Greetings from the east coast of Britain, where I’m hiding away for a week, working on the second draft of a novel about a French pastry chef.
Now, I always take the research part of writing very seriously, so over the past few months I’ve immersed myself in the world of French pastries - oh, how I suffer for my art!
But this hasn’t just meant me having a massive pig-out, I’ve also spent a lot of time researching the history of famous French pastries and how they came to be.
And one thing that has struck me is how many hugely successful cakes and desserts actually began life as some kind of kitchen cock-up.
The tarte tatin is a great example - a caramelised apple tart that is hugely popular in the UK as well as France, and I’m sure elsewhere around the world.
But did you know that the tarte tatin would never have come into being if it hadn’t been for the accident prone nature of its accidental inventor. Allow me to explain…
Back in the late nineteenth century, in a village in the Loire Valley, two elderly, unmarried sisters named Caroline and Stephanie Tatin ran a restaurant and hotel across the street from the railway station.
Legend has it that Caroline was in charge of greeting the guests, front of house, and Stephanie, the older sister and a talented cook, was in charge of the kitchen.
Legend also has it that Stephanie was not the sharpest knife in the chef’s block, and prone to being easily distracted.
One day, when putting some apple tarts in the oven and suffering from a fit of the distractions, she unknowingly flipped one of them upside down.
When the time came to take out the desserts and Stephanie realised what she had done she decided to serve it anyway, and it became an instant smash hit, with people loving the almost burnt, caramelised apples and the pastry base.
As I was writing about the tarte tatin origin story in my novel this week it occurred to me that it makes a great parable about life, and how - if we only frame them differently - some of our so-called mistakes, mishaps or accidents can actually lead to the most magical success.
A couple of examples from my own life immediately sprang to mind.
My giving up on my dream of becoming a writer and dropping out of university is one. On paper, and at the time, I’m sure that many people around me thought I was making a massive mistake.
And for several years after I dropped out of uni I felt like a failure - or a slightly burned, upside down apple tart of a person, if you like.
But I ended up achieving my dream of becoming a writer in a far more maverick and magical way because of it - teaching myself how to write my first novel while I was on maternity leave.
Which brings me to the second example from my life - the way I became a mother, becoming pregnant three months into seeing someone I worked with (and not yet in an official relationship).
I know for a fact that some people in my life thought I’d made a massive mistake, and although my son’s father and I ended up getting married, our relationship was over and we were divorced by the time our son was four.
This is definitely not the perfect recipe for parenthood and marital bliss that we’re constantly being sold. But my god, I loved every second of my so-called imperfect home-life with my son, and our slightly burned, upside down apple tart version of family.
To my mind, my son is a huge success and (at the risk of straining the dessert analogy to breaking point!) the proof is in the pudding. He’s funny and kind and brave, and he’ll soon be getting married to the most wonderful woman.
So, if you’re currently thinking that your life is a bit of a mess, or not how you’d envisioned it to be, don’t panic. It could be that right now, you’re Stephanie Tatin having just opened the oven, and thinking to herself, ‘Merde! What the hell’s happened to my pie?!’
But who knows what this messy bit you find yourself in might lead to.
If you just flip the situation in your mind and view it differently, like Stephanie flipping that tart upside down and onto the plate, it could lead to unimaginable happiness and success.
Until next week, here’s to embracing our messy, magical mishaps.
Siobhan
PS: My new novel, The Stars Are Our Witness, is out the week after next. Here’s what the early reviewers have to say…
“Loved The Stars Are Our Witness….Incredible. One of those rare books that should be dispensed on prescription to every household.”
“I just finished this book in one sitting! Yes it was that good! I loved every word of this book! It was heart wrenching at times, ok, lots of times. But the writing and characters are phenomenal. Pick this book up, grab some tissues, and settle in when this book is released. You don’t want to miss out on this one!”
“A beautiful story of friendship and family and the strength of the human spirit.”
“This book! I sat and read for an entire day, which I never do, but I had to find out what happened next in each chapter … This book touched my heart.”
“Heartbreaking, pulse pounding, inspiring and sobering! I loved this book, I could not put it down! Thrilling to read from page one until the final page.”
“What an excellent read! Fans of The Nightingale will love this tale of love, hope, and the indomitable human spirit. The three main characters are impossible to not love and root for.”
“Couldn’t put this book down. Fell in love with all the characters … So many tears were shed but what a powerful book! Highly recommend.”
You can pre-order The Stars Are Our Witness on Amazon here. And HUGE thanks to anyone who does!
I really needed to read this - thank you. Also when I think if bakery and fiction I think of 'Fergus crane' - don't know if you've ever read it?
First of all, really looking forward to reading your next book.
My concern is if its got too much cake in it, I'll be inspired to sample endless tatins (oh my diet!)
Seriously I love the analogy. I've always seen my life as topsy-turvy upside down, and indeed one of my 3 birthdate major arcana cards is the Hanged Man. I very often feel I'm late to the party, and have missed out on all that scrummy cake 🎂 when actually I'm gluten free and that partys not meant for me anyway.
Every success Siobhan.