4.5/5 Stars.

My regular readers already know how much I like a good women’s, historical, biographical fiction story, especially when the woman is one about whom we know little to nothing. However, if there’s a sub-genre of this that is also fascinating to me, it is stories about famous women, but that delve into parts of their lives that isn’t part of their better-known history. This book is one of these stories. Although most of us know Julia Child as The French Chef on public television, and the woman who wrote “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” most people don’t know what she did during WWII and how she met her husband, Paul. This novel is here to fill in those gaps, to a fairly good extent. Obviously, I would have asked for any book about Julia Child, because my sister and I watched her show on TV diligently, so getting this was just more icing sugar dusting on that torte!

Now, I have to admit that I wasn’t really sure about how the relationship between Paul and Julia was portrayed here. A few things here felt out of character for them both. For example, I wonder if their initial early beginnings were as angst ridden as some of this book seems to suggest. From watching the whole of The French Chef, multiple times, on TV (and yes, I know, the television persona isn’t always the same as the person), and from what I’ve read about her, I get the idea that she wasn’t quite as emotional, nor as self-depreciating as we see her here. That said, I’m sure that when she was younger, she had less confidence, and maybe a touch more excitable than the older woman I witnessed in the 60s and 70s. Even so, with all the adventures that Chambers describes here, it seems to me that maybe Chambers went just a bit too far, making Julia seem younger than her 30+ years, by adding extra timidity and sentiment. As for Paul, I wonder if he was as aloof towards Julia as Chambers seems to portray him.

But that really doesn’t matter, because what matters more is that the way Chambers shows how they worked together on their various missions. This really does ring true of the couple, at least from what I know of them. Obviously, their attraction grew throughout this time, since they married in 1946, after the war had ended. They made a real team, and Chambers shows how they not only got along well, professionally, but also emotionally. I very much enjoyed watching their relationship develop, and I think Chambers did a lovely job with this.

However, what Chambers really got right was the pacing and tension when it came to these missions. There were several times while reading this book that I was practically on the edge of my seat, and some of the events got my heart racing. Of course, I knew that Julia and Paul would survive them all, (I mean, we all know they made it out safe and sound) but there were scenes here were it felt like it wasn’t any foregone conclusion that they would get through it all. Furthermore, these arena of battle during WWII are ones I know little about, so I also got a fascinating history lesson. This is why I’m recommending this book with a solid rating of four and a half stars out of five, and its perfect for people who like some action with their historical fiction, and are looking for something about WWII that doesn’t take place in Europe. If so, to quote Ms. Child from later on in her life, “Bon Appétit!”

An exceptional and well researched work of historical fiction. The author gives a wonderful and detailed look at the lesser known parts of Julia Childs life.
Hailing from Pasadena, the tall,towering Julia went on to serve in espionage of all things during World War Two. This novel covers all her adventures and wartime experiences ,even as she met and ending as she became engaged to now husband,Paul.
What a fascinating telling of this wonderful woman,and although a work of fiction,it gave us very real insight into her life. I enjoyed this immensely and highly recommend it to anyone who loves good fiction,history and Julia Childs.
Thank you to Sourcebook for a copy of this book.

I think this book did a good job of getting me interested in Julia Child outside of cooking, but the narrative is missing pieces that make it flow and tell a full story. There are lot of characters to keep track of, and some of the writing is sloppy and juvenile.

Julia McWilliams Child was truly a chameleon. She could adapt to so many different environments and more than that excel! I loved reading Diana Chambers' fictional story. I learned some news things and really enjoyed the writing style!

A wonderfully interesting and well-written novel. I had no idea that Julia Child had even been in WWII, never mind being in clandestine services. I know that it is a work of fiction, but the author did so much research and the story is so captivating that I found myself wondering about all of Julia's time during the war, and what was fact and what was fiction. She does meet her future husband Paul Child during the war and we do know that she had no interest in being a chef at that time. I found it all fascinating. She was also a tall woman which caused some concerns for her and she was very determined to make her mark in the world. I'm interested now in reading even more about her life and I can't wait to read something else by the author. I really enjoyed her descriptions of India and China as well as her characterization. Masterfully done.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance copy and a chance to give my honest review.

In reading The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers, it was obvious that the author had done a great deal of research. The book begins in Washington DC, and takes the reader through Julia’s OSS journey all the way to China. The story is immensely interesting, and though the author took a few liberties with actual events, it is a compelling and page turning story. We encountered double agents, Lord Mountbatten, a wounded Indian soldier who had escaped the Burma Railroad and Japanese soldiers just to name a few. If you have a love of Julia Child (I do), you will likely enjoy this book. Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of this book.

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

This was my first book by Diana Chambers. The Secret War of Julia Child is an enjoyable fictional account of a lesser known period of a very well known and admired Julia Childs. The story while imagined is very well researched. It was very intriguing to watch how Paul and Julia Childs may have met while serving their country in Asia during WWII.

I recommend this book for fans of historical fiction, especially WWII on the Pacific front.

Thanks NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Sourcebooks for an advanced copy of The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana Chambers. One of the things I love about Julia Child is that she worked for the OSS during World War II so I was excited to see this historical fiction about her time with the OSS.

Unfortunately, I struggled a bit with this one for two reasons. I can tell the author did her research -- the beginning of the book states this is a work of fiction inspired by her admiration of Julia Child and is only a story but I feel like this was so fictional, that it was hard for me to really get past that aspect. The other is the writing style - I was bored through most of the book, especially for all of the things that happened. Plus the romance between Julia and Paul was not convincing at all.

I did like that I learned about areas of the war I didn't know as much about in the Pacific with Ceylon (Sri Lanka), India and China. If you can read this book as a fiction you might enjoy it.

The Secret War of Julia Child comes out today.

This is a fascinating historical fiction novel based on true events in Julia Child's life. I had heard that she was involved in the war effort. However, I would have never expected the roles she played. The descriptions of her travels are very detailed and seem thoroughly researched. Sometimes so many details did cause the trajectory of the story to slow down; they needed to be tightened up a little more.

The author has a wonderful way of having Julia Child's personality shine through the story while telling her life before she became the Julia Child we know and love.

Fans of Julia Child will enjoy this look into her life "before". Many thanks to #Netgalley and #SourcebooksLandmark for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! What a shockingly brilliant book about a celebrity chef I heard all about growing up. Imagine my surprise when I discovered she had been a spy for the OSS and ended up in the Asian theater during WWII.

The detailed narrative contained many surprises, particularly the scenes depicting her initial disdain for Paul Child, whom she later married. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The book is captivating, filled with adventure, spycraft, and plot twists. The dialogue is so believable that I felt like I was in the makeshift huts alongside Julia and her colleagues. I found the characters relatable and appreciated the vivid settings. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing the transition of Julia and Paul's relationship from a slow burn to passion, which made the experience of finding romance in such circumstances feel like the stuff dreams are made of. As I read, I felt like a WWII spy working for Wild Bill Donovan.

I can’t say enough good things about this novel. Five stars all the way around. Pick up a copy. Get lost on a rainy weekend and join the Greatest Generation in a tale of life as spies serving the OSS in the China, Burma, and India theater during WWII. Put on the kettle, get the vino and snacks, and relax in your favorite reading spot. Enjoy.

I want to thank Diana R. Chambers, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC for free. This review is mine and mine alone.

This novel imagines the transformation of Julia McWilliams, a single 30-year-old Pasadena socialite, from a file clerk to the head of the secret File Registry for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Her wartime espionage takes her to remote Asian frontlines where she finds purpose, self-discovery, adventure—and love with mapmaker Paul Child.

This book was a fun read, although it started to get repetitive with Julia bouncing from one disaster to another. I wish it had been written as a series rather than a single book. There’s enough plot here for four books, which would have allowed more space to develop the characters and relationships. As it is, this reads more like an adventure novel than the women’s fiction I was expecting from the early chapters. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Before she was the JULIA CHILD and taught millions of Americans the art of French cooking, Julia McWilliams worked for the OSS during WW2 in India, Ceylon and China. This is a fictional account of her WWII spying and captures her feistiness, her intelligence and her incredible instinct for capturing traitors. It is a fantastic WW2 story. Diana Chambers does an excellent job of describing each exotic location. Treat yourself by reading this book especially if you are fan of Julia Child.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark paperback for an early read in exchange for a fair review. I really enjoyed this book.

I received a copy for review purposes; all opinions are honest and mine alone.


Even tho’ I took the time to read the author’s note prior to starting the book, it wasn’t enough to prepare me for the amount of fictionalization author, Diana R. Chambers, foisted upon THE SECRET WAR OF JULIA CHILD.

It’s clear Chambers did a massive amount of research for this project. Unfortunately, she tried to fill in too many gaps and blow the story up to Gone With the Wind proportions; neither technique worked. All of the expansion caused a large cast that was difficult to keep sorted Add to that the need for relationships, plots, subplots, etc. and the entire construction became hyperbole. Julia was more of a super spy in a Marvel Universe adventure than an OSS head file registry clerk in a clandestine, WW2 spy station. Seriously, her abilities at thwarting death became laughable.

When it takes me 10 days to read a book, that’s not good. I’m wondering where the editor was. The subject and storyline has great potential; rough execution.

I just had to read this book. As a fan of Julia Child, of food and cooking, of recipe books this one really did grab my attention and I am so glad I read it. And wow.... What a reveal of a little known history of a well known woman. This book took my on the journey of Julia Child and brought to life how she became the person, woman, celebrity she is.

This is such and interesting read and once I got started I just couldn't stop. It is all very interesting and intriguing, This brings out all the secrets of Julia Child's past, it is a book that will astound you and amaze you. Well researched and well written I enjoyed this book for the historical aspect as well as finding out more about the life of this well known woman.

My only complaint is that there were so many people in this book I lost track of some of them. It was hard to keep them all in a line and rememebr them. But other than that it is a great read.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Julia Child most everyone knows from cooking and it is interesting to learn she was never a good cook in her early years but still she learned. Little known maybe Julia Child as a spy, giving back to her country and risking life and limb in her pursuit to assist the cause. This novel takes the reader on a world tour following Julia and her travels to assist in World War II. 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 intrigue and treason are brewing 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 unique men and women who served in the OSS in far-flung places during World War II. The author's detailed, diligent research and superb writing skills made reading this book a privilege. The book is a very interesting and well-researched window into the Allied war years in India, Ceylon, and China. I did feel the story lagged a little bit at times and I found myself loosing interest and had to push myself back into the book. My thanks to NetGalley, the author and Sourcebooks Landmark.

Fans of Julia Child, famous chef and TV personality, will be intrigued by this just released historical fiction novel, “The Secret War of Julia Child,” by Diana Chambers. From an imaginative childhood growing up in Pasadena, California, this tall gawky young woman found her way to Washington, D.C. and became a documents supervisor and then an “asset” in the newly formed OSS. This fascinating story tells of her experiences in the Southeast Asian Command, out of Delhi, India. Her intellect and spirit of independence there gave her the confidence to excel in her endeavors—it was said, “The war made her.”
I enjoyed learning about her journey in the wartime and post-wartime years. The author’s skilled prose especially shines as she describes the Asian locales, culture, and food that Julie experienced.
As the author says, this well-researched volume is her “personal interpretation inspired by her admiration and respect” for Julia Child. This is a perfect read for those who are curious about the earlier years of her life and wartime experiences that informed her later success!

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

For as much action is described in this book and as many spy adventures as Julia Child has, this book comes off as dull. There are so many people and places to keep track of that it is a big jumble and my mind wandered frequently, making it more difficult to follow. This had a great premise but it didn’t quite deliver for me.

I can tell the author put in a ton of research into this novel.
Most people recognize Julia Child’s name from her cooking show. However she lived a life of subterfuge and deceit during WWII.
I love stories about renowned people who have hidden pasts.
We all have secrets dont we?
You won’t go wrong with this one!

I loved this look at Julia Child’s life during the war and before she was famous for cooking! It was a really enjoyable read and definitely a facet i hadn’t heard about or read about before.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.