I’m delighted today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my review of Good Taste by Caroline Scott – I so look forward to reading a new book from her around this time every year, and now make sure I keep a space on my reading list. Published on 13th October by Simon & Schuster, it’s now available in hardback, audiobook and on all major e-book platforms. My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance reading copy.
If you were to ask me about my favourite books (yes, of all time…), I really think I’d have to include Caroline’s debut novel, The Photographer of the Lost. I’ll never forget the profound impression it made, the beauty of the writing, and particularly the way it made me feel – the tears for the lost, for those left behind, and for the many whose lives would never be the same again (you’ll find my review here). But when her second book, When I Come Home Again, came along, I found she’d done it again – a story you feel rather than read, every word carefully chosen, emotionally challenging but always keeping alive that spark of hope for the future (you’ll find my full review here). And then there was The Visitors, a compelling story, powerful in its impact, poignant and desperately moving – and for the third year running, one of my books of the year (you can read my review here – and I notice it’s just 99p in ebook this month).
When I first heard about Good Taste, I could tell it was perhaps going to be something a little different – but it certainly didn’t make me any less excited about discovering what lay between the pages….
Good taste is in the eye of the beholder…
England, 1932, and the country is in the grip of the Great Depression. To lift the spirits of the nation, Stella Douglas is tasked with writing a history of food in England. It’s to be quintessentially English and will remind English housewives of the old ways, and English men of the glory of their country. The only problem is – much of English food is really from, well, elsewhere…
So, Stella sets about unearthing recipes from all corners of the country, in the hope of finding a hidden culinary gem. But what she discovers is rissoles, gravy, stewed prunes and lots of oatcakes.
Longing for something more thrilling, she heads off to speak to the nation’s housewives. But when her car breaks down and the dashing and charismatic Freddie springs to her rescue, she is led in a very different direction…
Full of wit and vim, Good Taste is a story of discovery, of English nostalgia, change and challenge, and one woman’s desire to make her own way as a modern woman
An endearing heroine, a vividly drawn between-the-wars setting, the complications of family and friendships, a mission that proves to be a greater challenge than she ever expected, the many wrong steps she takes along the way… this book was everything I wanted it to be, and I loved every moment.
Stella has had to leave her London life behind, now at Hatherstall in the West Riding of Yorkshire to care for her recently widowed and grieving father. She keeps her head above water and covers the rent on Celandine Cottage – not the rural idyll it might seem – by writing a column for a women’s magazine, the content now distinctly less glamorous to match the needs of the times. The book she’s written and is so proud of with its meticulous research and copious footnotes – the biography of Mrs Raffald, an eighteenth century cook – has had disappointing sales. But she now has a new and exciting commission – to write a history of English food – and a very welcome £40 advance, and sets about her research by placing an advertisement in a number of regional newspapers asking readers to send her their traditional recipes.
The results are desperately disappointing – far too many oatcakes and seedcakes and potatoes, and anything remotely interesting having its roots anywhere other than England. So she decides to do her own on-the-ground research, travelling to gather her own examples and supporting anecdotes, losing hope with every encounter – until, during an unexpectedly extended stay in Gloucestershire, her path crosses with that of Freddie, antique dealer and rogue, who suggests the solution of entering the realm of hypothetical history.
For the foodie, this book is an absolute delight – the notes and anecdotes that arrive in response to her advert pepper the narrative, diverse and quite fascinating, setting her off on various paths for her own discoveries, and new fodder for the flights of fancy that she decides to include. But they also provide a clear picture of the state of the nation – the colourful and exotic, and the plainer sustenance that’s really keeping the country fed.
But this book is about far more than the food – it’s about Stella’s own journey, making many mistakes and errors of judgement as she finds her path between right and wrong while pursuing the new freedoms and opportunities as a woman of her time. There’s a thwarted romance in the background – a close friendship that never looks to become anything more, but a source of support – and another that causes particular complications. And there’s a quite wonderful supporting cast, many of them not being quite what they at first appear to be – I had a particularly soft spot for Lucien, an unexpected ally, with his photograph of Ivor Novello on his bedside table. And I really loved her father – making her life so much more complicated (and her house even more cramped than it already was), but moving on from his grief, bringing a few surprises.
The writing is just wonderful – despite her choices, Stella is an immensely sympathetic character, and you ache for her as her choices begin to backfire. The book’s emotional touch is just perfect – and there are plenty of touches of humour and lightness to bring delight, along with moments of darkness giving light and shade. The research for this book must have been immense – as well as the whole culinary scene, the 1930s setting and the social divide has an exceptional authenticity. I’ll admit that this book might not have been quite what I expected, but I thought it was a real triumph – very highly recommended.
About the author
Caroline completed a PhD in History at the University of Durham. She developed a particular interest in the impact of the First World War on the landscape of Belgium and France, and in the experience of women during the conflict – fascinations that she was able to pursue while she spent several years working as a researcher for a Belgian company. Caroline is originally from Lancashire, but now lives in southwest France. The Photographer of the Lost was a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick, When I Come Home Again was one of The Times’ books of the year.
Sounds terrific Anne!
Thanks for the blog tour support x