Book: Food of Love by Prue Leith

There is a death scene in this book that made me gasp out loud, and yet it is beautiful.

Having just read a war-time novel based in Germany, this one, based in England is not a natural next choice but as Prue Leith has the sequel out this month, I felt compelled.Plus the publisher kindly sent me both copies and this is the fastest I’ve read 400 pages in some years!There is a huge cast of characters based around two neighbouring families in the Cotswolds. There’s the Earl and Donald Oliver, the Yorkshireman, son of a mill owner. With his wife Maud, they have three children; a son fighting in the war, the other looking after their farm instead of going to university and daughter Laura. He dotes on her and delights her with his plans for her coming out balls, being introduced to society in London with a view to finding her a suitable husband. WW2 meant these plans had to be postponed and in the meantime, she fell in love with an Italian Prisoner Of War.Her father never spoke to her again and the loving young couple lives in poverty for a while in London, Giovanni working his way up as a chef and Laura waitressing. Donald continued with his business and high society ambitions without her.We get to know the extended families too but this first book, of what promises to be an epic trilogy, centres around these two couples.There is a surprising amount of promiscuity in the 1940s including sleeping with professors. But mostly it's what we would now refer to as a healthy sex life, just with better contraception and less back street abortions.I’m also amazed to learn that rations continue some years after the war. And that Prisoners of War are put to work and have to report back to base at curfew as with Giovanni, end up staying in the UK.I’m fascinated to read about how business happened in the 1940s and 50s. Quote of the book has to be from British Rail's Travellers Fare, and so, very much believable:

"Too many customers would be a problem".

The next book promises it will make me want to cook. The kitchen is far from my natural habitat although I was inspired to make bangers & mash with onion gravy from scratch while reading Food of Love. (Well, not the sausages. Or the gravy, I don’t know how to do that).As I’d received the second book already, I’d peaked the first few chapters so I already know where some of the characters go to, which gave me a little comfort when reading the scenes about loss. I’m glad I did.8/10