Title: The Kitchen Front
Author: Jennifer Ryan
Published: December 29th 2021
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Pages: 416
Genres: Fiction, Historical
RRP: $32.99
Rating: 4 stars
Some wars will be fought at home . . .
Two years into the Second World War, and German U-boats are frequently disrupting the United Kingdom's supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front launches a new cooking contest – and the grand prize is a job as the program's first-ever female co-host.
For young widow Audrey winning the competition could be a chance to pay off her husband's debts and keep a roof over her children's heads. However, her estranged sister, Gwendoline, is equally set on success even if her own kitchen maid, Nell, is competing against her. And then there is Zelda, a trained London-trained chef desperate to succeed in a male-dominated profession - and harbouring a secret that will change everything…
Review:
'Winning the war isn't only about young men fighting on the front line. It's about the home front, too, and how we can stay strong for them through all the shortages and rationing. We need to show Hitler that the British will never give in.'
The author Jennifer Ryan was inspired by her grandmother's stories about the war in Britain in formulating her latest historical tale, The Kitchen Front. With hope, determination, courage, sacrifice, sisterhood, companionship and ambition leading the way in this heart-warming historical composition, The Kitchen Front was a delightful read from cover to cover.
In a tribute to the home front, The Kitchen Front transports the reader effortlessly to the Second World War in Britain, precisely two years into this devastating campaign. As the country simultaneously deals with food restrictions and bombing raids, Britain's housewives are required to get more ingenious with their cooking regimes. When a popular household radio program named The Kitchen Front develops a brand-new cooking segment which involves a competition, the race is on to find its first female presenter. With four key contestants vowing for this lucrative hosting position, we first meet Audrey, a woman hoping to clear her husband's money woes and support her children. Audrey is joined by her sister Gwendoline, a sibling she shares a very rocky relationship with. Gwendoline's own kitchen maid Nell also throws herself into the competition and finally a talented female chef named Zelda is set on taking out the competition. With secrets abound and rivalries to cause quite a commotion, this one going to be one tight game!
Stories from the home front during the harrowing World War II period in Britain continue to interest me greatly. The author of The Kitchen Front used to reside in London and she now calls North Virginia in the US her home. Jennifer Ryan has drawn on her grandmother's own wartime experiences and the historical records of a real-life radio program during the Second World War to form the direction of her new novel. Readers who have a thirst for historical fiction stories, the war and homestyle cooking will really enjoy The Kitchen Front.
Structurally, The Kitchen Front is divided into three parts mirroring the three main sequences of a meal (starter, main and dessert). I thought this was a really fabulous strategy to employ in a novel. I appreciated the opportunity to delve into the world of battlefront cooking, wartime restrictions and creative black-market acquisitions. It is clear that The Kitchen Front has been injected with a full dose of historical record which works to enhance Jennifer Ryan's story. The quaint English village life base is delicately presented on the pages of The Kitchen Front, providing the reader with the perfect portrait of life during this tumorous time period. Extra additions come in the form of wholesome period specific recipes situated at the close of each chapter. There was a wonderful sense of nostalgia that washed over me when I read through these recipes, as a few of them were favourite dishes of my beloved great aunt. The overall storyline was pleasant and homely. We follow the four main female leads as the tale progresses, which allows us to get acquainted with each core protagonist via a shifting chapter perspective format. These women are stoic and full of courage. It was nice to welcome the agreeable cast into my life for the time that I spent with The Kitchen Front . The prominent umbrella theme of sisterhood in a time of great uncertainty was what stayed with me when I finished this highly engaging novel.
With unity, companionship, harmony and belief leading the way in The Kitchen Front, Jennifer Ryan has fabricated an embracing wartime novel.
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan was published on 29th December 2021 by Pan Macmillan. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Kitchen Front, Jennifer Ryan, visit here.
*Thanks extended to Pan Macmillan for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
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