From the Publisher
"Stella is an endearing protagonist, and Scott’s sentences fly by, with great descriptions of foods and places. Devour this one during a rainy weekend, ideally paired with several cups of tea and maybe some oatcakes." — Eater
"Buttery passages are slathered with food imagery, and Scott conjures markets, pantries, and laden tables you won’t want to leave. A sweet treat of a book." — Kirkus Reviews
"Scott takes readers on a journey of professional and personal discovery, making the novel an excellent pick for those who enjoy explorations of women’s independence." — Library Journal
"[L]ighthearted and charming...This is an easygoing historical novel about a young woman coming into her own." — Booklist
“Wonderful on nostalgia, doing things your own way and maintaining faith. I raced through it.” — Daily Mail (UK) on Good Taste
“A fascinating, immersive, and delicious treat of a book.” — heat (Book of the Week) (UK) on Good Taste
“British historian Scott’s first novel is a beautifully evocative reminder of what it means to come back from war and to face the age-old question of whether it is better to have survived or to have died. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal (starred review) on The Poppy Wife
“A dazzling intersection of romance and historical fiction.” — Popsugar on The Poppy Wife
“Scott’s bold novel, inspired by her own family history, is instantly appealing for historical fiction fans. But the timeless story of love, loyalty, and honor will have appeal for readers of all interests.” — Publishers Weekly on The Poppy Wife
Library Journal
11/01/2023
Scott (The Poppy Wife) delivers a witty and engaging novel. When struggling Yorkshire author Stella Douglas is commissioned in 1932 to write her second book, How the English Eat, she journeys across the countryside to discover the roots of English cooking. Her first book, a biography of a housekeeper and cookery expert, received good reviews but didn't sell well, so Stella is determined to make her new work more accessible and profitable. When her car breaks down in Gloucestershire, she meets the charming and handsome Freddie Langham, whose magnetism intrigues her. Since Stella's complicated feelings for her best friend Michael have been squelched by his engagement, Stella sees no reason why she shouldn't continue seeing Freddie. But as Freddie's influence over Stella's writing grows, she begins to question whether the laissez-faire approach to research he encourages is what she wants. With Michael engrossed in his whirlwind relationship, Stella faces important decisions about not only her career but also her personal life. VERDICT Scott takes readers on a journey of professional and personal discovery, making the novel an excellent pick for those who enjoy explorations of women's independence.—Lucinda Ward
Kirkus Reviews
2023-08-26
A 1930s author sets out to discover her country, her history, and her future.
Each time Stella Douglas describes what she does for a living, she takes a moment to have a bite-sized existential crisis. Stella is a food writer who has most recently been tasked with writing a history of British food. This undertaking strikes her either as overwhelmingly large—the economic depression, surfeit of imported goods, nearby rise of fascism, poor reputation of British cuisine and boosting of national morale must all be taken into account—or embarrassingly frivolous. “‘I’m realizing that I need to adjust my expectations, to accept that vol-au-vents and fashions in table napkins is as stimulating as my career is going to get,” she laments. It has been a year since Stella lost her mother and returned to Yorkshire to care for her grieving father. Her newest book provides a welcome excuse to tour various British hamlets in search of traditional fare and colorful anecdotes. In Grasmere she attempts to reverse-engineer a famous gingerbread recipe, theorizing that the biscuit contains oats, candied ginger peel, and golden syrup, “doggedness and astringency.” In her excavation of culinary history, Stella is looking to uncover not only what makes a dish British but also what it means to be British. If the ginger was imported, she worries it might not belong in her book at all. Though Stella navigates loss, romance, and friendship, her most intricately depicted relationship is with her work. Stella’s first book sold few copies, and she begins to think her historical text might be a bestseller if she tweaks some of the history. As she researches and writes, she struggles with what kind of book this will be and what kind of writer, and person, she will become as a result. Stella’s recurrent concerns grow a bit thin with wear. Still, the sleepy plot has a gentle, provincial charm. Buttery passages are slathered with food imagery, and Scott conjures markets, pantries, and laden tables you won’t want to leave.
A sweet treat of a book.
