WWII to life and took me into the experience of it all. I am looking forward to diving into Carole's accompanying cook book as the food described in the stories sounded so good, you could smell the aromas while reading.
May 19, 2015
I received this book in a goodreads first reads give away. The book was beautifully written the locations, events and people were portrayed so well that you felt you were actually there.
December 28, 2015
The stories interwoven in time, plus the rich food and landscape made me hungry for more! I wanted the tale to go on and on. Great read!
February 10, 2023
Met author. Austin Book Festival. 2015 with Donna Stoneham
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2024
I mean...it's a book
July 8, 2024
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. I believe in 2015, just before I relocated from the States to Germany, and it wasn`t until this year that I got a chance to read it. I loved the author`s style reveling in each scene while accompanying two strong women on their road trip through France, filled with memories, both painful and cathartic. A very good book, and I was happy to find that a cookbook has also been published, containing all the wonderful recipes mentioned in the book. I wish I had won that, too ! *blush*
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews