Review: Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook

Title: Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook

Author: Celia Rees

Publisher: 22nd July 2020 by HarperCollins AU

Pages: 464 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

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 school teacher, and unwilling to live with her stuffy genteel parents any longer, twentysomething Edith Graham applies for a job with the Commission—but is instead recruited by the OSS. To them, Edith is perfect spy material…single, ordinary-looking, with a college degree in German. And there’s another thing—the OSS knows that Edith’s brother went to Oxford with one of their most hunted war criminals, Count Kurt von Stabenow, who Edith remembers all too well from before the war.

Intrigued by the challenge, Edith heads to Germany armed with a convincing cover story: she’s an unassuming schoolteacher sent to help resurrect German primary schools. To send information back to her OSS handlers in London, Edith has crafted the perfect alter ego, cookbook author Stella Snelling, who writes a popular magazine cookery column that 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 Stabenow’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.

My Thoughts

‘... the fear that still held sway here, of hidden forces under the surface. Like they ’re afraid of something. As though the people we’re looking for still have influence and power.’

I initially picked up this book as, being a lover of historical fiction, it was of post WWII and the onset of the Cold War. I had not read much about this time period. Little did I realise the epic journey I would be taken on. This is a definite stand out book for me in 2020!

This is such a well written piece of literature that ticked so many boxes for me and an ending that totally swept me off my feet. Celia Rees has certainly done her homework here and produced a most memorable tale. On the surface this may appear your usual run-of-the-mill spy novel but the depth of research, plot and character arcs in this story is quite remarkable. There really was not that much about recipes - this was just a way, I believe, to demonstrate the ‘normalness’ of the lead character,  Edith. What a character she was - more of that in a moment. This is a tale of spies, deception, political intrigue, poverty and reconstruction. The range of characters is so well done that the reader is really unsure of who to trust.  Post war Germany was graphically presented from the weather, to the food, to the swelling underground of Nazis wishing to escape Europe. Into this network of war criminals and Russian/British/American sectors, throw in an innocent and honest lead character of Edith. 

"Lessons were conducted in the only room fit for habitation; the only room with any heating. An old iron stove stood in the corner; a small pile of fuel next to it, a few cobs of coke and coal, the scattering of sticks little more than kindling. The room had no ceiling. What little heat there was went up into the rafters.  The children and staff worked bundled in coats and scarves.’  

Edith is quite a remarkable woman. Thought to be a spinster with life having passed her by, off she goes to help reconstruct schools in Germany. Her honesty and determination to do the right thing is selfless yet worrying - but not detrimentally so to the story. It’s who she is.  Edith is supported by experienced operatives who are guiding her. You become so invested in her journey that she will without doubt stay with you long after you have turned the last page. Yet, this is not a ‘one woman’ show and Edith is surrounded by friends and foes on all sides and this truly sheds a light onto war torn Germany and Europe. The writing is so well done that from Jack the chauffeur, to Dori the former spy - you become invested in not only their individual stories but the collective joint venture in the fight for retribution. 

‘She should stop this spying. She wasn’t cut out for it. Escape from its spreading, tenebrous shadow. Meddle no more. She covered her face with her hands, tears leaking through her fingers for two young women stretched out in the morgue who might well be there because of her.’

Celia has written of locations savaged by war that it is absolutely haunting.  The crumbling buildings, the masses of refugees, the daily struggle against disease, shelter and malnutrition. These desolate passages leap off the pages and you feel the seemingly helplessness of the situation. Then there is the central plot - hunting down Nazi war criminals. Men and women who you can’t believe would treat their fellow human beings in that way. Celia lays their crimes out for you to shake your head at in disbelief with the pain and heartbreak palpable. The research here is evident and it lends utter credibility to this fictional tale.

“All this was going on and we knew it. It was just another thing, among so many things, that one tried to ignore, to turn a blind eye. What could we do? Nothing. That’s what we told ourselves. There weren’t that many Jews in our area. When they disappeared, moved to the east to work, we half believed it. The Gypsies? They just didn’t come any more. It is easy to compound a lie by lying to oneself. Easy to ignore the truth, until it arrives at your door.” 

The ending ... well, I can’t say anything ... but it’s like watching something in slow motion and you can’t believe it is happening. There are many books about WWII but I love the fact that this one has a different focus on post war and sheds light on clearing up after the devastation. I cannot recommend highly enough how exceptional I found this book to be and if this topic in any way appeals to you then it is a definite must read. 

‘There’s less and less appetite for bringing these people to justice. Too time consuming and expensive. The new policy seems to be to use them against the Russians or let them slither away. All this War Crimes stuff is being “discouraged”.’  "That’s more or less what McHale said. No one’s interested in going after them any more, punishing them for what they’ve done."

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.