Last May, I borrowed The Chilbury Ladies Choir from my local library and absolutely fell in love with it. A sweet story about friendship and perseverance, set in an adorable English village during WWII, it checked a lot of boxes for me. So much so that I ended up buying a copy just to have on my bookshelf.
Author Jennifer Ryan, once again, has provided readers with a heartfelt and delightful WWII novel in The Kitchen Front. Ryan expertly balances multiple character arcs, intertwining friendships, mentorships, sisterhood, widowhood, motherhood, chosen families, and—of course—food. I know next to nothing about cooking but you can tell Ryan really put in the time to research how people dealt with food shortages during the war.
In a new World War II-set story from the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, four women compete for a spot hosting a wartime cookery program called The Kitchen Front – based on the actual BBC program of the same name – as well as a chance to better their lives.
I have to give a shoutout to audiobook narrator Jasmine Blackborow for her fantastic depiction of four very different women, especially a certain London chef who hides her Cockney accent when she feels the need to impress and prove herself.
I laughed, I cried. I adored this book. I wish there were more books like this one—set during WWII but ones not so dependent on depressing the hell out of the reader. This story, of course, had heartbreaking moments but there were also moments of joy. During a pandemic, I think we can all use some light in between the moments of darkness.
RATING: 4.5/5
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