The Kitchen Front

Jennifer Ryan is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. I was delighted to be able to read an advance copy of her latest book, The Kitchen Front, and I'm happy to report that it's another winner. The book is well-written and has an interesting cast of characters. The focus on food rationing during the war and the lives of women then was educational and extremely interesting to me. I thought the book brought that period of time to life, and I got completely absorbed in the lives of the characters. With quarantining during the pandemic, I found I could relate to their circumstances even more. I found myself wishing I had planted a garden when it first began to be more self-sufficient. I think book groups would enjoy discussing this book. I highly recommend it and look forward to Ryan's next book.

As a Jennifer Ryan fan, I was eager to read "The Kitchen Front." Her earlier book, "The Chilbury Ladies' Choir" reminded me very much of another historical fiction favorite, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." I was expecting that "The Kitchen Front" would be similar to these books. This latest novel is great, but it was a bit different.

"The Kitchen Front" follows the lives of four very different women: an orphan, a widowed mother, an unhappy society wife, and an unwed mother-to-be who is also a trained chef. The story takes place during World War II in a small village outside of London. War time rationing is in effect and finding ways to cook delicious food is a serious challenge. The four women come together because they are all competing to be on a BBC radio cooking show.

Throughout the competition, the friendships between the four women deepen as they help each other through different challenges. The story is really about their friendships and the power of community. While there are some love interests thrown in, "The Kitchen Front" reminded me most of some of the famous books about female friendships and food in the American South - Fannie Flagg's "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" or "Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood" by Rebecca Wells.

"The Kitchen Front" includes recipes for all for all of the recipes, although I can't say I wanted to try all of the ration-based foods! The book tells a good story set during an interesting period in time. Fans of Jennifer Ryan, historical fiction, or stories about strong female friendships will enjoy this read. It kept me engaged and blessedly helped me pass the time during this quarantine!