The French Kitchen: A Novel

(Paperback)

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As Paris rebuilds in the aftermath of World War II, Kat Fontaine never expected the skills she learned in a French chateau kitchen to be the key that unlocks the secrets swirling in her new post-war life.

Paris, 1952--Still haunted by the years she spent serving in the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during WWII, ex-pat Kat Fontaine, now living in Paris, finds a simple cookery class led by indomitable chef Julia Child unearths the tangle of gut-wrenching memories of war. Determined to find her brother who went missing during the war and is presumed dead, Kat questions everything, especially her high-ranking society husband whose past is as murky as her own. But when the puzzle pieces start to come together--and her carefully crafted Paris world begins to fall apart--Kat must confront her own secrets against the mounting suspicions of the husband she thought she knew . . .

Rue, 1943--Deep in the heart of Nazi-controlled northern France, Manon Altier shifts between working for the enemy by day--as a French chef at the famous Chateau du Broutel, where names like Himmler, Rommel, and Goebbels frequent the guest list--and running with underground networks against the Vichy regime at night. Working undercover to filter critical information to agents within the burgeoning OSS presence in France, Manon digs deep into the glitz and glamour of a Nazi stronghold that has her teetering on the edge of being discovered at any turn. But when an intriguing stranger appears at the chateau claiming to work with the French Resistance, Manon must lean on her instincts to judge whether to run and hide or stand firm--even as a terrifying discovery tests her resolve to continue the fight.

From the heights of culinary cuisine in 1950s Paris society to the underbelly of a WWII spy network embedded deep within Nazi-controlled Vichy France--and the spy backstory of the world's most famous would-be French chef, Julia Child--The French Kitchen turns up the heat on the pasts of women whose worlds collide, and forces each to question what she thought she'd planned for a perfect future.

Author Bio

Kristy Cambronis a vintage-inspired storyteller writing from the space where beauty, art, and history intersect. Shes a Christy Awardwinning author of historical fiction, including her bestselling novels,The Butterfly and the ViolinandThe Paris Dressmaker. Her work has been named toCosmopolitanBest Historical Fiction Novels,Publishers WeeklyReligion & Spirituality TOP 10,Library Journals Best Books, and she received a Christy Award for her novelThe Painted Castle. Her work has been featured atOnce Upon a Book ClubBox,Frolic,Book Club Girl,BookBub,Country Womanmagazine, and(in)Courage. She holds a degree in art history / research writing and spent fifteen years in education and leadership development for a Fortune 100 corporation before stepping away to pursue her passion for storytelling. Kristy lives in Indiana with her husband and three basketball-loving sons, where she can probably be bribed with a peppermint mocha latte and a good read. Find her online atkristycambron.com; Instagram: @kristycambron; Threads: @kristycambron; BookBub: @KristyCambron; Facebook: @KCambronAuthor