Author:Caroline Beecham
A young girl trying to do her best for her country...
When the British Ministry of Food urgently calls for the opening of restaurants to feed tired and hungry Londoners during WWII, aspiring cook Maggie Johnson seems close to realising a long-held dream. After overcoming a tangle of red tape, Maggie's Kitchen finally opens its doors to the public and Maggie finds that she has an unexpected problem – her restaurant is too popular, and there’s not enough food to go round.
Then Maggie takes twelve-year-old street urchin Robbie under her wing and, through him, is introduced to a dashing Polish refugee, digging for victory on London's allotments. Between them they will have to break the rules in order to put food on the table, and, perhaps, find love into the bargain...
extremely engaging novel ... fictionalises its fascinating historical sources so successfully that it reads like the work of a veteran storyteller. Her career as a screenwriter and producer is probably responsible for that, as for the cinematic quality of this entertaining book.
—— Sydney Morning HeraldDespite the backdrop of WWII, Beecham keeps the tone light and serves up a sliver of romance and dollops of heart-warming hope. She also - deftly and subtly - educates readers about that time in our history.
—— Sunshine Coast DailySometimes when I start a book it feels like I’m shaking hands with an old friend, or sitting by the fire sipping a glass of red wine. It’s how you know you are in the hands of an excellent storyteller, that feeling of complete ease with the unfolding scene. MAGGIE’S KITCHEN is that kind of book. It welcomes you in, and you are pleased to make its acquaintance.
—— Melissa Sargent, Love That Book Blogpresents the touching story of Maggie Johnson while highlighting in intricate detail the tumultuous and precarious times of WWII in London ...Maggie’s Kitchen is a tale of love, courage, and the restorative power of food.
—— AUSROM TODAYWhat a treat. A Saga so refreshingly different from anything I have read before. A terrific story the reader will find impossible to put down . . . The tale that Evie tells us is fascinating, gripping, sad, happy, highly original and yes, you’ll find out all about that half sixpence.
—— Eileen RamsayA dazzling debut that reminded me of the Catherine Cookson books I have loved so much. Brilliant historical fiction that draws you in and does not let you go. Even better, this is the first book in a trilogy. We can’t wait until the next instalment
—— Frost MagazineI absolutely loved, loved, loved reading Half A Sixpence and I can’t wait to read more from the pen of Evie Grace
—— Ginger Book Geek - 5*Highly recommend to fans of novels in the saga or historical fiction genre.
—— Abby Bonny Book Reviews - 5*A brilliant first novel
—— Mojo Mums blogyou’ll want to keep an eye out for the sequel, Her Mother’s Daughter, which is published in January 2018
—— Culture FlyFor all of The Golden House’s folkloric architecture and twinkling prose, for all its impish cartoonery and exuberant storytelling, the novel is at its heart an unsettling portrait of the state of humanity in the United States of 2017. It celebrates our meager glories and exposes our flaws, particularly our inability to see outside of our own little cocoons, whether they be constructed of silk or some coarser material.
—— Nathaniel Rich , New York Review of BooksHis prose is just as often a pleasure, bursting with colour and texture… The result stands as Rushdie’s most vital book in years, and perhaps the first protest novel of the Trump era.
—— Stephen Phelan , HeraldA typically bold and all-encompassing saga.
—— Hilary A White , Irish IndependentRushdie is, as ever, excellent in conveying bitter, personal anger.
—— DJ Taylor , Literary ReviewTwo decades after Rushdie transplanted himself to the US, one of the major pleasures of this novel is the way in which he considers the mores of the one per cent of the one per cent. Rushdie writes about the Goldens’ glittering, private world with innumerable perfect details, down to the art hanging on the walls… It will be a long four years, but fictional protests are unlikely to be as electric as this.
—— Olivia Cole , GQHugely entertaining… Told against a backdrop of American politics and culture between Obama’s inauguration and the 2016 presidential election, it’s an extraordinarily powerful tale of our times.
—— Sue Price , Saga Magazine
[The Golden House] is a recognizably Rushdie novel in its playfulness, its verbal jousting, its audacious bravado, its unapologetic erudition, and its sheer, dazzling brilliance.
The Golden House is a searing examination of modern America and the world around it since 2008… Through the density of his intermingling literary references, puzzles and (deliberately) fanciful plot, comes Rushdie's true success: His great ability to capture the devilish mood of post-crash greed, political upheaval, and the rejection of the cosmopolitan, liberal west.
—— Peter Carey , Belfast Telegraph MorningRushdie’s prose is beyond much reprieve—there are few contemporary artists who come to mind that possess his ability to craft sentences. In this regard, The Golden House, his latest novel, is no exception... The Golden House is a joy to read… It’s hard to not have fun reading writing at Rushdie’s level of craftsmanship. It’s clever, intimidating, jocund, and electrifying.
—— Chicago Review of BooksThe Golden House is not Brideshead or Gatsby – it is too rich and too riotous. Rather it is a modern Bonfire of the Vanities, New York seen from the inside and the outside, as only a writer of multiple selves such as Rushdie – Indian, British, now a New Yorker – could do.
—— Aminatta Forna , GuardianRushdie’s story is a morality tale which unfolds with great verve and erudition, missing no opportunity to pillory Donald Trump with its withering contempt.
—— Richard Hopton , Country & Town HouseNo-one spins a yarn like Rushdie, and The Golden House’s tale of bastard sons, mysterious men and submerged pasts is hugely enjoyable… To say The Golden House is 'only' hugely enjoyable is a little like writing 'only' on a cheque for £1 million.
—— Ross McIndoe , SkinnySalman Rushdie has garaged the magic carpets and dived deep into 21st-century America, with its concerns about identity, guns, the 1 percent and even superheroes.
—— Jane Henderson , Miami HeraldIt couldn't have been done better
—— ScotsmanA visceral reworking of Oresteia
—— ObserverThe escalation of violence and desire for revenge has deliberate echoes of the Irish Troubles
—— Observer Books of the Year