Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook

A Novel

By: Celia Rees

Narrated by: Stephanie Racine

"A perfect summer read; gripping, original, well-drawn and compassionate." (Joanne Harris)

"Celia Rees is a superb writer, and this novel has one of the most irresistible and unique story hooks I've ever come across. This book deserves to be huge!" (Sophie Hannah)

A striking historical novel about an ordinary young British woman sent to uncover a network of spies and war criminals in post-war Germany that will appeal to fans of The Huntress and Transcription.

World War II has just ended, and Britain has established the Control Commission for Germany, which oversees their zone of occupation. The Control Commission hires British civilians to work in Germany, rebuild the shattered nation, and prosecute war crimes. Somewhat aimless, bored with her job as a provincial schoolteacher, and unwilling to live with her overbearing mother any longer, 30-something Edith Graham applies for a job with the Commission - but she is also recruited by her cousin Leo, who is in the Secret Service. To them, Edith is perfect spy material...single, ordinary-looking, with a college degree in German. Cousin Leo went to Oxford with one of their most hunted war criminals, Count Kurt von Stavenow, who Edith remembers all too well from before the war. He wants her to find him.

Intrigued by the challenge, Edith heads to Germany armed with a convincing cover story: She’s an unassuming education officer sent to help resurrect German schools. To send information back to her Secret Service handlers in London, Edith has crafted the perfect alter ego, cookbook author Stella Snelling, who writes a popular magazine cookery column. She embeds crucial intelligence within the recipes she collects. But occupied Germany is awash with other spies, collaborators, and opportunists, and as she’s pulled into their world, Edith soon discovers that no one is what they seem to be. The closer she gets to uncovering von Stavenow’s whereabouts - and the network of German civilians who still support him - the greater the danger.

With a unique, compelling premise, Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook is a beautifully crafted and gripping novel about daring, betrayal, and female friendship.

©2020 Celia Rees (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Good but long

I usually enjoy a long narrated boos as long as the narrator was good. In this case the narrator was very good but the book seemed extremely long. I really could have done without all the cooking recipes as they really didn’t go into detail about what they said. This was a bit that could have been cut out and still been a good book.
The ending was sad. Very unexpected. I felt like she wasn’t a very well developed character.
I guess I would recommend however not without warning.

Great Listen

The storyline was sad but well written and engaging. Worth the time to listen and absorb the story of post-war Germany and the men & women of various nations trying to "help" or "punish".

Complex story about Germany after WWII - and the allies perspectives at the beginning of the Cold War

Definitely became engaged with the major character characters in the book and found myself staying up late to know what happened next.

Provided insight into the Allies perspectives as well as the German and Austrian people. Realistic portrayal of the US, British and Russian positioning for power in Germany and the horrific, but true fact that all three countries recruited some former Nazis due to their knowledge, despite their war crimes, and allowed others to escape to South America.

The novel focuses on women’s roles in the war, both positive and negative and, in some cases, just trying to survive. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Great story. Interesting premise. Unexpected but great ending!

Loved the interwoven recipes and story (and not just for women, guys). Very well developed characters and plot.

Wonderful book

Amazing twist -love it ! The book was dynamic & kept me interested from the start. Well developed plot & characters.

Exciting, Entertaining with references to actual history

I enjoyed the book - esp where actual history was woven into the story. The last few chapters had some surprises i did not anticipate. Highly recommend book.

Amazing character acting.

The story was very intriguing. Some of the content is emotionally difficult to hear. But the truths about war should never be sugar coated. The author does a service to the victims of war by giving them a voice in this story.

Good book

Enjoyed the book and was interested in the topic. I unfortunately got lost a few times with the different characters.

Interesting with great variety

Unlike most post WW2 books, this mixes everyday life with post war military work. Not a lot of gruesome descriptions of the holocaust, but it is definitely in the background of this story. The characters are very well developed. From Edith’s naiveté to Dory and Jack’s experience at deception, each character’s personality is built up with layers of description through the book so a real connection is present for each one. The pace can be a little slow for those who are interested in action. Overall, a great listen.

Twisty and satisfying

Excellent post WWII Nazi hunt with twists. Very satisfying ending. Loved the recipe but, too.