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The Kitchen Front

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The Kitchen Front

By: Jennifer Ryan
Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow
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About this listen

From the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir comes an unforgettable story inspired by the true events of a BBC-sponsored wartime cooking competition.

‘A gorgeous novel about making the best of things during difficult times, whilst celebrating the importance of sisterhood and friendship’ – Jill Mansell

‘The Great British Bake Off set in World War Two . . . an enchanting hug of a novel’ – Cathy Kelly

Some wars will be fought at home . . .

Two years into the Second World War, and German U-boats are frequently disrupting Britain's supply of food. In an effort to help housewives with food rationing, a BBC radio program called The Kitchen Front launches a new cooking contest – and the grand prize is a job as the program’s first-ever female co-host.

For young widow Audrey winning the competition could be a chance to pay off her husband’s debts and keep a roof over her children’s heads. However, her estranged sister, Gwendoline, is equally set on success even if her own kitchen maid, Nell, is competing against her. And then there is Zelda, a London-trained chef desperate to succeed in a male-dominated profession - and harbouring a secret that will change everything…

 20th Century Friendship Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Fiction U-Boat Submarine

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Critic reviews

Jennifer Ryan’s wonderful ability to weave an atmospheric, wise and warm story makes The Kitchen Front entirely comforting and unputdownable. Like The Great British Bake Off set in World War Two, with redoubtable heroines you’ll cheer for, The Kitchen Front is an enchanting hug of a novel written with Jennifer Ryan’s usual skill (Cathy Kelly)

What a dream of a book! Absolute perfection! Nostalgia, rivalry, friendship and fun - a real treat.
Beautifully detailed - you will be right there with a cast of vivid characters, cooking their way to a new life.
You will LOVE it.

(Veronica Henry on The Kitchen Front)
A gorgeous novel about making the best of things during difficult times, whilst celebrating the importance of sisterhood and friendship (Jill Mansell on The Kitchen Front)
A delight! Jennifer Ryan cooks up a fresh take on the popularity of World War Two fiction and brings the battle into the heart of the wartime home. A charming blend of intriguing characters and a high-stakes cookery competition, served with the perfect amount of pathos and humour. Deserving of a historical Hollywood handshake! (Hazel Gaynor, bestselling author of The Bird in the Bamboo Cage on The Kitchen Front)
Evocative, nostalgic and comforting with a wonderful story of female friendship. A delight. (Alex Brown, author of The Secret of Orchard Cottage on The Kitchen Front)
Delightful (People magazine)
Certain to delight lovers of historical fiction and TV cooking competitions
Delightful . . . it manages to be sad and funny, exciting and heartwarming, all at the same time. Quite an achievement (Barbara Erskine on The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir)
Wonderful . . . a master of plotting and working in different registers . . . Readers with an appetite for homefront World War Two novels will find this deeply satisfying
The writing glows with emotional intelligence. This atmospheric debut, based on the author’s own family history, had me sniffing copiously (Daily Mail on The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir)
...intrigue, romance and an unforgettable cast of characters who aren’t always as they appear... a charming slice of English wartime life that warms the soul like a hot toddy (Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls on The Chilbury Ladies' Choir)
All stars
Most relevant
Enjoyed this story, lots of historical detail though though tale is probably a little unlikely. Very good narration.

Worth a credit

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Light and easy to read. A good social history based around a BBC cooking programme that ran during WW2. If you enjoy this, you would also enjoy, the Emmy Lake series which starts with ‘Dear Mrs Bird’. Women overcoming adversity during War.

Delightful, charming book

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How I loved this book, the delivery is wonderful, I thought the narrator really brought the characters alive. I’ve gone about my days listening along and feel that Nell, Zelda. Audrey and Gwendoline are now friends! Beautifully read. The rich historical detail is right up my street. I loved this so much I bought the actual book and sent another copy of to my mum! Really really loved this story.

Absorbing, engaging and enchanting

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This was a really heartwarming story and an insight into how things were for people in Britain during the war and rationing. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Heartwarming story

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The narrator was really good, great timing and really brought the story to life. Made the book easy to listen to. Occasionally though I didn’t know who was speaking as a few of the characters had the same voices.

The story was really enjoyable, I loved the way each of the participants competed and the discussion of the foods. I loved the strong thread of friendship throughout. However, as quite a few of the more light hearted books I’ve listened to there are a couple of very difficult bits. Here is your domestic violence and abuse warning.

Great narrator, enjoyable cooking story

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