The Kitchen Front cover art

The Kitchen Front

A Novel

 Preview

Audible Standard 1-month free trial

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo + applicable tax after 30-day trial. Cancel Anytime
Try for $0.00
More purchase options

The Kitchen Front

Written by: Jennifer Ryan
Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow
Try for $0.00

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $28.19

Buy Now for $28.19

From the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir comes an unforgettable novel of a BBC-sponsored wartime cooking competition and the four women who enter for a chance to better their lives.

Two years into World War II, 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 holding 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 competition would present 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 a 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 only serve to break it apart?


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF that contains recipes from the book. 20th Century Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Women's Fiction Marriage
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

What the critics say

“A charming tale that will satiate a lot of different tastes: historical fiction lovers, cooking competition fans, anyone who revels in girl-power lit. . . . . This story had me so hooked, I literally couldn’t put it down to cook.”—NPR

“Positively delicious . . . Ryan excel[s] at creating warmhearted, intriguing homefront drama.”—BookPage

“A delightful read.”—AARP

“A positively uplifting read that is as soothing as a warm cup of Earl Grey on a gloomy morning.”—Booklist

“[Ryan is] a master of plotting and working in different registers . . . Readers with an appetite for homefront WWII novels will find this deeply satisfying.”—Publishers Weekly

“A creative and satiating novel. Certain to delight lovers of historical fiction and TV cooking competitions.”—Kirkus
All stars
Most Relevant
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I felt the narrator brought the story to life. Reminded me a bit of Maeve Binchey novels about everyday life told through the interwoven stories of each character.

Lovely story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great, lovable characters. Interesting facts about rationing and dietary substitutions. This was just a pleasant, believable story of women's strength and the joy of friendship.

Heartwarming

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very well written and narrated. It was so good I couldn’t stop listening! It was a book club recommendation, but really I would endorse as a read for anyone.

The Kitchen Front

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Having said that, I gave this book five stars. I love this period of history and am so inspired by the tales of “getting by”. The ingenuity and creativity of these folks is unmatched even, sadly today. Wonderful tips and tricks and incredible recipes. The narrator was absolutely on point. This was a great read!

Just the tiniest bit cheesy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I really enjoyed this inspiring historical tale of friendship and perseverance and teamwork, combined with some interesting information about cooking and food.

Inspiring

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews