The Kitchen Front

 The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan  406 pages

Summary from Goodreads: Two years into WW2, Britain is feeling her losses; the Nazis have won battles, the Blitz has destroyed cities, and U-boats have cut off the supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front is putting on a cooking contest--and the grand prize is a job as the program's first-ever female co-host. For four very different women, winning the contest presents a crucial chance to change their lives.

For a young widow, it's a chance to pay off her husband's debts and keep a roof over her children's heads. For a kitchen maid, it's a chance to leave servitude and find freedom. For the lady of the manor, it's a chance to escape her wealthy husband's increasingly hostile behavior. And for a trained chef, it's a chance to challenge the men at the top of her profession.

These four women are giving the competition their all--even if that sometimes means bending the rules. But with so much at stake, will the contest that aims to bring the community together serve only to break it apart? 

And here's what I thought:  I liked this story, although some of it was pretty predictable (which was perfectly fine). Basing this on historical fiction, my curiosity was piqued at times and it was fun to look up some details so I was broadening my knowledge, along with enjoying the story. Having some recipes included added an extra interesting detail to the book --- although I will not be trying any of them soon. But, really seeing examples of wartime recipes brought to life what it was like for people to ration, or be creative with food, all in the name of being a good citizen. I did feel there was good character development in the story (even if some of it was predictable) and the pace moved the story along smoothly. I can see a re-read of this book at some point, just because I liked it enough to want to revisit it.