The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris (2025) is the third traditionally published novel from Evie Woods, following the success of The Lost Bookshop (2023) and The Story Collector (2024). As with Woods’s other novels, The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris is a romantic drama in the magical realism tradition, presented as a dual narrative across two time periods, centering a woman’s journey of self-discovery amid strange and magical circumstances.

After years as her sick mother’s caregiver, Edith Lane leaves her home in Ireland after her mother’s death in search of adventure and a new beginning in Paris. A misunderstanding leads Edith to the position of assistant manager of a modest bakery in the rural French town of Compiègne, where she discovers a supernatural mystery in the basement of the bakery. Soon she finds herself in a fight to save the bakery even as she struggles with the grief of her mother’s death and the daunting possibility of falling in love.

This guide is based on the 2025 paperback edition published by One More Chapter/Harper Collins.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide feature depictions of death, substance abuse, racism (specifically anti-Romani attitudes and slurs), anti-gay bias, and discussion of German death camps during WWII.

Plot Summary

Edith Lane, a 30-year-old Irish woman, leaves her home to be the assistant manager of a bakery in Paris only to discover she has misunderstood the position. The bakery, run by Madame Moreau and her 15-year-old grandson, Manu, is not in Paris, but in the small town of Compiègne on the street called Rue de Paris. 

Edith comes to France in hopes of shaking up her life and finding a new purpose 18 months after her mother’s death. Having spent her adult life as her mother’s caregiver, she feels lost now that her mother is gone. Edith’s first week in her job is difficult, uncomfortable, and lonely. Madame Moreau behaves coldly toward her and forbids her to meet the mysterious baker who works in the basement. She also hears noises in her attic apartment above the bakery.

One night, she finds a recipe book labeled, “Pierre, 1945” hidden in the floorboards. She makes a recipe for “hot chocolate to warm the soul” (39) that contains a special vanilla liqueur. The hot chocolate gives her a sense of peace and comfort and evokes a powerful memory of her mother.

In 1920, Pierre Moreau buys special vanilla beans from a mysterious Paris merchant and opens his bakery in Compiègne, hoping to bring this magic ingredient to his hometown.

Edith’s life in Compiègne improves when she befriends Nicole and her husband, Johnny, who performs in a band at the local jazz club. There, Edith meets Hugo Chadwick. Hugo says he is a photographer. Edith, embarrassed by her lackluster life, recalls an old aspiration and claims to be a singer.

Hugo returns to Paris, where he works for his father’s cutthroat real estate company, Chadwick Holdings. He’s been forced into the position since his older brother Stephane’s death, but he finds the work soulless and takes refuge in his photography hobby.

Edith is curious about the mysterious baker in the basement. Late one night as she’s making hot chocolate, she hears voices in the basement. She finds a floor grate through which she can peek and faints at the sight of Madame Moreau, Manu, and a shimmering figure. Though she does not want to believe in ghosts, she decides to investigate.

In 1942, Pierre keeps his bakery afloat during the German occupation of France. He worries about Arnaud, whose gossipmongering is dangerous, especially when he suggests that Pierre likes men. Pierre goes to the train station where a strange woman and her young daughter approach him. Intuiting that the woman is hiding from German soldiers, he pretends she is his wife.

Edith receives postcards from Hugo, though he has not visited again. Over the weekend, she goes on a historical tour through Compiègne, which is a historically significant location. It was important during World War II, being the location where the French capitulated to German occupation. There was also an internment camp nearby, where prisoners were held before being sent to death camps.

Hugo visits the bakery on his way to see his mother, and Edith gives him her special hot chocolate. His mother has early-onset dementia and lives in a care facility. When she drinks the hot chocolate, she has a moment of startling clarity and tries to tell Hugo about something her uncle, Arnaud, did during the war.

Meanwhile, Edith hides in the basement at night to see the ghost. Madame Moreau calls it her father. Edith emerges and demands an explanation. Madame Moreau confesses that the ghost is her father, Pierre Moreau, and offers the whole story.

Madame Moreau’s family was Romani. As a child, she and her mother escaped German capture in Compiègne. Despite knowing the dangers, Pierre took them in and pretended they were his family. Eventually, the Germans caught Madame Moreau’s mother. Pierre took care of Madame Moreau and became her father. He left the bakery to her and promised to stay with her always. She intended to give the bakery to Manu, but it is failing, and the bank is preparing to repossess the building.

Edith is horrified to discover that Hugo’s company is the one taking over the building. They fight. Hugo tries to convince Edith that he is not the villain in this scenario, but he is ashamed of his involvement. Edith enlists the help of Nicole and Johnny, who garner support on social media.

Hugo visits his mother again, who tells him the full story of how her uncle Arnaud betrayed Pierre during the war, leading to Madame Moreau’s mother’s capture. Hugo decides to stop trying to be his brother and do the right thing. Hugo pays off the bakery’s debts to prevent the repossession and leaves his father’s company. He wants to stay in Compiègne and be with Edith. They reconcile.

Months later, Hugo has converted the empty property next door to the bakery into a restaurant. He and Edith are happy together. The ghost of Pierre sees that his legacy is safe in their hands and fades away.