Product Description

Lilla Eckford, interned in a Japanese civilian camp in China during the second world war after an extraordinary early life, passed her time by compiling a book about the joys of food. This precious cookery book, now in the possession of the Imperial War Museum, inspired Lilla's great-granddaughter, Frances Osborne, to investigate her enthralling story. Lilla's "Feast" spans the world from China to India and finally to England over a hundred years, and blends together personal history, world events, period atmosphere and family anecdotes into a brilliantly vibrant and poignant story.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #71933 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 289 pages

Amanda Foreman
'A wonderful, inspiring book, part page-turner, part history...Frances Osborne perfectly captures the stories of a lost generation of women.'

Santa Montefiore
'Passionately written and compelling...a wonderful read. The extraordinary life of this ordinary woman is a tumultuous feast of the senses.'

Tatler
'A wonderfully evocative, vivid, distilled book.'

Customer Reviews

lilla's feast
this book is a wonderfully personal insight into the life of an ordinary lady over the past century. she, like all of us just living life, can experience so much by opening our eyes to the most simple things around us. Basic things we do to live can provide such joy if we chose it to - just as Lilla did. the joy of food and its creations took her through the most painful things that any human might be expected to live through. the author is the grandaughter of lilla and there are pictures of Lilla at all stages in her life in China, India and the UK at her 100th birthday. this book shows the integrity of her generation that i hope will prevail. such a beautiful book - history as it should be delivered - in a personal and honest way. this book has been an inpsiration to me - opened my eyes to the lives of the 'ordinary' people around me. thanks to the author for writing it.

a satisfying feast
Eve Best succeeds in captivating the listener with this story that evokes a fascinating glimpse into Lilla's life, set amidst bygone culture and world events. It also provokes reflection on the morality of and the spin given to past and current political action.

veritable feast
What a fascinating read all the way through. How interesting the lives that were led in those times. Could not put this down, Recommended to friends who loved it as much as I did.