Cursed Bread

In the aftermath of WWII, the seemingly tranquil French village of Pont-Saint-Esprit is plunged into collective madness when its inhabitants suffer violent hallucinations and mass poisoning. The cause remains a historical enigma, debated between tainted bread and covert government experiments. Amidst this backdrop, we meet Elodie, the unassuming baker’s wife, who yearns for a life beyond her mundane existence. Her world is irrevocably altered by the arrival of a charismatic new couple: the forceful ambassador and his captivating, sharp-witted wife, Violet. Elodie finds herself irresistibly drawn into their seductive orbit, initiating a dangerous, psychological game of cat and mouse. Sophie Mackintosh, a Booker Prize-nominated author, crafts an intoxicating and fevered confession, weaving a darkly gleaming tale of obsession, desire, and the consuming power of envy against a canvas of historical mystery and societal hysteria.