A surprising portrait of a culinary icon before her fame. A reimagining of Julia’s life during wartime as she is involved in espionage, danger, and unexpected romance. The story is rich in historical detail with vivid descriptions of the exotic settings. A great read.
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This novel tells the little-known story of the time Julia Child spent serving the military during WWII in Asia, as an operative for OSS.
I appreciated reading a WWII novel that takes place in a setting I had never read about before, and it was interesting to learn that such a well-known public figure had such a bold story to tell that I had never heard about.
The novel is similar to those written by Marie Benedicts: take a well-known historical figure and time period, and tell the story from the point of view of an influential woman. Diana Chambers did extensive research for this novel in order to make sure the historical context, details, and characters were accurate representations of the truth. She did admit that many of the specific events of the novel were products of her imagination.

This is a review for the audiobook production of this novel. I appreciate that the narrator used different voices and tones for all the many characters in the story, which made it very easy to keep track of which perspective you were hearing. I will admit that her impression of Julia Child was both very accurate and highly irritating, but that's my only critique of the performance (and probably not a very fair one to make).

The story was a bit slower than I would've liked, and I definitely wasn't rooting for Paul Child to be the one to win Julia over.
All in all, a worthwhile albeit lackluster WWII historical fiction. This would be worth reading/listening to if you are an avid reader of WWII historical fiction or a big fan of Julia herself, but otherwise maybe not.
3.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this audiobook in exhance for an honest review.

While Julia Child is well known for her cuisine, she also served in Asia during WWII. This is a work of fiction based on several years of research by the author. I love that this is written about everything that could have happened to her or someone that she knew. I am a newer reader to historical fiction but I fall in love with it as I read more books in the genre, including this one.

The Secret War of Julia Child offers a fictionalized look into the early life of Julia McWilliams—long before she became the beloved culinary icon Julia Child. Set during World War II, the novel follows her time working with the OSS, and it’s clear that Diana Chambers poured a great deal of research into crafting this narrative.

Unfortunately, the story didn’t quite land for me. While the premise is fascinating and rich with potential, I struggled to stay engaged. Much of the book felt bogged down with technical details and lacked the momentum or spark I was hoping for. I found myself skimming through sections, waiting for the plot to truly take off.

Though the historical research is commendable, the writing felt a bit simplistic at times, and I didn’t feel it captured the larger-than-life spirit or complexity of Julia Child—the woman we’ve come to know and admire. There’s certainly a compelling story to be told about her early years, but sadly, this version didn’t quite do it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my DRC!

Julia McWilliams, like many women in early 1940s USA wanted to do her part for the war effort. She began her career working for General "Wild Bill" Donovan in the Office of Strategic Services. Initially a file clerk, Julia wanted more; she felt she was capable of much more.

Thus begins a fictionalized look at the life Julia McWilliams Child: beginning as a Washington DC file clerk, on to India and China as head of the File Registry and then meeting her future husband Paul Child.

The book skillfully, but not necessarily believably, combines fact and fiction. I felt that some of Julia’s 21st century attitudes were out of place in the mid-20th century World War Two situations.

I’ve long admired Julia Child and I wanted to like this book more than I did. It was good, not great.

I remember watching Julia Child on PBS and wondering how she got there. Whit her humor, wit, and intelligence she was a supporting voice that almost dared you to try French Cooking because its wasn't as difficult as you thought, or feared, but because it was something you could accomplish, excellent at, and make it your own. It didn't matter if it didn't come out perfect, her show showed you hears didn't always come out either, but if you could laugh and learn and enjoy the dish you exceeded. Chamber's book gives the reader a glimpse in the wartime experiences that would play a role in shaping the woman I saw on my TV each week.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction about Julia Child and her missions she did during WW2 in China. It was such an interesting story and kept me captivated until the end.

This was a wonderful exploration into the life of Julia Child of which I was unaware. The time she spent as an intelligence officer working for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII was interesting. You are also given a glimpse into the beginnings of her relationship with her future husband, Paul Child. I loved learning about Julia’s fearlessness and her indomitable spirit. She was an intelligent woman and determined to fulfill her responsibilities … no matter how dangerous things become. This is a wonderful addition to the historical fiction genre. I strongly encourage you to put this on your to-be-read list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Adult
Espionage
Fiction
Food
Historical
Historical Fiction
Travel
WWII

. As a high school student I had learned a very little bit about her cooking career and a reference to her intelligence work during war time.I have studied WWII a far amount but my knowledge of the Pacific theater is fairly limited. So when given the opportunity to read The Secret War of Julia Child I was excited to learn more. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with this read. I gravitate towards exciting or emotional historical fictions and felt that the pacing in this book was much slower than I originally anticipated. The parts of the story meant to elicit an emotional response fell flat for me. It is clear that the author did a lot of research and put forth great effort to transport the reader to places described.

Because I was struggling to stay engaged with this book I ended up listening to the audiobook. I was very impressed with the production and performance of the audiobook. In particular I appreciated the attention to detail of having the voices fade off as indicated in the text.

I really enjoyed learning about Julia Child's experience and work during World War 2. I find it so incredible how she lived through all of those experiences before she moved into the role and life she was so famous for! She is truly an incredible person.

Boring! I thought it would be intriguing and much more interesting than it was I narrowly finished the book, I felt I owed it to her to read this story. In reality I wish it was an autobiography rather than fiction. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

I had a hard time getting into this book. Though the history and Julia Child's story are fascinating this book didn't engage me as I would have hoped.

This is the story of what may have been. Little is known about Julia Child's wartime service with the OSS in China. Diana Chambers makes it clear from the start that while she spent 10 years researching Julia Child's life, much of the book is speculation about what might've/could've happened during her wartime service, based on the areas where she'd spent time. It's a story about a woman finding herself, sure in her intellect and her ability to do her work, yet finding herself in her personal life, a 6'2" woman who didn't quite fit in with her height and her distinctive voice. She finds herself exposed to new ideas, new experiences and new and exotic foods - and to the man who would become her husband and partner in work and life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the narration by Candace Joice is excellent, not only with her voice for Julia Child (which is recognizable without becoming a cariacature) and her voices and accents for other characters in the book.
Thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Tantor Audio for providing copies for an unbiased review.

I really enjoyed The Secret Life of Julia Child!

Having seen a museum exhibit on her wartime work, I was even more intrigued by this fascinating look at her early years—long before she became the iconic chef we know today. This book sheds light on a lesser-known chapter of Julia’s life, filled with espionage, adventure, and personal discovery. Her journey from privileged Pasadena socialite to a key figure in the OSS is both inspiring and eye-opening, offering a glimpse into the experiences that shaped her into the bold, fearless woman she became. A must-read for history lovers and Julia Child fans.

Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

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

This book was very well-researched and I very much enjoyed reading about Julia Childs and her life before becoming a famous chef. For those that enjoy historical fiction, I will recommend this novel. There were aspects of Julia's life that had to be imagined by the author, which I respect to give us an understanding of a woman's mindset for that time period.

I love biographical fiction and WWII fiction. I love it even more when I get to read about events and people I haven't read about before. This book ticked those boxes and more for me.

I remember watching Julia Child's cooking show on PBS when I was a little girl but I never thought about her life before that. I became intrigued when I read a cozy mystery series where she is a secondary character and I learned that she worked with the OSE during WWII.

Julia was stationed in India and China - two places I have read little about in all the WWII fiction I've read. So it was really interesting to get to see the Pacific Theater and learn about some of the views of Japan and China at the time.

Then there are the things Julia was involved in - almost unbelievable and Chambers did take a few creative licenses as she had to fill in gaps in the historical record.

Because of the cozy mystery series (and because her last name is Child), I knew that she would eventually marry Paul, but it was still fun to see their love story unfold.

I didn't want to put this book down. Chambers writing is so engaging that I often felt like I was there with the characters.

If you haven't picked up this book yet, don't wait any longer.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/01/catching-up-on-novels-i-missed.html

How many of us grew up with a weekly dose of Julia Child quavering at us with unquestioned authority as to how to sling a meal together, how to sear meat, cut squash, stuff a turkey or sent us off with ironclad life lessons from her kitchen on public television? Not just a few of us. . .oh no, there are millions of us who have some version of Julia Child in our heads chortling, encouraging, moving us on when we are stuck (WWJCD?).

What The Secret War of Julia Child brought to me was Julia's life BEFORE all of that, before she put on her business apron and turned to all things culinary. She had a couple of entire lives before we knew her - for me it felt rather like the amazing moment I realized my own mother had a life before I landed in her lap. Who knew?!?

Diane Chambers book provided this reader (through both eyes and ears) an interesting and enjoyable fictional reimagining and fleshing out the bare facts of Julia's undercover years - where she did meet and work in service with Paul Child who changed her from a McWilliams to a Child by way of matrimonial vows. Bonus: The audiobook is narrated by Candace Joice who aces it with Julia's unique voice, Mack's Irish, and many other dialects.

*A sincere thank you to Diana R. Chambers, Sourcebooks, Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheSecretWarofJuliaChild #NetGalley

Pros: well-researched, interesting take on the well-known Julia Child before she became famous, engaging descriptions of missions and Julia's wartime work
Cons: uneven pacing (some major events are glossed over, while other, minor, moments are dragged out), while the book is well-researched, parts of Julia's personal narrative are made up and it struggles with crafting a compelling fiction narrative while using a real life figure whose story is well-known

I am a big fan of Julia Child, and I really enjoy books set in WW2. The Secret War of Julia Child was right up my alley. I found it entertaining, although I did find the cast of characters to be a bit overwhelming at times. The story was enjoyable, and I think most fans of Mrs. Child would enjoy it.

I had high hopes for this book. I haven't read much HF about WWII in the Pacific, plus I had heard that Julia Child had a fascinating backstory.

However, there were a LOT of characters in the book and that, along with all the rapidly changing locations, resulting in my having a very hard time following the story. I almost didn't finish--rare for me.

Maybe it was just this book. I would like to read other books by this author to see if they're more readable.