Cinnamon pull-apart bread + The God of the Woods

A sweet twisted loaf and a book about family secrets

Jan 12, 2025

I spent every summer from age seven to 16 at a summer camp on an island in Temagami, Ontario. The bus ride from Toronto took six hours, and then my little camp mates and I boarded a barge piloted by the camp’s year-round caretaker, a man named Jerry with a big red beard who always wore striped white-and-blue overalls. When we arrived on the island, it felt like we’d entered another dimension.

My first summer, my cabin and I went on a three-day-canoe trip where it rained so hard I woke up in the tent in a puddle, a harrowing experience for my young self, but somehow I love canoe trips as an adult. Back at camp, I fished, I swam, I played a goblin with no lines in the camp play, and I excelled at capture the flag and camouflage. When my parents stopped by the camp on their own canoe trip to say hi, my hair was matted and my counselor told them I kept insisting on sleeping in my bathing suit. I was planning to swim in the morning, so why not? I was feral, and I loved every minute.

Later, I worked several summers at a different camp, leading canoe trips on lakes and rivers that dotted and criss-crossed northern Ontario. Those childhood and teenage summers had a bigger impact on me and who I became than the entire school year did. I think about camp all the time, and many of my good friends today are those I met during those magical months living in the woods.

Given my soft spot for summer camp, I was immediately excited to read The God of the Woods when I learned it was a thriller set at fictional Camp Emerson in the Adirondacks. It’s one of the most engaging books I’ve read in ages, and the character development is excellent. I have been sick and low energy lately, and the bread I paired with this book was the perfect comforting loaf that made my house smell delightful. Enjoy!

Good Book: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (2024)

The God of the Woods In a Nutshell

On a summer morning in 1975 at Camp Emerson, counselor Louise wakes and notices one of the camper’s bunks is empty. The missing girl is from the wealthy New York family who own the camp—the Van Laar’s. They also own the massive wilderness preserve the camp and a family compound sit on, and employ many of the working-class residents of the nearest town. Worse, Louise was out all night drinking with her friends, and is unsure of how long 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar has been missing from the cabin.

A search ensues, and we meet the Van Laar family, and learn that they had another child vanish in these woods ten years ago—Barbara’s older brother, Bear. Further amplifying the tense situation is that a serial killer has escaped prison and is roaming the Adirondacks, and several of the family members and friends staying at the Van Laar compound have ugly and dangerous secrets themselves.

The God the Woods in Three Words

Mysterious slow burn

What I liked about God the Woods

Switching timelines
Half of this book occurs in 1975, and half ten years before when Barbara’s brother went missing. The story jumps back and forth, showing what was happening at the camp and in the Van Laar family before, during, and after both disappearances. The different points in time are smoothly woven together, and it worked well to keep a slower plot arc exciting. I also liked that Moore includes a section at the start of each chapter that shows you exactly where in time we are. I find sometimes books that play with timelines expect the reader to keep track, and it can get confusing. This just let me focus on enjoying the story.
Constant misdirection
Moore is skilled at dropping subtle clues that had me thinking I had a handle on the plot and knew where Barbara, and Bear, had disappeared to. She peppers in tiny details about characters that lead you to think you’ve solved the mystery, and then it suddenly pivots. I had no idea where the book was going until the conclusion, which ended up being satisfying and impossible to predict.
Complex female characters
I found the book’s most powerful aspect was in showing the distinct stories of how different women survive and protect those they love. The camp counselor, Barbara’s mother, the detective, and Barbara’s best friend at camp are all unique and fascinating characters told without the stereotypes or tropes often used to portray female characters in crime-based stories.

Good Bread: Cinnamon pull-apart bread

Why this book for this bread?

The plot of this book is driven forward by secrets, and the events put in motion when those secrets begin to unfurl themselves. The hidden cinnamon butter filling tucked into each segment of this bread represent the damaging truths the Van Laar family is intent on keeping concealed. Plus, any excuse to make a twisted or coiled bread.

Recipe

In the last issue, here, I baked a savory pull-apart garlic bread. I adapted that recipe by adding more sugar in the dough, omitting the sourdough starter, and instead of garlic butter, I made a cinnamon butter filling. I also added an egg wash to give the loaf a nice shiny exterior. Chef’s kiss!

Looking forward:

Book I’m looking forward to reading: Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz

Music I’m looking forward to listening to: Songs for You by Brigid Mae Power

Bread I’m looking forward to baking: Baguettes

Thank you for reading! If you liked this issue, forward along to a friend. If you hated it, please forward along to an enemy.