The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

The Kitchen Front is a heartwarming/heartbreaking story about a group of women during World War II in England who are from different classes in life. But one thing is for sure, no matter what your rank, pain, loss, abuse and trying to make ends meet will somehow unite most. Each of these women will try and make a change to their lives first by themselves but then with the help of each other.

This will happen when each of the women hear about a BBC cooking contest in which the winner will the assistant on a famous radio show called The Kitchen Front. The contest consists of participants to create dishes only using the rationing coupons given to them by the State. But to these women this could be their chance to get out of the horrible situation they each find themselves. The participants are:

Audrey, the mother of three young boys who lost the love of her life in the War. He is missing in action and presumed dead. She lives in a large decaying house she can’t afford and in order to make ends meet she sells vegetables from her garden and bakes and delivers pies to people and companies. She has a love/hate relationship with her sister, Lady Gwendoline, who loaned her money after her husband’s death but holds this over her head. Exhausted, scared and sad, she is talked into entering the contest.

Lady Gwendoline, married to Sir Strickland, a nasty man who treats her terribly, is bored. She decides to enter the contest on a whim, knowing she will win as her husband will make sure she does. She hates her sister Audrey because she is jealous of the relationship she had with their mother. Lady Gwendoline’s joy is making Audrey as miserable as possible.

Nell is the cook at Fenley Hall, the residence of Lady Gwendoline and Sir Strickland. Under the watchful eye of the head cook, the elderly Mrs. Quince who has taken her under her wing and treats her as if she was her daughter, Nell has flourished. But being an orphan at a very young age she has never been outgoing and is quite meek. But with Mrs. Quince’s help she decides to enter the contest.

And last but not least, there is Zelda. A feisty cook from London who was a rising chef but was banished to this small town. She works at Sir Strickland’s food company. Winning this contest could be her ticket back to London and make her famous as the first woman head chef. But Zelda has a secret.

So as these four women work against each other, they will be judged by a point system on a four-course meal, one course each month, with the person with the most points winning. Sounds simple right? But of course, these women not only have to prepare their courses, but live their lives. As we learn of their hardships and fall in love with each of them, how can the reader choose, let alone the judge?

But as we follow each of their stories you will discover their strengths and weaknesses and their loyalty to others but more importantly to each other. At a certain point the contest becomes the lesser problem as the women unite to encourage and help each other and form an unbreakable bond.

The Kitchen Front was an enjoyable and pleasant read with recipes at the end of each chapter from decades ago which will intrigue and delight the reader.