When Alba was put on a plane and sent to Barcelona to live with her grandmother for a while, she was not happy. New York City was her home. Even though there were problems at home, that was no reason for her mother to send her to the other side of the world. She hadn’t even seen her grandmother since she was about 3.
Alba felt like her mother didn’t love her any more.
When the flight finally landed in Spain, Alba found her grandmother and they headed back to her grandmother’s apartment, over the Chinese restaurant that she owned. All alone in a strange bedroom in a strange country, Alba is overcome with sadness and anxiety and has to run.
She goes outside, even though it’s the middle of the night, and runs through the streets until she can’t run anymore. Sitting in an alley by a dumpster, crying, Alba isn’t sure what to do next. Then a man comes out from the building and sits with her for a minute, letting her cry. Then he heads back inside. Alba thinks he’s left her alone, but then he comes back out and hands her a sandwich on delicious bread. Alba tries the sandwich and turns to thank the man, but he’s gone again.
After eating, she feels better and heads back the way she came. Despite it being dark, she is able to find her way back to her grandmother’s apartment. But when she goes back in, her grandmother isn’t very happy with her for disappearing like that. They talk over tea and come to an understanding, and Alba starts to feel a little more comfortable.
The net day, her grandmother sends her to the bakery to buy bread. She said the baker Toni knows eactly what she wants. As soon as Alba finds the bakery, she realizes that Toni is the man who gave her the sandwich overnight. They meet for real, and Alba is shocked to find out that Toni was a close friend of her mother’s when she was young. He says they were like brother and sister. Alba can’t even imagine that now, as the mother she knows is uptight and quiet, trying too hard to do everything just as her abusive husband wants.
Toni invites Alba to the back of the store, where he bakes his breads. As she goes back there, she is overwhelmed by smells and sights. Toni shows off his sourdough starters and experiments with wild yeasts, and Alba finds herself just wanting to know more. She’d never felt like that before, like there was something she so wanted to be a part of, at least not since her mother introduced her to the music of David Bowie.
As the days go by, Alba finds herself helping out in Toni’s bakery and making friends. She starts to relax, leaving the stress of New York and of her parents’ marriage behind her. She tries more delicious foods and gets to go shopping in colorful markets. Her tension finally starts to melt away. Alba is finally feeling at home in Spain.
And then her mother shows up. With fresh bruises on her face and a stunned expression, Alba’s mother says that she finally left Alba’s father. Alba is happy that she finally left, but she’s not sure how to feel. She’s angry at everything that happened and worried that her new life might be in jeopardy now that her mother is in Barcelona also.
Will Alba be able to continue her journey of self-discovery in Barcelona? Can she find it in herself to forgive her mother and build a better relationship with her? Or will she just keep running away until there’s no where left to run to?
All You Knead Is Love is a powerful story of middle grade fiction that doesn’t shy away from difficult questions. From the questions of Alba wanting to keep her hair short to difficult questions around physical and emotional domestic abuse, Tonya Guerrero’s story is about pain and loss, grief and forgiveness, second chances and new hope.
I was so humbled to get to read this book. All You Knead Is Love is charming and fun, with the colors and energy of Spain coming through. But it’s also a moving story of a young girl who has been faced with too much for her to handle and finding healing through baking and friendships. I would save this one for older middle grade readers or ones who are mature enough to deal with the darker themes, but it’s also just a great story that can help kids find their voice or their passion in times of struggle. A truly amazing book!
Egalleys for All I Knead Is Love were provided by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group through NetGalley, with many thanks.
