Based on the historical BBC radio program The Kitchen Front, this novel by Jennifer Ryan follows four women on the World War II home front in Britain when food rationing was in full swing.
Ryan factionalizes a cooking competition between four women, attempting to win a co-host spot for The Kitchen Front radio program, which helps give British women recipes, tips and tricks to cook healthy, tasty meals with very limited ingredients. While the four women competing have different qualifications and backgrounds, they all desperately need to win.
Ryan’s novel brings fascinating light to what it might have been like to cook under wartime circumstances and even includes recipes for dishes referenced in the story. This is a warm novel about the beauty of community and the different shapes families can take, especially in times of hardship.
Raela Schoenherr is an editor at a Minnesota publishing company. Find her on Twitter at @raelaschoenherr.
