If you class yourself to be a foodie, you are sure to really enjoy this book. If you are a lover of historic fiction, then I recommend you read this novel. If you are a big foodie and also love history, then I am sure you will discover The Language of Food to be a fascinating read. I definitely did, finding it so captivating and insightful.
And look at that cover. I’m sure you’ll agree that it is so artistic and truly stunning!
Written by award winning author Annabel Abbs, The Language of Food is the fictional account of Eliza Acton, an exceptional real-life woman that lived in the 19th century. I am so shocked that history seems to have practically forgotten Eliza as she changed the course of how we all cook. Eliza Acton was the first ever recipe writer to list ingredients – something we all take for granted today. Her recipe book, Modern Cookery which was published in 1845 was also the first recipe book to include measurements and timings – again something we all take for granted when following a recipe.
Most importantly The Language of Food is a compelling story of defying societal expectations as it evocatively portrays the fight for female empowerment. It is a poignant account of the often cruel and judgemental views of 19th century society, especially relating to social hierarchy, mental health and women.
Told using a dual narrative from the point of view of Eliza and her scullery maid Anne Kirby, this beautiful novel also showcases the power of female friendship and respect.
By her own admission Annabel Abbs condensed the ten years Eliza spent writing her cookery book to a much shorter time-frame. This has resulted in the creation of captivating novel. It is so rich in historic detail, especially as it is an absorbing historical account of food in British society. I found this absolutely fascinating as I have always believed food is a great way to learn about different cultures. I was amazed to discover from reading The Language of Food that processed convenience food had already started to influence early Victorian culture. However I loved that Eliza expresses her disdain for for this convenience food as just like today, it lacked nutritional value. This is a view I happily share with Eliza as I am very influenced by my sister who is a nutritionist, and who I will definitely be encouraging to read this book. I am sure she will find it insightful too.
Thank you once again to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of the blog tour of The Language of Food. Thank you also to Annabel Abbs for giving me an all-consuming and informative reading experience.
The Language of Food is released on 3 February 2022, so you haven’t got long to wait! 🙂
To view the reviews from my fellow book bloggers also on the blog tour of this brilliant read, please see below.
Happy reading everyone! 🙂
Thanks for the blog tour support x