A Cup of Redemption - by Carole Bumpus (Paperback)

About the Book

"Marcelle, born at the close of World War I, carries her father's surname, along with the shame of illegitimacy. Her daughter, Sophie, born during the throes of World War II, believes her childhood nightmares are over when she moves to the US, but finds them reoccuring once her mother calls her to France to honor her deathbed request: "Find my father." Sophie's American friend Kate, who agrees to help Sophie search for her grandfather, harbors her own dark secrets from the Vietnam War, unbeknownst to Sophie. As Sophie and Kate struggle to resolve the issue of Marcelle's past, their own paths become inextricably intertwined--and they begin to lay bare the truth of their lives"--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

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 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.

Review Quotes

"Spanning the decades from WWI France to 9/11, this historical novel explores the untold stories of women who find themselves alone and pregnant during wartime. Carefully crafted and emotionally powerful, A Cup of Redemption is a must read."
--Lucy Ann Murray, Correspondent, Fra Noi

"Beautifully researched, this story brings to life three generations in France, including the havoc caused by World War II. A delicious tale of love, betrayal, grief and restoration."
--Harriet Scott Chessman, author of The Beauty of Ordinary Things

"A family mystery, a dash of history, an epic cast of characters and an enticing setting give A Cup of Redemption all the elements needed for a delightful 'armchair travel' read."
--Patricia V. Davis, author of Harlot's Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss, and Greece

"What Jung Chang's Wild Swans did for China, Carole Bumpus has done for 20th century France--recreated the epic story of three generations of women, whose family secrets went undercover during the struggle for love and survival in times of war and political chaos."
--Elise Frances Miller, author of A Time to Cast Away Stones

About the Author

Carole Bumpus, a retired family therapist, is the author of the historical novel A Cup of Redemption, published October 2014 through She Writes Press. She is a state board and branch member of the California Writers Club's San Francisco/Peninsula Branch and has been published in three CWC short-story anthologies: Fault Zone: Words from the Edge, Fault Zone: Stepping up to the Edge, and Fault Zone: Over the Edge. She continues to write a travel blog taken from excerpts of her interviews with French and Italian families, Savoring the Olde Ways, and her articles on both food and US WWII veterans in France have been published in both the US and in France.