Title: The
Kitchen Front
Author: Jennifer Ryan*Genre: historical fiction
Summary: 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.
Two years into WW2, 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 putting on 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 contest presents 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 the 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 serve only to break it apart?
Rating: Very good.
Why I Like It: Takes a little time to get into the story, but then it was hard to stop. Very interesting.
Reviewer: Nancy
