3.5 stars, but I'll give it 4 for the sake of Goodreads.

First off--I felt like this book lasted FOREVER. I felt like it just never ended. It's not often you have over 45 chapters. The book was set up into four sections based on events happening in the characters life.

This book explores what MAY have happened during the time that Julia Child was known to have served in the spy landscape of the Pacific Theater during WW2 when she met her future husband Paul Child and also was introduced to her love to food.

What I did like--the more in depth look as to what was happening in China during WW2 as that isn't often discussed in any documentaries. It was not a good experience and was very informative.

I liked seeing how Julia Child was so self-conscious of her body image and how she learned to feel beautiful through the eyes of Paul. As he encouraged her to find HER artistic outlet.

It was a good book, but as I said--it felt like it lasted forever. If you would like more insight into experiences by our forces tucked into parts of lower China, I think you will enjoy this aspect.

*I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. :)

I liked this one as we get a look at her history before she was a household name . I thought it was a well told story and a good story
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review book

Great concept, and somewhat enjoyable execution at the beginning. The dialogue was pretty clunky and ruined my enjoyment by a lot.

Julia McWilliams Child was a smart, courageous and driven woman, especially for the 1940s. While we don't know what exactly her role and experiences were while stationed in Southeast Asia during WWII, the author has done an excellent job of creating a wonderful narrative of "maybes".

I really enjoyed the opportunity to gain insight into Julia Child (Julia McWilliams, rather) before she became the famous chef we all know.
There was a bit more violence and war talk than I had expected, which was a bit hard to follow at times. It was so interesting to see life in Asia from the perspectives of Americans during WWII.

Takes a look at the life of Julia Child before her marriage during WW 2. The author explains what is known but also what had to be surmised. It was interesting to look at how women contributed to the war effort.

Like so many of us, I adore Julia Child, so I was especially excited to read The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers. This book introduces us to Julia McWilliams, an ambitious young woman posted to the pacific theater during World War II where she serves as a spy and meets Paul Child. I knew that Julia Child had worked for the OSS, but I wasn't familiar with the details of her time during the war. Chambers has clearly done her research about this time in Child's life. At some points, it felt like the author wanted to include every single thing she had learned, which was a bit distracting. Despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

While I was aware that Julia Child had served during WWII, I was not aware of what her position actually was.
Through extensive research, the author has written what Julia's duties and involvement may have been. Although
a fictional account, it offers insight into the happenings in Ceylon, India and China and their contributions to
WWII. Julia's spirit shines through.
#TheSecretWarofJuliaChild #SourcebooksLandmark #NetGalley

While there are many WW2 historical fiction novels, the vast majority are set in the European Theater. As someone whose grandfathers both served in the Pacific, I'm always on the lookout for fiction about that theater. The Secret War of Julia Child digs even deeper and is set in the South East Asia Command. Julia works in the Registry Department for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services). This would be an interesting story, even if the reader didn't know the path Julia would be on after her time in Asia. This book traces time spent in Washington, India, Burma and China. At times, some of the details and intricacies of the missions she is involved with get a bit confusing, but the through line of Julia's bravery and dedication are apparent. Highly suggest reading the Author's Note to learn more about the research the author put into this work.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Secret War of Julia Child by Diana R. Chambers.

I was surprised to find out this beloved chef was a spy for the Office of Strategic Services. This book is a historical fiction version of her life before cooking. You get to live the life of a file clerk turned spy in this adventurous tale. There is no way to know how much was added in to keep the book going. I guess it was hard when you knew that half of the things may not be fact...I did know going in that it was fiction, but when you deal with a real-life person it's hard to not just get the facts.

If you go into the book not comparing it to the Julia Child we all know and just taking it for a historical fiction book that would have been ok. It is about a girl who didn't fit it. She was taller and not as feminine. She had to wear men's clothing due to her build. It was about her growing into the person we all know.

Julia Child in a new light! This book lets us get to know a completely different Julia at a different stage in her life, long before her cooking shows made her a household name. We dive into learning about Julia's work with the OSS during WWII. We get to see her fall in love with French food and with her future husband Paul. This book is not a fast paced page turner, but it doesn't drag on either! It keeps you engaged and wanting to see where the story goes. Books set in France always make me crave amazing food, French pastries and romance and this delivers on that and more!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and the chance to read this book and give my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this advanced reader's copy.

Stars: Who doesn't love Julia Child? She was a larger than life presence who truly had an appetite for adventure, both in food and travel. I enjoyed reading this fictional account of what could have happened before Julia became the Julia we all know. We witness her experiences as a civilian in the OSS during WWII and her stint as a spy in Ceylon, India and China. And most importantly (and most fun) we watch the love story between her and Paul Child unfold. The author obviously did a lot of research about Pacific war. The story hinted at where Julia found her inspiration for cooking later in her career.

Wishes: At times I felt the book was way too bogged down with the war talk (but other readers who enjoy that type of thing may disagree!). It was difficult for me to follow the battles and strategies, and there were a lot of characters to keep track of. There was much more violence and bloodshed than I anticipated. And because this story is based on a real person from not that long ago I felt as if the incidents were too fantastical to believe.

Three stars.

I've read much about the life of the beloved chef, Julia Child, but not much about her time in the OSS during WWIl, where she met her husband. Diana R. Chambers has captured Julia's indomitable spirit, intelligence, and fearlessness with heart and grace in this compelling narrative that will make histfic lovers cheer. Highly recommended!

I absolutely love Julia Child and had no idea of her history with the OSS and WWII.
Parts of this book really dragged me in, I love the writing in regard to the landscape and the perceptive of her surroundings. But there were so many times where my ADHD brain would wander and have no clue what was going on.
I left like there was a ton of unnecessary context in the book. Or if there was, it was not really exciting.
I was sad to read that a lot was made up, because of it being classified. I did have a tough time with all the spy and war text and loved the historical scenery.
#netgally #arcreader #historicalfiction #juliachild

Loved this one! The Secret War of Julia Child, by Diana R. Chambers, is a well-researched novel about Julia's earlier years and the important part she played in World War 2.  I grew up watching Julia Child cooking on television and was excited to get this ARC. It was both informative and written in a way that was interesting without being textbookish. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and the side of history and Julia child that I didn't know about. I would definitely read more by this author!

The Secret WAR of Julia Child
by Diana R. Chambers
Pub Date: October 22, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Before she mastered the art of French cooking in midlife, Julia Child found herself working in the secrets trade in Asia during World War II, a journey that will delight both historical fiction fans and lovers of America's most beloved chef, revealing how the war made her into the icon we know now.
I've read much about the life of the beloved chef, Julia Child, but not much about her time in the OSS during WWII, where she met her husband. Diana R. Chambers has captured Julia's indomitable spirit, intelligence, and fearlessness with heart and grace in this compelling narrative that will make histfic lovers cheer. Highly recommended!

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. It was hard to get into it and I didn’t want to pick it up to keep reading - I had to make myself do it. I love historical fiction especially WWII and, being a chef myself, I love Julia Child. I was excited for the premise of this book, but it fell flat for me. I’m sure others will enjoy it, but it is not one I can recommend or want to read again.

2.5 rounded down. I see a lot of reviews lamenting that this was purely fiction, thinking they were at least going into something based on fact or at least a fiction with evidence to back it up. I am ok with this being all speculative, I knew it going in.

My problem with this book is that it just wasn’t good. Simple as that. Too many characters, some mistakes in editing, the dialogue didn’t sound real, the romance was blah, some scenes were just too far fetched, others were too boring or description and I skimmed through. I usually love historical fiction, but this didn’t feel the way historical fiction usually feels, or read the way it normally reads.

This one was a bummer.

Like me, you may only know Julia Child as the master chef with a sing-song voice who brought French cooking to the masses. Did you know that she also served as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA? It was her intelligence work that led Julia Carolyn Williams from Pasadena, California, to her passion for food and to meeting her husband, fellow spy, Paul Child.

After being turned down for several positions, Julia gains employment as a file clerk in the Office of Strategic Services. Her panache for detail and organization results in her boss, Wild Bill Donovan, dispatching her to India. From here, Julia’s skills become indispensable and she’s soon sent to Ceylon, Burma and into China. Author Diana R. Chambers shows readers what Julia Child’s life may have been like prior to becoming the Julia Child we all know and love.

Chambers’ extraordinary worldbuilding allowed me to keep turning the pages. I was tantalized by her vivid descriptions of customs, cuisine, geography, flora/fauna, sights, and sounds. This book really is a feast for the senses; I instantly felt the crushing humidity and became aware of the raucous turmoil of busy Bombay! Chambers’ makes her readers aware of India and China’s contributions to WW2 as she attempts to frame possible paths Julia’s life took while involved in clandestine operations overseas.

This character-driven foray into the fictional wartime experiences of an infamous chef does have some pacing issues that had me skimming and some moments where I had to suspend disbelief. I also had to keep on my toes with the large cast of characters and try not to get too frustrated with the OSS Mapmaker’s character!

I was gifted this copy by Sourcebooks and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.