Reviewed by Emma Crowley
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 . . .
Many thanks to Simon and Schuster UK via NetGalley for my copy of Good Taste to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
I may not have been the target audience of Caroline Scott’s new book, Good Taste, considering I am Irish and this book focuses on one woman’s quest to write a history of English food. But it’s testament to her skill as a writer that I thoroughly enjoyed this story and was totally caught up in the journey that our heroine Stella ventures on. Initially, I thought that, as this was very different from the authors previous brilliant books which were set during the war and the subject matter was in contrast to what I am used to, I wouldn’t find the story completely engaging but Stella is an endearing lead character who gets under your skin. I found there to be a sort of quirkiness amidst the main themes of the story and it never felt heavy. I really felt as if I got an education into the history of English food and to see that in fact said food has been inspired by countries from all over the world. There was a danger that this book could really have strayed into history textbook territory but the deftness of touch and the way Caroline Scott has with words avoided this happening.
Set between the two world wars in 1931, Stella Douglas has returned from London to Yorkshire to live with her father who remains on the family farm. Her father has become very fragile since the death of her mother from cancer and Stella feels she is doing the right thing coming back to look after him. But she is fearful of doing or saying the wrong thing and there are long silences between them. She is desperate to restore the gloss to her father but perhaps the gloss is lacking in her own life too. She rents Celandine Cottage but it is not in the best condition and her creative juices when it comes to writing her weekly column for a cookery magazine are certainly not flowing. Stella is lonely and wishes to be back in London with her friends Michael and Lucien whom she met in college. But Michael’s life is changing too as he is now in a relationship with Cynthia who from the outset came across as just one of those mean girls whose true intentions were only ever concerned with herself. The reader can tell that this new relationship Michael has embarked upon has upset Stella and put her off track with said friendship but she conceals this well.
Life for Stella has become quiet, narrow and colourless. Yorkshire is not providing her with the inspiration she needs and I felt if given a chance she would have grasped any opportunity and gotten out of there. But she feels duty bound to help her father get back on track. But he is a closed book and so set in his ways and it is difficult to reach beneath his exterior. But over the course of the book her father undergoes a remarkable transformation which was a joy to watch and it all develops without Stella even realising what is unfolding. It’s a charming element to the story which will bring a smile to your face and as it occurs so naturally and seamlessly it did allow for the development of Stella’s story to take more focus.
When Stella visits her publishers in London she is tasked with a new project - to write a history of English food. What is particular and peculiar to England? It should be an examination of the nations favourite dishes and should have a broad appeal. At first Stella is flummoxed as to how to go about such an enormous task but when she places a letter in a national newspaper requesting information about food, customs and traditions from around the country she receives an influx of letters some of which are fruitful and some not. Usually when there are letters or little anecdotes scattered throughout a book I tend to skim through them quickly because I find they more often than not bring nothing to the overall story but here it was the complete opposite. Said letters from all walks of life were so interesting, delightful and informative to read. I found they added so much flavour and depth to the overall story and they would make many readers wish to go and find out more when they finish the book.
Although Stella doesn’t feel the same way and she believes her task of writing the book has just become increasingly difficult. I thought she was so down on herself and put unnecessary pressure on herself to produce the best read that she could that as she journeys through the writing process she lost a little bit of herself and became caught up in a world where she lost all sense and purpose. This occurred with the introduction of antique dealer Freddie who rescues her when she breaks down at the side of the road whilst on a research trip. They develop a friendship as she is forced to stay in the village whilst repairs are made to her car.
Freddie is charming, flirtatious and debonair. To me he seemed a bit of a wheeler and dealer when it came to his antique business and I wondered did that spill over into his love life especially the more we discover about him? Stella is caught in Freddie’s spell and over the course of several months they grow closer and he helps with and encourages her research for her book. I think she felt as the door with Michael was very firmly closed was it time for other doors to open and with that thought Freddie was the first to appear and she just became totally caught up in his personality and his dashing about. He bewitched her so to speak and I felt she was losing sight of her current and most important purpose in life. Stella’s journey is one of many ups and downs and I rode every wave with her.
I felt the first half of the book was quite slow in parts but then as Stella emerges from what I felt was clouding her judgement and realising that the worst could happen the book took on an entirely different level and there was a great sense of urgency about Stella. There was no more wallowing that she couldn’t produce the best book possible and she really began to understand the true meaning and the importance of her task . The second half I really loved and I was rooting for her all the way. She was like the butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, all fresh and new and she knew what direction she needed to go in both in a professional and personal capacity and I desperately hoped that she would achieve all that she had set out to do.
Good Taste is an enjoyable, charming and captivating read with the main female character someone you wont forget in a hurry. This a witty read with great light and shade and the cast of supporting characters are all fabulous and with their own stories to tell. Although, I would love to know more about Stella’s neighbour and new friend Dilys as she seemed very intriguing. The reader will become lost in Stella’s quest to learn more about the history and traditions of English food and how she learns much more about herself in the process. This a lovely read that will be sure to please the loyal following that Caroline Scott has and introduce her wonderful work to many new readers.
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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