The only facts that I ever knew about Julia Child was that she was known for her talent as a masterful chef. That was before I listened to the audiobook of The Secret War of Julia Child by Dian R. Chambers. Little did I realize, that in her thirties, Julia made contributions to the United States as a codebreaker for the OSS during World War II. Diana R. Chambers delved into her service years, into the insecurities she had with her height and her unmarried status when she served her country in both the Pacific and in India. I enjoyed the romance that eventually embraced both Julia and Paul Child, the mapmaker, who had also been commissioned by the OSS and served along side Julia and others. I found this newly found information about Julia’s service years, her family, her goals and desires very inspiring and informative. I enjoyed learning all these new things about a woman who I thought of only as a master chef. If you would enjoy learning new aspects about the woman called Julia Child then I recommend this book/audiobook to you highly.

Thank you to Tantor Audio for allowing me to listen to the audiobook The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I knew nothing of Julia Child outside of the kitchen- to learn of her early life and how she met her husband was a treat, but the events of the war, her efforts in OSS and her operations were what interested me the most. I know this was a fictional account and that there may be liberties taken, but the story had just the right amount suspense and adventure. It set me off on wanting to know more about Julia.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Sourcebooks for the ARC of this book.

The Secret War of Julia Child is a WWII historical fiction book based on Julia Child’s (McWilliams) time spent in the OSS in the Pacific Theater during WWII, also meeting her future husband, Paul Child. This book was historical fiction based on real events and people during this timeframe.

In reading this story, it is important to realize that this is not Julia’s story but an extrapolated version of possible events that could have happened to her whilst she was on tour for the OSS during WWII in Ceylon, India and China. As long as the reader keeps this in mind, then this is a rather enjoyable read.

Julia Child is a fascinating character and any consideration to the value she played as a spy is interesting. I would have liked to have seen it more based on factual events, however, but I do understand this was a fictional basis of her time in the war.

My rating: 3.5 stars.

I have always enjoyed reading about Julia Child and exploring her recipes, so I was excited to get a copy of The Secret War of Julia Child. The book gives a very detailed look at her life before she became the famous chef, we all know her as. Julia loved a great adventure, was spontaneous and was very loyal to a cause. She first worked at a Research Facility during WWII but quickly moved up the ranks to an overseas post in Asia.
Chambers does an excellent job of researching the facts about Child so much so that I felt I got bogged down in the details and the book drug on a bit.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Everyone knows Julia Child as the famous chef, but not many people know that she worked for the Office of Strategic Services. While Julia declared that she was not a spy, she certainly played an intriguing role in WWII. This is a biographical fiction that is based on true events and facts. But not everything in the book is true, however much I wish it was.

We follow Julia from Washington where she worked as a full clerk to South Asia where she meets Paul Child. 

I loved reading about a Julia Child who didn’t know how to cook, had not experienced different cuisine, and had not yet become the icon we all know and love. I also loved reading about how she met Paul and reading the beginning of their love story. 

There is a little bit of something for everyone to love in this rich novel.

Why Jackie loves it

This book was so well-written and I could hear the voice of Julia Child in the writing. I loved the story of Paul and Julia and the only thing that would have made it better was if it was all true!

“The Secret War of Julia Child” tells the story of Julia Child’s WWII experience working for the Office of Strategic Services, America’s first intelligence agency. During this time she traveled abroad and met her future husband Paul Child.

I am a huge fan of Julia and Child as well as WWII historical fiction, and I like books that enjoy travel so I was looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately it turned out not to be for me.

First of all, from the description of the book I wasn’t sure whether I’d be reading fiction or non-fiction. It turned out to be historical fiction based on real life people. I think clearer marketing around this would have been helpful.

Also, part of the reason I was excited to read this book was book it seemed to be set abroad but Julia didn’t settle down abroad and that portion of the book didn’t really kick into gear until 20% of the way through the book. By that point it hadn’t generated enough momentum to draw me in and so I DNFd.

I think if this book had been marketed more clearly towards fans of slightly slower paced historical fiction that would have been better in helping to find the correct audience for it.

Nevertheless, I think this book could be a big hit for fans of Kate Quinn or Julia Child fans who go into this book knowing it is a fictionalized take on the first big chapter of her life.

I really enjoyed this. I love that we got to see a side of Julia Child that you don’t normally see. I had no idea the role she played in the war or what her experience was. It is very war heavy, like frontline battle heavy, but I thought it was well done and still interesting. Not too boring.

3.5 stars
This historical novel, which is very much a homage to Julia Child, tells a story about the celebrated chef's wartime journey to Southeast Asia and the work she did there for an American espionage agency. Julia McWilliams, who hailed from a blue blood California family, is thirty years old, single and working in Washington, DC as a file clerk with the Office of Strategic Services (the first centralized intelligence agency in the U.S.) during World War II. Through ambition, tenacity and top-notch organizational skills, she manages to land herself a position that will require her to travel to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to work setting up a top-secret Registry office for General Bill Donovan in the spring of 1944. Through her wartime experience in intelligence operations across Ceylon, India and China, Julia finds purpose, adventure, self-knowledge and even meets her future husband Paul Child who is a mapmaker with the OSS.

Quite a bit of research has gone into writing this novel and it is interesting in that it shines a spotlight on Second World War events that took place in Asia - primarily Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), India and China. There aren't as many WWII historical fiction novels set in this region of the world as compared to Europe and the author does an excellent job of carefully aligning the plot with actual historical events. I found the novel quite informative in that regard. Julia's adventures are entirely fiction but are skillfully tied to real events.

Very descriptive and excellent at conveying a sense of place, however, the novel is a bit slow-paced with a lot of characters to keep track of and some of Julia's exploits seem more than a little farfetched. Definitely keep in mind while reading that this is an imagined story of what Julia Child could have experienced during her wartime service in Asia based on the limited facts available about that time of her life. Julia herself always maintained that she was only a clerk during the time she served in Asia, however, it is also true that she would have signed an oath of secrecy as an employee of the OSS. The author uses that to construct a tale of espionage with Julia Child as the starring character. The Secret War of Julia Child was an enjoyable read and interesting portrayal of a woman who became a public figure after the war although I tend to enjoy historical fiction more when it's more fact-based.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for sending digital and physical ARCs of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The Secret War of Julia Child, while a work of fiction, gave so many real-life details of WWII in the areas of India and China that I had never learned of before. The author notably did her research! Also, while this was not the true story of exactly what Julia Child experienced there, it seemed that it could have, in fact, happened to her and many other women like her back in that time of history.

In this fictional story, Julia, before she was the famous chef we all know, was a woman working for the OSS during the time of war. She was sent to India to help with operations as well as spy on some of the others there. The descriptions of the settings of this story were rich and well-researched, but the story, while interesting, was a little slow in some areas and it took me longer to read at times. Even so, I recommend this book for the details of the war and the happenings during that time on foreign soil. I am sure there were many women and men who played roles in real life just like Julia in this story did, and have kept secrecy about it and are to be held in high honor as a huge part of the war effort in WWII.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Imagine it! Chef Julia Child as a spy…

First encountering Julia Child when PBS ran her cooking show as a rerun and then later spying her life’s magnum opus, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I was excited to be taken back through Diana Chambers’ artful writing style to WWII when Julia worked for America’s secret service, the OSS, and first encountered adventure and the love of her life.



Foremost, The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers is historical fiction. Chambers painted the details in color and shadow so that this was part ‘this is how it was for real’ and ‘this could have been true.’ An intriguing tale of high adventure for an unlikely heroine. I had no trouble with blending the real-life Julia Child of my mind’s eye with Chambers’ sensitive, full of joie de vivre, yet quietly intrepid younger version, Julia McWilliams.



The story begins in Washington DC when Julia is the secretary to the real-life founder of the OSS (America’s CIA predecessor) “Wild Bill” Donovan, and she dreams of becoming one of his operatives and not just a paper pusher for this war. She gets her chance when he sends her to India to set up the regional OSS office and an even more secret directive to spy on their allies, the British, to determine if they are as solid as they seem. The voyage out and first days in India are a crash course in the uncertainty of war and survival. There are transfers to exotic locales and adventures. This eye-opening first chance in the field is so much more than she expected with lessons learned coming right and left including lessons in love and relationships.



Taking its time over the course of the war in Southeast Asia, I was tantalized by her secret work, unexpected spy adventures, and Julia’s personal life which also served to showcase the perilous real life of that place and period. She was parts scared and parts shocked by conditions in the field and for those enduring war in their lands. I greatly appreciated that local flavor and the people who populated this book along with Julia’s exploits.



The Secret War of Julia Child is a brilliant star in WWII fiction and romance that readers will definitely want to pick up. As Julia would always sign off her program, “Bon Appetit!”

Wow the amount of work and research this author did is astounding and how she really brought Julia’s dynamic personality to light was incredible. Can we just take a moment to recognize Paul as the ‘greenest flag’ of men ever. Like, hello, can I marry Paul? lol. His poetry to her!!! I loved their banter and chemistry. Well done!

The Secret War of Julia Child is everything we love about historical fiction. While Diana Chambers takes some liberties with facts, she paints an immersive world around one of America’s most beloved public figures. Long before she was a household name, Julia McWilliams was a patriot, determined to serve and support the war effort. Although her height kept her from enlisting, her work ethic and meticulousness, put her at the heart of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

Scene after harrowing scene we accompany Julia and her most inner thoughts as she serves in the war office, fights for an overseas post, works as a clandestine operative and falls in love with Paul Child.
Enthusiasts of WWII historical fiction will enjoy this story that focuses on the war efforts in India, Burma and China - places that don’t get nearly as much attention as the European front.

You can’t help but fall in love with Julia’s humility, determination and adventurous spirit. I highly recommend this novel - great for young adult readers too.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Not much of the Indo-China theater of WW2 is talked about and this book was greatly informative. I’ve read other books about her relationship with Paul Child but this book delved deep into her thoughts on him and his past.

There were many action-packed moments that kept me turning the page. It will give you a different view of those cooperating in those days of American Britain intelligence gathering. I highly recommend.

*The Secret War of Julia Child* imagines the untold story of Julia Child’s early years, before she became the beloved chef. During World War II, a young and adventurous Julia McWilliams joins the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), America's first espionage agency, where she rises through the ranks to play a crucial role in the Pacific theater. The novel follows her journey from Washington, D.C. to the frontlines of Ceylon, India, and China, where she navigates intrigue, danger, and love, while unknowingly laying the foundation for the courage and independence that would later define her culinary career.

While many liberties are taken with the historical record, readers of WWII fiction will find this a compelling and unique read.

Excellent! This interesting and beautifully written novel chronicles "French Chef" Julia's time working for the OSS during World War II. Much of the novel is set in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) as Julia is tasked by Wild Bill Donovan to keep an eye on the British and on Mountbatten himself. She meets Paul Child there, but they can't stand each other when they first meet. The reader is left wondering how in the heck these two will ever get together.

Hints of the famous foodie Julia Child will become are in this book, but they are only delicious glimmers of a future the reader knows but the main character is completely oblivious to. This Julia Child is still uncertain, insecure, and dedicated solely to doing her part to win the war. This is a marvelous "prequel" to the life of a beloved figure in American culture that most of us would never imagine.

Highly recommended.

When my son was growing up, we used to play the What if?" game all the time. What if that one thing didn't happen in a story? Or what if you made a different choice on a given day or went a different direction? This book is a perfect example of this sort of thinking. An excellent blend of thorough research and strong imagination, I found this novel fascinating. The descriptions of the locations in India and China, the people, the weather, and the food made me feel like I was right there with Julia and her companions. The situations Julia found herself in were often terrifying and wonderful at the same time. While knowing that many of these situations were sheer speculation, I think the author did an excellent job of capturing Julia's personality. Some of her dithering back and forth about Paul Child was annoying at times, but I was so hooked on the storytelling that I could forgive that.

Before she became a household name, sharing her skill and love of French cooking Julia Child lived another life as a high level security OSS clerk I. The Asian theater of WWII. This fictional account, based on extensive historical research, explores Julia’s life asmidst the beauty of India and China, and the horrors of war that damaged that country. It is also here that she meets Paul Child, enigmatic map maker, who will be the love of her life and the catalyst for supporting Julia to become the famous face we know today as the French Chef!

The Secret War of Julia Child is the fictionalized version of the life Julia led prior to her becoming a national treasure on the small screen. During WWII, Julia worked with the OSS. Diana Chambers did incredible research to piece together what could have happened during that time and to create a narrative based upon that research. For me, it fell flat never really taking off. The discourse felt simplistic and did not seem to well represent the woman we know Julia Child to be. I am sure that her story could be told in an intriguing way, but this was not it for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4

I did enjoy parts of this historical fiction novel that was based on the early life of Julia Child.

It took me a bit to really get into the story but once it picked up for me I found myself really enjoying the story.

I’ve always loved reading and watching things about Julia Child so I was excited to read this book. I thought the author did the appropriate research and even though this is a fiction novel I could certainly imagine Julia Child living this story.

I liked that we got to see her relationship with Paul develop and blossom. I think that was my favorite part. However, she had some struggles throughout the book and it was interesting to experience those with her and to see how strong and resilient Julia Child was.

The Secret War of Julia Child
By: Diana R. Chambers
Review Score: 3 1/2 Stars

Yall. I went into this book with high hopes. It seemed like something that was right up my alley. Unfortunately, I really struggled to stay engaged. I also felt constantly frustrated by Julia and her lack of communication with Paul. Maybe this is just a true character trait of the actual Julia Child, but man, it drove me crazy.