I’m delighted to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for Good Taste, the stunning new historical novel by critically acclaimed author Caroline Scott. Thank you to Anne Cater and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book.
About the book:
From the highly acclaimed author of The Photographer of the Lost, Good Taste is a novel full of light, laughter and larger-than-life characters, about one woman finally finding her voice and choosing her own path forwards.
You can tell a lot about a person from what they like to eat…
When Stella Douglas, author of a much-loved but not very successful biography of a forgotten cookery writer, is summoned to see her editor in London, she is dreading being told her writing career is over before it’s even started. But much to her surprise, she finds she is being commissioned to write another book – this time a history of food in England and how the English like to eat. It’s to be quintessentially English and will remind English housewives of the old ways, and English men the glory of their country. The only problem is – all English food is really from elsewhere.
So Stella sets about inviting recipes from all corners of England, in the hope of discovering a hidden culinary gem. But what she discovers is oatcakes and gravy and lots of lots of potatoes.
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 life, Good Taste is a story of discovery, of a modern England emerging from the past and one woman’s desire to make her own way as a modern woman.
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 thelandscape 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.
My Review:
Good Taste is the incredible new novel by Caroline Scott, critically acclaimed author of The Photgrapher of the Lost, When I Come Home Again and The Visitors, all of which I loved. When I heard she was releasing a new book I knew I just had to read it. And I’m so glad I did, as Good Taste is every bit as good as its predecessors!
Although very different in tone to her previous work, in Good Taste the author still somehow captures a vivid sense of time and place that very few authors can achieve. Caroline Scott’s research is as impeccable as always, bringing to life the history of English food – or rather the history of where a lot of English food first originated from.
This time the focus is on Stella Douglas, author of a much loved but not very successful biography of a long forgotten cookery writer. When she is summoned to see her editor she is convinced that her career is over, but much to her surprise she is offered a new exciting commission, one that she eagerly embraces, determined to discover a hidden culinary gem. In her search for new and exciting English recipes, Stella heads off to talk to the women who are the backbone of the country – the nation’s housewives. But then her path crosses with charismatic Freddie and her life takes a whole new turn she wasn’t expecting…
Set against the historical backdrop of 1930s England, and with an underlying social commentary that took me completely by surprise, Good Taste is a stunning read that drew me in from the very first page and didn’t let go until the final emotion filled page had been turned. Beautifully written by Caroline Scott this book, which on the surface appears to be a light and humorous read, is a moving and authentic historical novel with a hidden depth to it that made my heart sing. Stella is a fascinating character who captured my heart from the outset, but who I couldn’t help but fall more and more in love with as the story progressed.
Caroline Scott is a phenomenal author whose passion for history shines through with every page. Gorgeously written, Good Taste is much lighter in tone than any of the author’s earlier books, which leaned more towards the horror of World War 1 and its aftermath. But even though there is a huge sense of fun running through this book, it goes much deeper than I expected, tugging on my heartstrings and keeping me thoroughly engaged from beginning to end.
With its gorgeous imagery, descriptions of food and larger than life cast of characters, Good Taste is a truly mesmerising historical novel that I would highly recommend.
Good Taste by Caroline Scott is available to purchase now:
Cal Turner Reviews 
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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