Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook

This novel by Celia Rees takes the reader into a world where the German people struggled to survive, where defeated Nazis maintained their now underground networks and where there was divided opinion as to whether captured Nazis should be tried for their crimes or used to provide useful information to the victorious nations establishing a new power regime - East versus West.

At the end  of the Second World War English schoolteacher, Edith Graham, decided that she needed a change so applied to join the Control Commission helping to reestablish schools in Germany. However her life became more complicated when she was also approached to report on unusual activity or people of interest to the British spy networks. 

Her friends Dori and Adeline supported Vera Atkins in an attempt to find what happened to four members of the SOE believed to have been captured during the War and Edith agreed to also share information and help them. Knowing that their mail would be censored the women developed a code hidden in information about meals and recipes that Edith collected and circulated.

Cold War Germany was a divided country with British, American and Russian sectors and Edith became aware of the emerging power struggle occurring between these nations as they targeted former Nazis who may be of benefit to their countries. Germany was definitely a dangerous place to be at this time and establishing the truth was difficult. Who should Edith trust?

Reviews in this blog of other books about the SOE (Special Operations Executive) 

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff - review

The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester - review