Historical fiction based during WWII, is a favorite of mine, so I was intrigued to read this book. It was a bit slow moving for him, but I did enjoy it overall. However I do think that Knowing the book was about Julia Child and what she did before she cooked played a big factor in that. Had it not been about someone famous, I’m not sure if the appeal of the book would have held for the whole thing.

Having been very intrigued by Julia Child, I was anxious to read this book to learn more about her early career prior to marriage to Paul Child, her fame in French cooking and her television appearances. I loved the movie Julia and Julie and laughed at the portrayals of her on early SNL episodes. But I always respected her and wanted to know more about her espionage role during WWII. I was glad that the author forewarned that this book is FICTIONAL based on this time in Julia’s life and that she reiterated this in her author’s note at the end of the book. The story was certainly exciting with the action scenes captivating. I did think that the book was too long and somewhat redundant around the social and relationship aspects and I got bogged down and confused by the numerous characters. There were too many “double agents”! But even with the author’s explanations about the story being fictional, it was just over the top for me. The dangerous situations that Julia found herself in were certainly exciting at times and I guess the author was going for entertainment but most of it was just too unrealistic, especially since this book was based on a real and very well known person. This embellishment kind of ruined the book for me and I was disappointed.
I listened to the audio version of this book and thought that the narrator did a decent job with the voices and accents. Her portrayal of Julia Child must have been difficult but she pretty much nailed it.

I really wasn’t looking for another WWII fiction, but this promised two things - a story set in Asia and Julia McWilliams Child as the heroine. I found it interesting to learn that before she became a chef, she worked for the OSS and was sent to Ceylon and then China. Unfortunately, this book is heavy on the fiction, less on the history. When I read historical fiction, I want to learn something. I can’t say I did here and was left with more questions than answers. It was simplistic, relying more on romance, what the weather did to Julia’s hair and the food. There wasn’t nearly as much info about the war efforts in Southeast Asia. The other problem is that almost all of this book, except the bare bones, was made up. Or as Chambers says, it’s a story of “possibilities”. The author is careful to point this out at the beginning and the end. But I’m used to historical fiction having a little more reality behind it, especially when based on a real person. Flip side, Chambers did a good job giving the reader an excellent sense of time and place.
The book gets off to a slow start but then turns into a war thriller. There are lots of close calls (none of them actually happened). And, Chambers would have you believe Julia was behind all sorts of discoveries. Listen to this only if you are looking for purely entertainment.
I listened to this and Candace Joyce was a good narrator, mastering not just Julia’s distinctive voice but a variety of accents.
My thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for an advance copy of this audiobook.

Wonderful book with a terrific narrator. Author Chambers did massive research into Julia’s life during WWII and her role working for the OSS. Although a fictional account of this period in her life, many of the incidents and characters were real and were easily recognizable as real by their names. Narrator Joice did a great job in duplicating Julia’s voice when reading her parts. This brought the book to life and increased both its depth and enjoyment.

What a phenomenal book. She is known as a cook who brought French cooking to the basic of cooks. Now she is a war correspondent and brings to life the things that happened during WW2. This story tells of things that went on during WW2 that ones doesn’t normally hear about. If you are a fan of Julia Child as a cook then this is a must read to see the other side of Julia’s life before cooking.

I really enjoyed this book! As a long-time fan of Julia Child I already knew quite a bit about her life but this was an interesting dive into her previous life as a possible spy for the US Government during WWII. This is a work of fiction, but there are elements of fact as well as a lot of research done by the author so that many things that are not confirmed, very likely could have occurred.

Fans of both Julia Child and historical fiction will not be able to put this one down. While it's a fictionalized account of her OSS service, readers will want it to be true.. The story takes Julia from her file clerk job in Washington, D.C. to the wilds of southeast Asia. An ungainly 6'2" and single, she was (in real life) working for General Donovan's Office of Strategic Services.

Much of the story is based on fact, though Chambers took some literary license with the adventures. Julia McWilliams Child never admitted to being anything more than a file clerk,. Her war records were declassified in the spring of 2024 and Chambers neatly correlated events of the dry personnel files into stories of 'could-have-been' scenarios for Julia. It's full of intrigue and adventure, and a bit of frivolity and romance.

The book also relates Chambers' imagining of the romance between artist/mapmaker Paul Child whom she met when they were both stationed in Kandy, Ceylon (Sri Lanka today).. Later they were both transferred to China. And, as the world knows, later married and moved to Paris. A foreshadowing of things to come, Julia was always enthusiastic about trying local foods.

Narrator Candace Joice portrays Julia's voice well. Those of us who remember her famed cooking show immediately feel familiar with the character. Don't miss this one.

Note: I received an audio ARC from NetGalley..

This was such a gem of a book. If you love ww2 historical fiction, Julia Child is or luscious descriptions of food and other places, this book is for you, but especially if you like a 3 of the above. This is my first read by Diana Chambers and but it won't certainly be my last.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

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. Candace Joyce does a great job with the narration.

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

Thanks NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

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.

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.

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.

Another one that was really good, and somewhat eye opening! =0

So, when I think of Julia Child, I think of the chef. I had never even heard a mention of this part of her life...so, to say the least it was interesting! I have also read other books about women in war, and find that I do really like them...as we never really heard of women being in ANY wars in years past...

This was fresh and fun in many ways, yet sad and disheartening in so many others. It was nice to read of the camaraderie of the women and men in the darkest depths and throws of war. It was also hard to read about the ravages the war left behind...including deaths of some that they knew and loved.

I was surprised to read about men cheating on their wives while away, although I guess that it was probably more commonplace than I ever thought. And it was sweet to read about this budding romance between Julia and Paul, even though it didn't really follow the path, as I assumed it would. Still, sweet and steady in the long run.

Also, interesting to see how the author pieced together bits of reality with thoughts of her own to 'fill in' the spaces that were there. She plainly tells us in the author's note that this was a work of fiction, but with loose ties to reality (of things that she researched and found...along the way.)

All in all, I did really enjoy this one!
4 solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

#TheSecretWarOfJuliaChild by #DianaChambers and narrated nicely by #CandaceJoice.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #TantorAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which is due to be released TOMORROW, 10/22/24.

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The Secret War of Julia Child
By: Diana R. Chambers
Pub date: October 22, 2024
Publisher: Tandor Audio
Narrator: Candace Joice
This audiobook is an absolute delight with an authentic and wonderful narrator. She nailed Julia’s style and voice. I knew Julia Child was a cookbook author of French cooking, but knew nothing of her work in World War II.
This historical fiction novel came to life as we explored her relationship of her soon-to-be husband, her work in secrets trade in Asia and how she transformed throughout her lifetime.
A joy! Thank you Tantor Audio for this gifted audiobook.

Before Julia Child was the famous chef, she was Julia McWilliams, a 30 year old spy in the OSS during WWII. Her role took her to Ceylon and China as she met interesting characters (some who would haunt her and her husband later in life) as well as her husband Paul. The novel takes us through a fictional account of her WWII adventures.

✨My Review✨
I wanted to love this as much as I love Julia but it just did not work for me. The pacing was too slow and I kept trying to get into the story but reading it wasn’t working for me so I was thrilled when I received the audio ARC. It definitely moved faster once I could listen to it (and I switched back and forth between reading and listening) but it still never fully grabbed my attention. I loved learning about Julia’s OSS life and it’s a part of her story that I’ve always wanted to know more about so for that I am happy that I read this one. I also really enjoyed the scenes where she fell in love with Paul. But for an adventurery novel I would expected to have it more faster and be a little more fun. The narrator was wonderful for the audio was wonderful.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the ARC

Julia McWilliams took a job working for America's first espionage agency, before the world got to know her. She was too tall and too memorable to be a spy, so she worked in operations (with Wild Bill!) where she meets mapmaker Paul Child.

Candace Joice does a wonderful job, especially with Julia’s parts. We all know what she sounds like!

This was a great audiobook where the main character is a person we all know from later in her life. And bonus points for a World War II story that takes place in Asia.

Thank you Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy. #TheSecretWarofJuliaChild #NetGalley

I know that the narrator is using an imitation of Julia’s voice, but there’s no way I’m going to be able to finish this audio version.