Not your average cafe culture
The Bitter Sweet Bakery Cafe
Catherine Greer
379 pages, Kindle, published 4 March 2025
Audrey Sweetman is primed to have an exceptional day.
She has a fabulous husband and today she is giving an advertising pitch that is going to make the agency a massive success and earn her that promotion. In a matter of hours, everything is turned on its head and Audrey finds all that she believed in has evaporated. Feeling betrayed by husband and angry with the agency, Audrey needs to get out of Sydney. Whitehaven Bay, a place she visited as a child with her Mum, seems like a good spot, where she can be a nobody and hide from the big bad world. The locals have a different idea, an elderly landlord who doesn’t mind a bit of nudity, a teenager with a ton of attitude and a locally appointed self-help guru and CEO of the holiday flats are all eager to make Audrey’s life a bit more complicated as they try to help. Audrey finds going back to what she loves, baking provides her with a way to heal and just maybe, start anew.
Audrey as the main character is thrown the biggest curve ball on the wrong side of 50. Her husband has been unfaithful, the financial security she thought they had has gone through his bad investments and he is happy to throw her previous failings back in her face. Audrey struggled through IVF and several miscarriages, the disappointment took its toil and drinking became an outlet. Audrey is recovering and wrestles with the drink. Her career at the advertising agency, highlights how older women can be overlooked for what men see as the next young, bright and bouncy thing. When Audrey arrives in Whitehaven things kick up a gear. The locals and Audrey’s relationship with them becomes central. As Audrey is beginning to spiral into a real sad sack of depression. However, as she develops bonds with the locals she realises how they are hurting and how they too have a limited voice. As Audrey learns more of her husband’s deceit, her need to create a financial future becomes paramount. Through baking and fortune cookies that tell like it is, Audrey finds herself, and finds real friendships.
Buddy, her landlord is elderly, lives alone, loves the drink and loves to walk to the beach in the morning naked. This to some of the locals means he should be placed into a nursing home, that he is unable to care for himself. Though he is a grumble bum, he and Audrey develop a deep level of respect. Billie, a nonbinary teenager, is struggling with school, with their parents, being allowed to determine their own future. Though Billie and Audrey initially butt heads again they learn to hear and respect each other. The other characters are well developed and lift off the page.
There will be many women who relate to Audrey with some or all of the situations that she has to overcome. Like being a trailblazer at work but continually having to fight to be recognised and heard. Greer has brought together a wonderful bunch of diverse characters, created a feel good read, with plenty of humour, while gently dealing with some serious issues. The added bonus is that at the end there are recipes and the musical playlist. Perfect for book club meetings.
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