The Memory Cake

While baking a special cake with her granddaughter, a Maltese grandmother revisits her memories of survival, hope, and life under siege during World War II.

Every year, a young girl visits her Nanna on the tiny Mediterranean isle of Malta, and together they bake a cake. As they mix, stir and ice their chocolate confection, Nanna explains why the cake is so special: when she was a girl, she made it to celebrate the end of a WWII bombing campaign against her small country.

As they talk, Nanna looks back on the layers of her life: the underground shelters, the bombs, the hunger--and the hope that helped her through her hardest times. Her granddaughter learns about Malta's enduring traditions, her family history--and her grandmother's recipe for happiness.

Sharing the little-known history of the 'Siege of Malta, ' this gentle picture book celebrates all who dream of peaceful futures during times of war and uncertainty, and encourages readers to share family stories and memories--even the difficult ones.

A note in the back shares the author's inspiration from her visits to her own Maltese Nanna and the real history of the of 'Siege of Malta', along with a recipe for Nanna's memory cake.

Author: Caroline L. Perry
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 06/03/2025
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 10.30h x 9.20w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780823456468
Audience: Ages 4-8


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2025

About the Author
Caroline L. Perry is the author of The Corgi and the Queen and several other books for young readers. Born in England, she has lived in four countries and visited more than sixty others, always seeking out 'hidden histories' and quirky, lesser-known museums wherever she goes. Like her late Maltese Nanna, Caroline is an enthusiastic baker with a perpetually sweet tooth (and a special fondness for chocolate cake). Caroline lives in Southern California with her husband and their three endlessly-curious kids.

Jennifer Bricking is an artist currently living in Seattle, WA. She works as a concept artist for video games and as an illustrator for young adult and middle grade books, picture books, magazines and advertisements. She has worked for Disney Interactive and Microsoft. Her freelance clients include Harper Collins, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, Cottage Door Press, Penguin Random House, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Sesame Street, The Jane Goodall Institute and more. When she's not drawing, she likes to travel, ride her bike, skateboard and explore the Pacific Northwest and beyond.