Edith is recruited as a WWII spy by her cousin Leo. While this was a slow-moving story, the descriptions and details make up for it. I loved the recipes; they added to the story by allowing the readers to see a different view of WWII and glimpse into the culture of this era, I liked the strong characters and being able to see how women helped the WWII movement. However, some of the descriptions of the conditions that many faced during that time were very graphic.

Post World War II, Edith, a teacher, is bored and up for a challenge. She applies to the British Control Commission and requests to be sent to Germany, as she speaks fluent German. Her front job will be to help rebuild the schools and set up education for displaced persons. The reality - she will be spying on the Germans. How to set up a code to transmit messages. They hit on recipes which can be coded in certain ways to transmit messages. She knew Count Kurt von Stavenow from some earlier years and as he is being hunted by both the British and the Americans, she is instructed to find out all she can about him. She soon finds that many individuals cannot be trusted. Some work for both sides, some are still loyal to the the defeated Germans and work to put Hitler's cohorts back in power. Will her cover be blown? Is her life safe? Will others with whom she associates be safe?

This is one I put off for awhile due to other book commitments. Having now read it, I can say that I am so glad that I did. This book was everything that one could desire in a historical fiction set during WWII.

Granted, this story takes place after the war--but the ramifications of WWII are constantly present throughout this story. 

Edith is a British spy who is sent to Germany to help rebuild schools. Knowing German, this makes her the perfect candidate. Using a code system, she gets messages back to her home country. 

This story is fraught with some danger, intrigue, and was well-worth the time it took to read this long story. 

My review will be live at the link given, on 5/21/22.

I tried to read this both in ebook and I found it at my library on audiobook. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get past about the first third of the book I think the issue is that something about the beginning of the book just doesn't get off the ground the way. the author hopes. It's unfortunate because it promises what sounds like a truly interesting story, but I just couldn't dig in. Hopefully the next venture for Rees works out better, because this once certainly didn't land. Thank you so much for the ARC!

A post WWII a story, set in Germany, with a feisty lead character and her times in the zone of occupation. Edith Graham applies for a position within the commission and her cousin, Leo suggests she work with him, in the secret service. She is a perfect person, single, educated , fluent in German and ordinary looking. Her cover story is that she is sent to Germany to help rebuild schools. Once in Germany, Edith tries to help Leo, find a war criminal named Count Kurt von Stavenow and she must find ways to send intelligence back to England. Edith comes up with a cookbook writer named Stella Snelling. Her recipes are filled with info for the secret service. While on assignment she realizes that everyone seems to have secrets in this new post war world. Who can you trust? Who can you believe in and work with. Why are so many people protective of von Stavenow? This is a wonderfully written story and the author created such stellar characters. I knew that these were hard times and yet Rees, is able to show a glimmer of hope. She was able to make you feel like you were there. I am so glad I read this book.. I read it pretty fast, I had to see how it ended. i have also recommended to friends and family. Such a different take on war and honestly I didn’t know to much about the topic. Such a beautiful story and I am so happy I was able to read it.. I hope you enjoy it too!!!

This was probably close to being 4.5 stars for me, but I rounded down.
Set in Germany, post WWII, the story focuses on a British teacher working for the Control Commission for Germany as she also attempts to assist spy’s working for various agencies. Elements of espionage mix with sisterhood and questions of what is just.

What more can I say, I absolutely loved this historical fiction read! Miss Graham’s Cold War Cook was such a refreshing story in the genre. We don’t always get to see the events of post-WW2 and reconstruction, so I very much appreciated reading about that here. In fact it was very eye opening to see just how chaotic post-wartime is, with sickness and destruction in its wake.

Edith is a schoolteacher looking for something different in her life, so when a friend encourages her to apply for a position to put her knowledge of the German language to use setting up functioning schools in Germany, she jumps at the chance. Only to find out there’s more to this position... she’s also recruited as an agent tracking down Nazi’s.

Atmospheric in every way, this story kept me turning the pages so fast. I loved our main characters and their boldness and bravery, and was not ready to part with them by the end. I was left so inspired by the part they played.

Spies and political intrigue about here, and perhaps my favorite element was the recipes containing code which provided such a unique angle. Though I only wished it would have been a bit more clear at times exactly what was hidden in the recipes and how, as something that got a bit lost on me.

If you’re a historical fiction lover, you can’t go wrong picking this one up. In fact I highly recommend it because I can guarantee you’ll walk away with something from this memorable read. All the stars!

Thank you so much NetGalley and William Morrow for the gifted e-copy!

I was intrigued with the idea of a historical fiction book set during the Cold War but unfortunately this book didn’t live up to its potential. The twists and turns of spy novels were there but the book was often tedious, and I was not able to build empathy for the characters leaving the plot to fall flat.

I found this book similar to The Alice Network and the Flight Girls, set in the same era. While these are amazing women, it would be too mature for my middle grade students.

Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook has potential, but it just did not keep my interest. And it took me nearly three months to go through the novel. The setting of Post-World War II Germany and concept of using recipes for the code were interesting, but I just did not connect with the characters, especially the lead Edith Graham. It was also hard to keep up with all the secondary characters as there were dozens, ranging from her co-conspirators to servants. Part of me wonders what the novel would have been like had it been shorter or with less supporting characters.

Fantastic cold war spies novel! I loved the mysteries about how women were working as spies in cold war Europe after WWII. The food focus was amazing, the main characters were fascinating. I enjoyed the recipes, the examples of women contributing to the work force in post-war Europe. Edith and Dori were fully formed characters who I cared about and wanted to see succeed. I think think the point of view of post WWII Europe was intriguing. I had never imagined what happened to the children and teens in Europe who had to rebuild after the war. I think the points of view rotated effectively and I liked the perspectives.

This is not your regular WWII spy book. It's set immediately after the War ended in Germany where British modern language teacher Edith Graham is recruited to spy for England and is sent to Germany.

She devices a way to sent her reports using a cookbook. Reporting this way about the everyday life but also about Nazis in hiding, especially an old flame Kurt von Stabenow, one of the high ranking Nazis being hunted by the British and Americans.

Even though Edith has no spy training she's been thrown into the spy world.

The book is very engaging, showing different aspects of the life in Germany after the world. It will keep your interest throughout the book. Sometimes all the names and relations feel a little confusing.

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I finished one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read. Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees will easily make my 2020 Top 10 and may even secure a spot as one of my all-time favorites.

This story predominantly takes place in the aftermath of WWII in Germany. Edith Graham is a single schoolteacher who feels the need to contribute to the war recovery since she didn’t give to the war effort. She is accepted as a member of the Control Commission for Germany (CCG) to help reestablish the education system. However, she is also recruited as a reluctant spy to help locate runaway Nazis. It was interesting to witness Edith develop as a spy and become a valuable member to so many individuals.

Edith’s character rivals the women we met in The Nightingale and The Alice Network. She is strong and clever, but also maintains her humanity in the face of devastation. She is determined and dependent, as well as one who is not afraid to do what is right. Edith was faced with many challenges throughout the book, including the threat of being double-crossed, knowing who to trust, and being in an enemy country that still has loyal citizens to the previous regime. All this created an undeniable connection to Edith and I found myself asking “What would I do in her position?”

The female characters that surround Edith were incredibly written. Dori and Adeline shared similar qualities to Edith, but are slightly rougher around the edges. They were actively involved in the war effort and have seen the worst of mankind, which is something that Edith is experiencing for the first time. I absolutely adored the kinship that developed between these three women and felt their emotions as if I was a member of their circle. There is one other female character we encounter multiple times throughout the story, Elisabeth von Stavenow. Edith met Elisabeth before the war and upon arriving in Germany longs to know how Elisabeth fared under Nazi rule. It took time for me to develop my opinion of Elisabeth, but I will admit that my view of her changed throughout the novel.

Opposite Edith and her crew are the men of the story. Kurt von Stavenow, Elisabeth’s husband, and someone Edith knew before emerges after the war as one of the most wanted Nazi war criminals. As the story progressed and I learned why Kurt was highly sought after by the British, Russians, and Americans I decided that he is one of the worst historical fiction villains I have ever read. His actions during the war were horrendous, disgusting, and unforgiveable. During Edith’s time hunting for Kurt she meets Harry Hirsch, a Jewish man involved in clandestine activities. I fell in love with Harry’s character from the moment he was introduced. Harry and Edith’s story was a bright spot in the dark aftermath of a horrific war.

This book was so unique because of the way Rees explored the devastation in Germany after WWII. It is clear that Rees took her time to research the hardships experienced by the people left behind, as well as the impossibly difficult rebuilding efforts. Additionally, Rees added a spin on the typical spy storyline by fashioning recipes that contained coded messages passed between Edith and Dori. This was such a fun way to incorporate the culture of post-war Germany while the characters continued to engage in espionage.

I found Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook to be riveting and quite powerful. These characters are ones that I will remember for a long time after reading. I highly recommend this to any historical fiction fan, especially those of The Alice Network and The Nightingale.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for my advanced copy of this e-book. All opinions are my own.

This is one of my favorite books that I have read this year! The topic was so interesting. I have read a lot of WWII fiction but nothing about hunting the Nazis after the war ended. This book had me hooked right away, and I stayed up late every night to keep reading. I loved this book and would definitely recommend it to people who love historical fiction! I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Edelweiss, William Morrow Paperbacks, & HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

DNF @ 25%

Not sure why this one didn't work for me, because everything about the synopsis screamed "LINDSEY READ ME" - but here we are. I will probably still buy it in paperback at some point so I can give it another shot later down the line!

A book taking place in the aftermath of WWII was an interesting change of pace for my historical fiction reading. Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook is a book about what happens after the atrocity. It's a book about what the cost of justice can be. It's definitely one I would recommend for those interested in the genre.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

As an avid historical fiction fan, I enjoyed this book. It takes place right after World War 2 and gave a lot of insight into conditions in Europe after the war. It focuses on a young woman who is drawn into spying for several parties and a hunt for a notorious doctor involved in the murder of many people. Differing motives for finding him pit people and governments against each other. The book was enjoyable, but hard to follow at times with so many characters and storylines. It has a sad ending, but with a twist at the end.

This book is set after WWII. Just after the Nazi's have been defeated. Those Nazi's that survived and have gone into hiding. Trying to blend in to society in secret. These are the ones that dispelled such cruel and disturbing experiments. They are being hunted by countries that want their conclusions to those experiments. To harbor their abilities and bring them to their own experimental labs. The ones looking for them have taken on the word Spy. These are the people hired to find these Nazi's. To take them in and bring them into those countries searching for them. However, a new spy ring has infiltrated the other spies and want these Nazi's to pay for the atrocious things they did to innocent people.
Edith and Dori are these new spies. The ones that are double agents and want to find these Nazi's as to not allow them to roam free. They have to come up with a way to talk to each other without anyone else knowing a code has been determined. They create this code around a cookbook. Blending in the secret words as to not allow those outside the ring to crack the code and get suspicious of these revelations.
I think this book has a great message with intriguing, heartbreaking accuracy to the Nazi destruction of a race and culture. Not only reading about the atrocities of human experiments but seeing the rubble of the cities left behind from the war. Knowing that these women were brought in to spy and take care of the leftover Nazi's is a satisfying end to this terrible time in history. This has a great build-up to an incredible ending.
Fans of historical fiction, spy stories, love, loss, and friendship will adore this take on a different version of a WWII story.
Thanks to # Netgalley for an ARC of this story for an honest review.

An interesting book that takes place just as WW2 is ending. It chronicles the clean up required after the war as people try to find housing, food and what happened to other people. The story focuses on British, American and Eastern European spies where code is sent via recipes. The story has a nice pace that doesn’t drag. All in all an enjoyable, easy read. Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#netgalley #celliarees #harpercollins

Received ARC from NetGalley and William Morrow in exchange for an honest review...
I had an extremely hard time getting into this book. I feel part of it was because it felt like a bunch of novels that I just read all combined together: The Lilac Girls, The Lost Girls of Paris, The Alice Network... I loved those books and this one just didn’t hold up. The story was too word and I often found myself lost in the details in not a great way. I did like the use of the cookbook and that it took place after WWII and mainly dealt with Polish, Italy, Russian and Nazi doctors. I didn’t appreciate how loose the women were, this didn’t feel like feminism, it felt like not loving themselves enough and didn’t mind being passed around. Even Edith’s great love of Harry felt contrived because I felt like she always talked about Kurt or Leo or some man she was being intimate and the same goes for Dori. At times I didn’t know who’s story I was reading.
But all in all, this book kind of broke me for this time period that I love.