This is the first book that I have read by Diana R. Chambers! I enjoyed this historical fiction book about Julia Child's time in Asia for the OSS during WWII.
Okay, I always say I am done with WWII historical fiction books, but reading about Julia in Asia was too tempting.
Writing: 4.5 stars
This beautiful novel was a lovely tribute to Julia Child. Although the story was fictionalized, it was the love story of Paul and Julia Child. With both of them working in OSS in Asia during WWII, it was the means to make their love story happen.
The writing was well-written, respectful, and just lovely.
Character development: 4.5 stars
The main characters in the story were Paul and Julia Child. Both were multi-faceted, fascinating, and strong individuals. They were deeply and thoroughly developed.
The secondary characters were their many partners, adversaries, and friends in the OSS (US Office of Strategic Services), SACO (Sino-American Cooperative Organization), and SEAC (South East Asia Command). There were many, many secondary characters so these were not fully explored as the book would have been twice as long.
The tertiary characters are the locals in the various countries and other minor players in the book.
Storyline: 4.5 stars
The storyline begins with Julia in Washington, DC as the supervisor of the OSS Registry. She shows great adaptability and promise and requests a transfer to Asia to work in the field. Then the story begins, but there are a lot of spoilers along the way so I will not share much more.
The main locations were Washington, DC, India, Burma, Ceylon, and China.
Memorable/Informative: 4.5 stars
Special note: I used the glossary of WWII terms at the beginning of the book many times. It was hugely helpful while reading this novel of many alphabet agencies involved in WWII.
I loved learning about how Julia worked for the OSS during WWII in Asia. Plus, she was believed to be an OSS spy which has never been fully confirmed.
It was lovely to learn about Paul and Julia's love story and how much depth both had as individuals and as a couple.
Book cover: 5.0 stars
So pretty!!
Book title: 5.0 stars
Excellent choice!
STRONG recommend
BOOK INFORMATION
NetGalley ARC (ebook)
The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers
397 pages
Sourcebooks Landmark
Release date of 10/22/2024
INFORMATIONAL LINKS
Happy reading,
Dorothea 💜
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