The Kitchen Front
A Novel
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4.3 • 267 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
From the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir comes an unforgettable novel of a BBC-sponsored wartime cooking competition and the four women who enter for a chance to better their lives.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY GOOD HOUSEKEEPING • “This story had me so hooked, I literally couldn’t put it down.”—NPR
Two years into World War II, Britain is feeling her losses: The Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is holding a cooking contest—and the grand prize is a job as the program’s first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the competition would present a crucial chance to change their lives.
For a young widow, it’s a chance to pay off her husband’s debts and keep a roof over her children’s heads. For a kitchen maid, it’s a chance to leave servitude and find freedom. For a lady of the manor, it’s a chance to escape her wealthy husband’s increasingly hostile behavior. And for a trained chef, it’s a chance to challenge the men at the top of her profession.
These four women are giving the competition their all—even if that sometimes means bending the rules. But with so much at stake, will the contest that aims to bring the community together only serve to break it apart?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This inspiring historical drama of women’s competition and camaraderie in World War II Britain is bursting with so much warmth, hope, and dedication, you can—literally—taste it. Audrey, Nell, Zelda, and Gwendoline each hope their culinary creations are delicious enough to win an exciting BBC cooking contest. The winner will co-host a national radio program about preparing meals with wartime rations, a life-changing opportunity that stirs up both touching selflessness and messy rivalry. Jennifer Ryan draws us right into the sights, sounds, and smells of a 1940s British kitchen with well-researched accuracy. Her uplifting tale of four heroines who eventually band together is accompanied by authentic, mouthwatering wartime rations recipes sprinkled throughout the book, including braised hare with elderberry wine sauce and a delicious-sounding mushroom soup. The Kitchen Front is nourishment for the soul.
Customer Reviews
The Kitchen Front is delicious.
I love historical fiction and this novel does a great job taking us to the English countryside during WWII.
Fascinating Read
Wonderful telling of friendship forged during the scarcities and tragedies of England during World War Two.
Wonderful
I adored this novel. Beautifully written & heartwarming.