The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan
More than a Cooking Contest. I know I recently posted a list of WWII reading in Quick Picks, but with this book I just couldn’t use just one small paragraph to describe it. I really loved this book about four women in a cooking contest in England during WWII! Each had more at stake than the prize of becoming a BBC radio program presenter. Audrey, a widow, needs money to support her family. Gwendoline needs to prove her worth to her husband. Zelda needs it as a stepping stone to get a job as a chef in London. And shy Nell needs it to escape from her hellish job with no future. This book is about their separate struggles, the general hardships of war, and the power of friendships. Big Bonus: the book includes over 15 real recipes! I’ve made one already (Coquille St. Jacque—yum!), and I plan to try a lot more (although I will definitely skip the Sheep’s Head Roll and Whale Meat and Mushroom Pie). But by cooking some of the recipes, it is a fun way to connect to the characters