The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan was a heartwarming look into the lives of four women, Audrey, Gwendoline, Nell, and Zelda, in World War II England. Perfect for fans of both the Great British Bake Off and Downton Abbey, this book follows these women as they enter into a BBC baking contest and intersect paths in the small town village of Fenton. This book was the perfect cozy read for a cold winter day, and I highly enjoyed reading about this real-life contest through a historical fiction perspective. Congratulations to author Jennifer Ryan for another show stopping book!

This is my first book by the author, and I’m a fangirl now! Jennifer Ryan writes with such assurance about the British WWII home front that the hours flew happily by as I turned the pages. This vivid narrative about a BBC-offered cookery contest makes the era come fully alive, as four women compete to win the job of co-anchor of a radio program on cooking well with rations.

I loved getting to know the competitors— a professional cook, even her snooty socialite sister, and especially the widow mired in debt, and a maid yearning for freedom — and as I immersed myself in their lives, I was awed by their struggles, and buoyed when they developed a loving support network. Real rationing recipes are included, reflecting the author’s meticulous research on home front food and life.

THE KITCHEN FRONT left me with one question, “Could I have kept calm and cooked so bravely?”

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 23 Feb 2021

Thanks to the author, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#TheKitchenFront #NetGalley

The Kitchen Front is an endearing story of friendship, community and learning to make do in difficult and sparse times. Set in the war-time British home front at the height of food rationing, the story unfolds on four women all facing their own particular trials as they try to make ends meet each in their own ways.

Audrey, Nelle, Zelda and Gwendoline begin as rival competitors for a coveted co-host spot on a BBC radio program for housewives and cooks. But what starts out as a bitter rivalry evolves into a group of women who learn the value of teamwork and collaboration.

The author has delivered a novel that is at times heartbreaking but by and large a cozy and feel-good read. In the end, it’s about female camaraderie, the endurance of the human spirit and the ways in which food brings us together.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books for a complimentary advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a story about four women, from different walks, who competed in a cooking contest during WW2 in England, determining who made the best use of wartime rations. The premise itself I was so excited for - I love any story about food, friendship, or historical fiction, so combining them was a treat.

While I read a ton of WW2 fiction, stories on the home front are few and far between, so I really enjoyed this take. I really loved learning more about how rations were used and the types of food eaten during the war. And the stories of friendship and growth were so endearing.

I didn’t love the storyline with Zelda being pregnant and deciding whether or not to keep her baby. It felt unnecessary, and incredibly judgmental if a woman does decide that children aren’t right for her. The other women essentially shamed her until she decided to keep the baby. I understand the sentiment, it was a period in history where women had to choose whether or not to be mothers or work and they couldn’t do both, and so this was meant to show that they could. It didn’t come across well to me though, and it felt really shaming to any women who the reason they don’t want kids is just that. If this entire storyline had been removed, or some better, I would have enjoyed the book a lot more.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. It was a bit slow at times and a little long, but in the end I liked the story and the characters.

For fans of WWII fiction and the Great British Baking Show. Four women compete to become the next voice of the BBC wartime radio show the Kitchen Front. The contestants must use ingredients from their household rations to create professional recipes for the contest. The novel takes place in a town south of London during the height of World War II. The four women start off as competitors each with their own urgent need to win, but by the end of the novel they have formed a support system for each other during their time of need. These women personify all levels of British society: orphaned kitchen maid for a manor house, the lady of the manor, widowed mother, and a professional chef. Great detail goes into the explanation of rationing and how to substitute other items in recipes, and the recipes are included! This was a thoroughly enjoyable novel of life on the home front during WWII. Highly recommended!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3676555586

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Having read one of this author’s previous books, The Chilbury Ladies Choir, and really enjoying it I was excited to get a copy of this book! After a bit of a slow start, the story really took off and I found myself immersed in it. The story takes place during World War II in the countryside outside of London. I think this setting allowed the author to focus on a different aspect of the war which revolves around how the war affected everyday people in their everyday lives and the daily struggle that it could be. The year is 1942 and food rationing is at its height. A local radio show decides to hold a cooking contest where the contestants must use food rations to create different dishes.....the prize being a chance to host a cooking show on the air. Four very different women enter this contest and the story revolves around them, their back stories, and how their lives become intertwined through the contest. I loved that the author included actual recipes from that time period - ones that make use of rationed food or items that were available at that time but maybe were not the tastiest.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I think it would make an excellent book club choice. Even though it takes place during a very dark and depressing time, the story itself is uplifting and the author reinforces the strength of women and their power to change.

I loved Ryan’s earlier book, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir, so I was eager to read this new novel. The Kitchen Front has a similar feel—a small English village full of women during World War II trying to keep their families and their lives together while the world seems to be falling apart, but instead of singing it’s cooking in this one. This novel is every bit as charming and delightful as Ryan’s others. Yes, there are hard experiences and heavy losses, but the ensemble cast comes together and finds a way through it all. Audrey, with her rag-tag houseful of boys and chickens is bitter yet hopeful at the same time. Shy Nell the scullery maid finds her voice, Lady Gwendoline turns out to be not as bad as everyone thought, and sassy newcomer Zelda brings some much-needed energy to the bunch. There aren’t a whole lot of surprises in this new novel, but that’s exactly what I was hoping for—a quaint English village, a cozy cast of characters, and more heroes than villains. Watch for it 23 February 2021; thanks to NetGalley for my ARC. #TheKitchenFront #NetGalley

There was a lot about The Kitchen Front that I really liked! It is set in the British homefront of WWII and you can really feel the setting because the author included a lot of historical detail. It is obviously well researched with an afterward that describes where the inspiration and recipes came from. If you’re really interested in war time cooking you could make the dishes yourself as the author included nearly all of the recipes for the food talked about in the book at the end of the chapters along with detailed instructions.

The story is thoroughly heartwarming and great if you want a cozy low-stakes read about the strength of women when they band together. In The Kitchen Front four women who are set to be rivals come together to be the best of friends and a strong support system for each other. I didn’t give the book five stars because, even though I saw it coming a long way off, I did not like how one character was manipulated into making a decision by her new friends and the final scenes were a little heavy handed in extoling the powers of friendship.

The Kitchen Front was a delightful read. This World War 2 home front story set itself apart by layering the story of a baking competition with well-developed personal stories, and a strong message about the power of community and friendship.

In the Kitchen Front, Zelda, Audrey, Lady Gwendoline, and Nell all need to win a cooking competition to escape from their lives. Zelda is unwed and pregnant; Audrey is widowed and about to lose her house; Lady Gwendoline is trapped in a dangerous marriage; and Nell is trapped downstairs. Yet as they compete for a role on the radio and a way out of their situations, they realize that what they can offer each other may be their real saving grace.

Jennifer Ryan did a wonderful job of bringing her characters to life and providing each with a well-thought out and engaging personal story. This book was heartwarming and successfully transports the readers to another time and place.

This is the perfect read for our times, and a reminder that as difficult as life may get, friendship will keep us afloat.

Four women are competing to be on the radio to co host a cooking show about how to stretch your rations in WWII England. Not just any four women; four interconnected flawed women. Perhaps they are victims, perhaps they are villains. This lovely book blurs the lines so beautifully and shows the importance of family and how family is what you create even more than what you are born into. If you enjoyed Jennifer Ryan's "The Chilbury Ladies' Choir," you will love this book. It starts a little slow with some unlikeable characters, but the story turns on its head and draws you in for the finish. The book includes the recipes used by the characters which is a nice touch, but I won't be cooking any of these. They just make me realize how fortunate I am to have a modern kitchen, supermarket, and no rations.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Food rationing and learning to be creative with what is available to eat is the premise for the Kitchen Front BBC radio show in this WWII historical novel.
The novel centers on four women who enter The Kitchen Front ( title of the novel) contest. The winner will become the cohost of the radio show. This would be a life changer for each of these women.
This is a story of love, loss and most of all friendship. I found this novel both compelling and informative. The characters were well developed and believable.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine books for the opportunity to read this wonderful novel.

A wonderful look at women in England's life during World War II. Incompassing 4 women from very different backgrounds and social classes, they gradually form a bond through food. Based on the actual BBC radio program The Kitchen Front, the book also provides a fascinating look at cookery during this difficult period of food shortages. I loved this book from page 1.

A really riveting story of four women in a small village during the war. Competing with each other to be on a radio show they find friendship and companionship. This was a really great read. A must!

Just lovely! Jennifer Ryan continues to produce wonderful historical fiction. The Kitchen Front follows the lives 4 women struggling through various circumstances during WWII England. They already have bonds between them but they are strengthened when they enter a radio competition for the BBC. Perfect for fans of WWII historical fiction, fans of strong female characters and friendships, and fans of food centered fiction. Wonderful characters who learn to help each other and thrive during difficult circumstances. Grab a cuppa and settle in!

"Food rationing in Britain began in 1940...During the war, a wealth of culinary tips, techniques, and quick fixes helped housewives and cooks with rationing problems".

"The 1940's Experiment
Frugal Wartime Recipes to See You Through Challenging Times!"

"Bubble and Squeak-No-78-The 1940's Experiment
Bubble and Squeak was typically a dish used to use up leftovers. There is no right way to cook it except that it has to have mash potato in it (it holds together all the leftover veggies) and you fry it in a pan until it just starts to brown on the edges. Cabbage seems to be a popular ingredient...as does onion...leftover diced sausage or bacon (or vegan alternative). The "squeak" gets its name from the squeaking sounds emitted as the mash and vegetables are pushed down with a spatula to brown in the hot frying pan".

Established in 1940, the BBC radio program The Kitchen Front was "a daily show sharing wartime recipes and cooking tips with housewives and cooks". Contests, popular in WW II Britain, provided "free entertainment-diverting minds and spirits away from the horrors of war". The producers in charge of the Kitchen Front determined that the show needed a woman's touch to co-present, along with regular presenter Ambrose Hart. The goal was to share recipes and cooking tips to manage rations while 'making do' and 'waiting' for those fighting at the front to return home. "A wartime cooking challenge... [to] raise morale and give the papers something good to write instead of all the battles we are losing". A local contest in Fenley, 15 miles south of London, drew four competitors. Each contestant would have to present a starter, a main course and a dessert. The winner would join Ambrose Hart on the radio show. Who were the contestants?

Mrs. Audrey Landon, widow, lived in a dilapidated mansion with a roof in ill repair. Her debts were massive. Clothed in a man's sweater tucked into man's trousers, often in muddy boots from gardening, she baked...cakes and pies, earning extra pennies to support her three sons. Lady Gwendoline Strickland, Audrey's younger sister, was prim, smug and self-important. She "...yearned to be adopted into the higher circles...had joined the ranks of posh home economists to boost her status.." Her husband's influence had landed her the position of Fenley's billeting officer....his motto...rules are for fools". Nell Brown, an orphan, was mentored by Mrs. Quince, the manor house cook at Fenley Hall. According to Mrs. Quince, Nell has a "keen perception for taste..." Mrs. Quince wanted to "train her up". "I've always fancied becoming a Land Girl [says Nell] it's hard work, farming, but it would be nice to be outside, back with nature". Miss Zelda Dupont, a deputy head chef in London was now forced to go to a local conscription office. She needed an urgent evacuee spot near her assigned job at the Fenley Pie Factory. "She loathed being here...in the country with these simpletons". Unfortunately, she had to hide her pregnancy to participate in the cook-off as well as keep her job.

"Winning the war isn't only about young men fighting on the frontline. it's about the homefront, too, and how we can stay strong for them through all the shortages and rationing". "The Kitchen Front" by Jennifer Ryan introduces the reader to a well detailed ensemble of characters, especially a group of determined, competitive and resourceful women. Author Ryan sheds light on rationing, billeting of evacuees, women's conscription, the plight of the unwed mother, Land Girls, POW's as farm workers and the dreaded "telegram". This captivating work of historical fiction is highly recommended.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The setting: WWII. Fenley, UK. "..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."

Sweet and heartwarming [though thankfully not too treacly] and just what I needed after a thriller with psychopaths. And, as I loved The Chillbury Ladies' Choir, I looked forward to this read. Ultimately, the power of women and friendship.

Four women: two sisters at odds with one another--Audrey, a war widow with three young sons and limited means in living in a falling-apart house, Lady Gwendoline, residing in a grand manor house also is a presenter for the Ministry of Food's many suggestions--a position she lofts above the other women. Nell, a young, orphaned scullery maid at the manor house. Zelda, a pregant unmarried woman who wants to be a chef for a great London restaurant.

For the contest, the women must present three courses using rationed ingredients. The format rotates between chapters devoted to each of the women. And their recipes are presented--faux ingredients and substitutes abound. And thankfully, gardens are put to full use.

Many of the trajectories were predictable from the start but I didn't care.

A couple of great descriptions:

"... her air was one of high efficiency."

"He shoveled a forkful of kipper into his mouth, which hovered open to receive it not unlike a fish itself."

I learned that cicely is an herb belonging to the parsley family.

If you are in the mood for an easy read, this fits the bill.

And, I think this would make a great movie!

The Kitchen Front is a look at life on the home front in a British village during WWII. I’ve read more than a few historical fiction novels about this era and always admire what citizens did to serve their country during wartime. If living in England during this time wasn’t challenging enough, our four main characters have that and then some. Two women, sisters at odds with each other since childhood, a young maid who thinks life outside of servitude has to be better, and a young pregnant and single woman who relocates to the village, all find themselves in a cooking competition that could be life changing. The winner’s prize is becoming host of a BBC radio cooking show. Yes, there are recipes included! Jennifer Ryan’s novel will appeal to fans of historical women’s fiction. I adored her novel The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir a few years ago. The Kitchen Front is different but similar in setting and era. I appreciated the information shared in the author’s note at the end where Ryan describes the inspiration for her novel.

Jennifer Ryan has done it again. Her first two books, The Chilbury Ladies Choir and The Spies of Shilling Lane, took familiar topics and twisted them in a unique way. The Kitchen Front, a story of a BBC cooking contest during World War 2, demonstrated the lengths British women had to go to to feed their families during wartime and with limited rations. Ryan also showed how the social structure in England was beginning to change with less of a rigid division between classes. At its' heart, this was the story of 4 women who became unlikely allies and friends.
I was provided with an advanced digital copy of this book but opinions expressed are my own.

This book resonated with me for several reasons. I do remember my grandmother telling me about the rationing in this country, and to some extent the effect it had on my family. However, I can't imagine the rationing being as bad as it was in England. How very imaginative and creative housewives were then.
The meals were interesting, but the real story is of the grit and determination of these four women, who ultimately became friends by working together despite their differences. A heartwarming and poignant story.

Ryan takes another facet of wartime Britain and uses it to spin a fast-paced, interesting book. that could be called the Great WW2 Cooking Contest. This time she moves from choirs and spies to the difficulties of cooking a meal during severe rationing. The action takes place in a small village where the BBC host of a radio program, The Kitchen Front is living and broadcasting from. The idea for a cookoff takes the village by storm and the book's main characters compete for the prize of being a BBC broadcaster. The individual stories of the four main characters are related along with their contest entries.
Kitchen Front was a real show established in 1940 that encouraged women to share wartime recipes and cooking tips. That makes the book especially interesting. Recipes are included and some of them will make your stomach churn - for example, sardine rolls and Spam and game pie!
Although the book centers around cooking the message is about coming together to help one another and the power of women's friendship. It's an entertaining and heartwarming story.