‘Germany 1946. History hides many secrets
One woman will hunt for the truth’ - cover tag line.

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for the invitation to read via NetGalley ‘Miss Graham’s War’ by Celia Rees. It was originally published in May 2020 as ‘Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook’. The amended title was published in June 2021.

I found this a superb post WWII novel that follows the career of Miss Edith Graham, a former schoolteacher turned spy. She is no femme fatale but her very ordinariness is the key to her success.

Following the end of the war Edith had applied to the Control Commission, an organisation established to assist in Germany’s post-war recovery and to prosecute war criminals. Her primary job is to help reestablish German primary schools. However, before leaving Britain she was recruited by the OSS to gather information; especially on Count Kurt von Stabenow, a much sought after war criminal. She had a brief relationship with von Stabenow in the 1930s when he attended Oxford with her brother.

For some years Edith had been writing a popular food column under the pen name of Stella Snelling and she uses this interest in collecting authentic recipes not only as a cover for gathering information but as method of embedding coded messages: hence the cookbook of the original title.

This was a well written and impeccably researched work of historical fiction. I also appreciated the recipes scattered throughout the novel. Celia Rees acknowledges that it was discovering handwritten recipes between the pages of an old family cookbook that had inspired her to write the novel.

It is also a cautionary tale given the resurgence of the far right in Europe and the USA.

Overall, I was very impressed with ‘Miss Graham’s War’, especially for its strong characterisations as well as her attention to period detail and a compelling plot that kept me enthralled from start to finish.

Highly recommended.

This book stayed with me long after I had finished it. You read stories about people and their experiences during the war but little has been written about the time in Germany immediately after. It was an intriguing read that was well written and with well developed characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance copy.

After the war in 1946 the three major powers are searching for Nazis who are trying to escape prosecution for their war crimes. Edith Graham has taught in a girls' school during the War and feels that she has not contributed to the war. But she is not quite the person that everyone knows. Edith is recruited as a perfect candidate to track down these missing Nazis as someone who is reorganising education for the thousands of refugee children living in the German towns and countryside. She devises a code to send messages about what she is doing using a recipe book and then sending new recipes to her friends who decipher the information she has discovered. It is a beautifully wriiten story bringing the horrors of post-war Germany alive and the way the Allies and the different groups are operating as they attempt to round up the criminals. There is also the under-current of hatred and the Nazi groups who are plotting to help their ex-leaders to escape, as well as make life difficult for the occupying forces.So hidden inside her innocuous recipes Elizabeth shares her discoveries. The desciptions of the way the British Army occupies ex- German houses and the food that is prepared for them in their headquarters and clubs jars with the malnutrition of the refugees who struggle to feed and clothe themselves. But their are different groups expecting her information for very different reasons and she feels very conflicted with her loyalties to her friends, to those she works for and to older friends from her past. A beautifully crafted novel bring the time alive.

It starts in the present with someone looking to end their life in a clinic and then switches to the past. The story centres around Edith who goes to Germany to find Nazis trying to escape prosecution and one of those was her friend. A brilliantly written book which reminds us how muddled the world was after the second world war. Edith uses recipes to send back messages, and as everything unfolds expect the unexpected! Brilliant from start to finish.

Thanks to Emma Pickard, HarperCollins and #NetGalley for my copy of #MissGrahamsWar

This book is set in the aftermath of WW2 and is an insight that I have never really considered.

Edith Graham a teacher is sent to Germany to help education establishments and get children back into the school environment. This is only one aspect of her work. There are many competing organisations trying to gain information to find Nazis who have gone into hiding or tried to reintegrate into society and as Edith had a relationship with one senior officer before the war she finds herself in the middle of a battle for this information.

There were harsh descriptions of the daily living circumstances of people in Germany following the war and the brutal and horrific treatment of people during the war. The passing of information still needed to be via code as everyone had their own agendas in terms of, revenge, bringing to justice or using these people to further their own countries knowledge. The way in which recipes were used to pass on information was clever and left me wondering if this actually happened.

I felt sorry for Edith as everyone she knew and came into contact with seemed to use her for information and had their own agenda. I wouldn’t have been able to trust anyone!

The ending of the book was, in my opinion, a little rushed. I would have liked to know more detail about what happened to all the characters we read about before the ending 40 years after the war.

This was a really enjoyable book with a focus on the fallout and rebuilding of life after war.

The theme and timeframe of this book is one which I have become interested in of late ie the period of history in Europe following WW2. Each book I read gives a new insight and shines a light on another aspect of this difficult time. Celia Rees is an experienced story teller and in particular, her skill of reaching younger readers has enabled her to handle this subject matter with care and concern for both the reader and those historically involved in stories such as that portrayed here. All be it fictional, it is none the less a representative of that time and place which Celia has had to sensitively research and choosen to write about.
I am never one to re-write the blurb (story description) as those paid by the publisher do it better, so just follow that and if then you choose to read this book, you won't be dissappointed.

I was given an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review..
This is set just after the end of WW2 a period much neglected by novelists .It was previously published as Miss Grahams Cold War Cookbook.
This is a stunningly brilliant novel and I was thoroughly engrossed..Edith Graham spent the war as a schoolteacher and looking after her mother.whilst her contemporaries were away in uniform..So when she gets the chance to join the occupying powers forces as an education officer in Germany she jumps at it,
She is also asked to keep an ear to the ground listening out for info about wanted Nazi war criminals in particular an old lover from before the war ,a Doctor who took part in some horrendous euthanasia experiments and mass murder techniques..
There are shocks in store as it appears that whilst a number of groups are searching for him and others of his ilk an even greater number of groups from all the allies are searching for the same people but not to punish them rather to employ them to find out what they know..Tensions are growing between the Russians and their former allies but the cynicism of all those concerned is appalling as is the attitude of those of the occupying forces towards the thousands of refugees and displaced persons.Whilst the attitude is understandable towards the Germans after 6 years of war its hard to see how the children are to blame.
Together with former SOE operatives who Edith Graham reports to by coded recipes their group is attempting to find out the fate of agents betrayed to the Germans.
There's a lot going on and Edith has to learn who she can and can't trust ,besides those on the Allied side with agendas different to what appears to be morally right there are still many Germans who support the defeated regime , there are black marketeers British and Americans sending items of value home bought with cigarettes .and all kinds willing to take advantage of the suffering of others to make money..
Betrayal ,deceit, double crosses they are all here. There are some shocking and treacherous events to come and there are no easy tidy tying up of loose ends .Not everyone gets what they deserve although revenge is a dish best served cold...
This is a stunning book with a superb central premise set in a time mostly ignored perhaps too shameful a period of history.The characters are well rounded the twists and turns of the story keep you engaged..This is highly recommended.It's a book I will read again .Brilliant.

This was a fantastic book.

Well written, rounded characters and moment that make you gasp. The only slight complaint I have is that I wanted more about the cookbook code. It’s the title of the book, but is barely mentioned as the story progresses. Don’t get me wrong, the European recipes at the start of each chapter were welcome, but I wanted to know the ACTUAL code.

I encourage you not to be put off by the word ‘war’ in the title. This book is not about war. It’s about the aftermath and in particular the role of women in the aftermath. It makes you question how you would act in these situations, would you want retribution or would you preach forgiveness? Well-researched and intricately plotted, this thriller is not only a gripping page-turner it is also something much rarer, an emotionally satisfying and involving novel in which strong female characters take centre stage

At a time where you need someone to trust, but are told to trust no-one, nothing is what they/it seems; loyalties and motives are complex and shifting. Edith has to call on all her strength of character to negotiate her way through all the cross-currents. This is a multi-layered novel is part love story, part spy story, which combined with historical and political realism, makes for a brilliant read. Be prepared to devour it!

War changes everything doesn’t it? Destruction and death. Always death. This book had me thinking about the Nazis that took their lives because they’d learned of Hitlers death and what they’d face. Their suicides told me they were cowards. I’d not given much thought about after the war and the all the devastation. How Germany would fair. About how many Nazis may hide, away with it.
The writing was engaging, eloquent and observant. The authors dedication to description was delightful. I felt like I was in the story. Feeling, seeing, experiencing all of it. The recipes were a nice touch also and Im going to try a few. I highly recommend this if you enjoy a good WW11 story.
Thanks HarperCollins UK via Netgalley.

Well that was different and an excellent read. Not a part of history I know a great deal about, but how well written this was.

Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees is a marvellous historical suspense that captivated me from the start.
World War II is over but the hunt for Nazi war criminals in just beginning. Ordinary men and women were recruited in Britain to do ordinary jobs in Germany but were to seek out the worst perpetrators to bring them to justice. There was a conflict between those wanting to see justice served and those wanting to use the brains of the scientists for progress. Each agent had to decide to which department they were reporting. It was a time of concealment of truth, mistrust, deceit and the twisting of facts. Each person could only be responsible for their own choices. Each person had to live with the consequences of their actions.
The reader witnesses the war criminals trying to justify what they had done. “I saw what I wanted to see … The acceptable version of things.” Too many people turned a blind eye to the persecution of others. There were many with blood on their hands. They were guilty of doing nothing.
The war criminals used cunning and lies to blend in. Even those trained in espionage and deception would be taken in by a front of innocence.
In 1946 there were still those in Germany who believed Hitler was alive and a 4th Reich was a possibility. These were dangerous people.
Much of the novel is set in Germany. The reader sees the destruction of Berlin and Hamburg. We are reminded that cities in Britain suffered a similar fate, in particular Coventry in November 1940.
The novel was extremely well written and captured my attention from the start. Celia Rees drew me in and I ‘journeyed’ through the novel as the lead character. Comprehensive descriptions enabled me to ‘see’ the various locations.
Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook was a compelling read that entertained and also horrified me. I did gasp out loud at times as horrendous situations struck at my heart. I cannot wait to read more by Celia Rees.
I received a free copy from Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Loved it! The story follows Edith Graham as she escapes the humdrum of life in England to work in exciting post war Germany. Her important teaching work during the war meant she couldn’t help the war effort as she thought so now was her chance. Excitement is immediate as she is asked to simply keep an eye out for any nazi sympathisers or those who don’t accept the end of the war but who can she trust. This is gripping and fun and I read it in one go.

This book is a total delight. It’s so well written and the central character feels like a real person. She’s well imagined and her involvement as a spy, of sorts, in the aftermath of WW2 is a refreshing take on what happened.

There are so many books written from a male perspective and focussing on the war years. But what happened in Germany immediately after the war is fascinating as the Allies helped Germany to rebuild. This created numerous conflicts of interest and it’s amazing how many war criminals ended up in the States, taking much of their research and knowledge with them. This book creates a real sense of the devastation left after the war; cities decimated by Allied bombing, millions of displaced people without home or country, people fleeing Russia…the list is endless and there’s a really strong sense of time and place, with people at the heart of the tale.

I had no idea what to expect from this tale, but it drew me in from the start and it was an unxpected pleasure to read. Loved it and it’s a marvellous mix of fact and fiction at its best.

Feeling that she sat out the war in relative safety and comfort in her job as a teacher and caring for her mother, Edith Graham jumps at the chance of a position in Germany helping to rebuild the schools and education system. From the very start Celia Rees injects intrigue in to the story and as Edith takes on more than just her eductation role the intrigue and suspicion are maintained until the very end.

It is a very clear portrayal of life after WWII when the allies scrabbled around in Germany to find people that they felt had something to offer them to get ahead of the other nations, regardless of their roles during the war. The differences between what the Allies had access to (food, clothing etc) compared to the German people is vast.

As Celia Ree's first novel in Adult Literature, Miss Graham's War is a brilliant start. I look forward to reading more from her.

I was given a copy of Miss Graham's War by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbaised review.

I had read Celia Rees previous YA novels. She is a thoughtful, articulate writer who writes engaging stories so was looking forward to reading her first adult novel.
Set in post war Germany as the Allies try to balance the need to punish as well as rebuild a destroyed nation.
Edith comes to Germany wanting to do her bit but is walking this fine line. Messages are sent home coded in seemingly innocent recipes but as the story progresses there are many twists, turns and an unexpected tragedy along the way..
The story tackles ethical issues around revenge, redemption and does not always show the Allies in a positive light as they juggle the need to punish the Nazis for the Holocaust and the havoc they wreaked on the world and also make sure that the scientific discoveries and developments they made don't fall into communist hands and they get left behind
A really enjoyable read with believable characters, well plotted and with unexpected twists.
Looking forward to her next adult title!

‘Miss Graham’s War’ is the story of the aftermath of WW2. As the world starts to recover and rebuild someone has to organise and make sure it happens. They also have to make sure those responsible for the atrocities of the Holocaust pay for what they have done. Edith wants to do her bit after spending the war teaching. She wants to escape from the drudgery and expectations of her life too. But as she soon discovers, reconstruction and retribution are complicated matters. And deciding who to trust won’t be easy.

Most books concentrate on the actual war, so I found this story unusual and refreshing. Although I had an inkling of what went on post-1945, I didn’t know the half of it. This well researched book took me into the heart of Europe as the Western Allies fought for control of their enclaves. The question of friends and enemies was not as clear cut as it once was. As the Cold War took hold it was interesting to see where loyalties lay. There were some disturbing elements obviously as the truth of what went on in the camps became clear, but it was the truth, and the truth must be faced. It packed a punch and shocked me – but there were also beautiful moments of humanity and love. I connected with the characters, especially Edith. There were some surprising twists and turns, making it an excellent read.

I was given this ARC for review.

Set in the early days of post war Germany. Edith is an uncovered spy who is sent to Germany to find her ex lover who is a doctor and rose th the higher ranks as an SS officer. The book is well written and very harrowing in parts

I think I was expecting something a bit more cosy about cookbooks and amateur spies but this really is not. Edith is yearning for excitement and gets drawn into a shady world of counter-espionage where she doesn’t know who to trust. Her former lover became a high-up officer in the SS and now, in the aftermath of the war, he is wanted for his knowledge but also hunted to bring to justice as a doctor who experimented on humans in the most inhumane way. No details are spared and it is a stark reminder of what we should be standing firm against now. A good read, well written and recommended.

A really excellent summer read. Told by Dori in the 1980’s but set just after the end of the second war as Edith is recruited by the CCG to go to Germany and help with the rebuilding, but she get sucked into the world nazi hunting and espionage. A thoroughly enjoyable read, that maintains tension , right to the end.. The weaving of recipes throughout the story is a nice toucch.

I thought this was a really interesting side of history to write about. In the immediate aftermath of WW2 Edith gets sent to Germany to help get the country back on its feet, without the help of the Nazis or sympathizers of them, wouldn't want them teaching young children. When Edith's friend Leo finds out, he asks her to try and track down one of their mutual friends who, to her horror, had risen high in the ranks of the SS. Soon, another friend recruits her to do the same, but she wants Edith to report to get instead as her lot are wanting to bring them to justice for their crimes, whereas Leo and His lot want to recruit him and use his knowledge; it seems both the Russians and Americans are also after him for this same reason. Soon Edith is in the middle of it all, not knowing who she can trust.

I found the first half a bit of a slog, and I couldn't keep straight, who was who, who they worked for and who wanted what. I felt like the author had done a very good job researching the details of this time and place, but I'm no expert and for all I know it could have been full of errors, but it did have the ring of truth about it. It picked up for me eventually, but I never truly cared about the characters; ultimately it lacked that indefinable spark for me, but I think it's a competently written novel that will no doubt work much better for others.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*