I couldn't be more impressed with Diana R. Chambers' The Secret Life of Julia Child. Through many years of extensive research, and utilizing an active imagination, she has created a thrilling, fictionalized account of Julia Child's experience as an intelligence officer for the US Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Asia. The book is set during World War II, many years before Child's stunning success as a celebrated chef and TV host. Starting as a very efficient file clerk, Julia finally convinces her boss to allow her to take on increasingly more important responsibilities, leading her to highly challenging--and often hair-raising--assignments in India, Ceylon, Burma, and eventually China.

Reading this book is an immersive experience. I felt many times that I was there with Julia, experiencing the sights, smells, language, and culture of the places she travels for her job during WWII. It becomes more of a mission than a job for Julia, as she observes deep suffering and unlikely joy, friendship and betrayal, and spends time with many memorable characters. Some will prove loyal, while others have their own agendas.

The prose is dense, the dialogue believable, and the stories unforgettable. I truly enjoyed learning about this lesser-known part of Julia's life. It was also entertaining to read about her early days with the man who would eventually be her husband, Paul Child (she didn't care for him at all when she met him!). The author is quick to emphasize that the book is, indeed, fiction, although based on solid, detailed research, but she has succeeded in writing a suspenseful, entertaining book that will appeal to both Julia Child fans and fans of historical novels.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Thank you so much for the ARC! I thought the storyline was great and loved this topic because it was something new to me. As a fan of Julia Child I felt like I learned so much while still being able to be immersed in a novel and not a history book. I enjoyed the descriptions but I did find the writing to lack cohesiveness and it felt disjointed.

Thank you so much for the ARC! I really enjoyed this book as it had me hooked from the beginning. This was such a beautiful story and I loved the storyline. It was very well written and the description of the main characters was amazing. I cannot wait to read other books written by this author.

There simply aren't enough stars to give this stunning book. It was not at all what I expected...it was so much more and I savored every page. Julia McWilliams Child was full of surprises, like being a terrible cook! I expected a love-at-first-sight tale of when she met Paul Child but she couldn't stand him. And those pearls she always wore? I now know where she got them and why she always wore them. Julia was so much more than the world-renowned chef we know and love.

This book is a deep dive into the Forgotten War in Southeast Asia that was brutal and lasted far longer than the war in Europe. The story is action-packed as Julia sails to India with some OSS compatriots for her first overseas posting. The descriptions of the sights and smells that caused Julia's senses to explode are beautifully detailed. She continues to Ceylon where there is intrigue and treason in the intelligence community. From there she goes to Burma and finally over the Himalayas into China where the politics of Chiang Kai Shek, Chairman Mao, and the warlords complicate the allies' war plans. The writing is exquisite, with detailed observations of each country's beautiful landscapes, biodiversity, incredible culinary dishes, and the local people. Julia loved it and thrived, never settling for anything less than a life well-lived. As spectacular as the settings are, this story is character-driven with the men and women who served in the OSS during World War II in far-flung places. The author's detailed, diligent research and writing skills made reading this book a privilege. For me, a U.S. State Department Foreign Service brat whose childhood was spent in India, it felt like going home.