'A sensual feast of a novel, written with elegance, beauty, charm and skill in a voice that is both lyrical and unique' Santa Montefiore
Eliza Acton, despite having never before boiled an egg, became one of the worldâs most successful cookery writers, revolutionizing cooking and cookbooks around the world. Her story is fascinating, uplifting and truly inspiring.
Told in alternate voices by the award-winning author of The Joyce Girl, and with recipes that leap to life from the page, The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs is the most thought-provoking and page-turning historical novel youâll read this year, exploring the enduring struggle for female freedom, the power of female friendship, the creativity and quiet joy of cooking and the poetry of food, all while bringing Eliza Action out of the archives and back into the public eye.
âI love Abbsâs writing and the extraordinary, hidden stories she unearths. Eliza Acton is her best discovery yetâ Clare Pooley
'A literary - and culinary - triumph!' Hazel Gaynor
âExhilarating to read - thoughtful, heart-warming and poignant, with a quiet intelligence and elegance that does its heroine proudâ Bridget Collins
'A sumptuous banquet of a book that nourished me and satisfied me just as Eliza Actonâs meals would have... I adored it' Polly Crosby
âWonderful... Abbs is such a good story teller. She catches period atmosphere and character so wellâ Vanessa Nicolson
'Two of my favourite topics in one elegantly written novel - womenâs lives and food history. I absolutely loved it' Polly Russell
'A story of courage, unlikely friendship and an exceptional character, told in vibrant and immersive prose' Caroline Scott
âRichly imagined and emotionally tenderâ Pen Vogler
'Characters that leap off the page, a fascinating story and so much atmosphere, you feel you're in the kitchen with Eliza - I loved it.' Frances Quinn
'Clever, unsentimental, beautifully detailed and quietly riveting' Elizabeth Buchan, author of Two Women in Rome
