The Heartbreak Bakery by A. R. Capetta
Bibliographic Information:
Title: The Heartbreak Bakery
Author: A. R. Capetta
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: October 12, 2021
ISBN: 978-1536216530
Genre:
Romance
Awards or Honors:
Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ Young Adult (2022)
Reading Level/Interest Level:
Grades 9-12, Ages 14-17
Plot Summary:
After a messy breakup with long-term girlfriend W, Syd tries to get over her doing what they know best – baking. Working as the youngest baker of the Proud Muffin, Austin’s most beloved queer bakery and community space, Syd tries to keep their head down, busying themselves with decorating cakes and making the bakery’s special of the day. Little does Syd know that their raw, messy feelings concerning the breakup end up magically turning the special of the day into breakup brownies. After being eaten, these brownies wind up breaking up five couples, including the Proud Muffin’s owners Vin and Alec. Syd partners up with the bakery’s biking delivery boy Harley to bake new magical pastries to bring these couples back together and keep the Proud Muffin from going under.
Author Background:
Capetta teaches in the MFA program for Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is married to author Cory McCarthy. Their title Once & Future is a co-authored series with McCarthy, which was a finalist for the New England Book Award (Penguin Random House, n.d.). Many of their titles are centered around magic, mystery, and queerness, and have been chosen for the ALA Rainbow List, Junior Library Guild Selections, Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year, Locus Reading List, and Booklist’s Top 10 SF/Fantasy and Horror for Youth (Lavoie, 2021).
Other Titles by the Author:
The Brilliant Death (2018)
Once & Future (2019)
The Lost Coast (2019)
Stranger Things: Rebel Robin (2022)
Critical Evaluation:
The Heartbreak Bakery is an uplifting title about self-discovery and a true love letter to the LGBTQ community. Syd’s process of grief from their breakup considers how they truly felt for their ex, as well as learning what real love feels like and means to them. Various other characters throughout the book are in pursuit of their own self-discovery, whether that be through their own gender expression, analyses of their broken-up relationships post-breakup brownie, and pursuit of new dreams and goals. This title contains the most heart-warming and supportive community that all LGBTQ individuals should always experience; as someone queer and an avid baker myself, it personally felt like home. If you’re looking for a queer romance read and are a huge fan of The Great British Bake Off like I am, this book is for you.
Creative Use for a Library Program:
Below are four different library programs that may correlate to this book:
– Cooking Decorating. A cookie decorating party is always fun. Premade sugar cookies can be purchased from most grocery stores, and icing tubes, frosting cans, and sprinkles can be purchased and shared between attendees. Be sure to disclose allergens and nutrition facts on all materials.
– Brownie Baking Kits. Kits containing brownie mixes (bonus points for heart-shaped sprinkles) can be made for patrons to take home to bake.
– Bake Off. No spoilers, but live your Great British Bake Off dreams and host one.. through social media! The Jefferson-Madison Regional Library hosted the Great Library Bake Off back in 2021, and this program can be replicated and adjusted as needed. This program can be open to solely teens (starting at age 12) or both teens and adults. There will be three challenges: Signature Challenge, Technical Challenge, and Showstopper, over the span of six weeks. Once a challenge has been announced, there are two weeks to submit entries through social media and/or the library’s email address. A virtual meeting will then be hosted that is optional for the bakers to participate in, to share their recipes and process. After all entries for the challenge have been submitted, the entries will then be anonymously voted for on social media to decide on the “Star Baker” for the challenge. On your marks, get set, bake!
– Pronoun Pins. If a button maker/press is available at your library, this program will be a great one to host. Inspired by Harley’s he/him and they/them pronoun pins, attendees will have full access to paper, pens, markers, and stickers to decorate and craft their own pronoun pin! Addressing one’s preferred pronouns may not always be an easy discussion, however this program’s purpose is to make all feel welcome and express the importance of learning and respecting pronouns.
“Assuming that cisgender folks don’t need to wear pronoun buttons contributes to transphobia by assuming that people can ‘look like’ they use a certain pronoun. Also, always offer people their choice of pronoun – don’t assume that you know what a person’s pronoun is. Even if you’ve been told a person’s pronouns in the past, many people change their pronouns; they might use different pronouns during different situations, or want to explore using pronouns that they never have before!” (Turner, 2015).
Note: Button makers can be expensive, however cheaper models may be available at local craft stores. One of the cheapest I’ve seen is this one from Amazon, which comes with everything you need to craft the pins: machine, button parts, circle cutter, etc.
Image credit: Turner, A.M. Queer it yourself: Pronoun buttons! Campus Pride.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
While this book is nothing but wholesome, having a full cast of LGBTQ representative characters may not always be well-received. Aside from this, there are very brief mentions of sex that might also be challenged.
Reason for Inclusion:
Aside from being a Lambda Literary Award Winner, which “were created to garner national visibility for LGBTQ books (…) celebrating vibrant, dynamic, LGBTQ storytelling” (Lambda Literary, n.d.)., this book showcases a beautifully diverse cast full of support for this community. Reading this book feels as cozy and heart-warming as the Proud Muffin, which is a safe haven and community space for all of the characters of The Heartbreak Bakery. Having an agender protagonist, a transgender love interest, and a fully accepting and supportive cast of characters may be just the thing for a teen to feel seen.
A. R. Capetta, the author of The Heartbreak Bakery stated in an interview, “In shaping the story this way, I realized it was becoming not just a celebration of so many different flavors of love, but also the community and safe spaces that help us feel brave, to know and seek out what works for us. I’m so glad that the story turned into this specific kind of love letter” (Lavoie, 2021).
References
England, M.K. (2021, March 18). The Great Library Bake Off 2021. Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. https://blog.jmrl.org/2021/03/18/glbo2021/
Lambda Literary. (n.d.). Awards. https://lambdaliterary.org/awards/
Lavoie, A. (2021, October 13). Q&A with A. R. Capetta, The Heartbreak Bakery. We Need Diverse Books. https://diversebooks.org/qa-with-a-r-capetta-the-heartbreak-bakery/
Penguin Random House. (n.d.). A. R. Capetta. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2245931/a-r-capetta/
Turner, A.M. (2015, June 8). Queer it yourself: Pronoun buttons! Campus Pride. https://www.campuspride.org/resources/queer-it-yourself-pronoun-buttons/