If an army marches on its stomach, can a cook win the war? A dystopian story about food, friendship, loyalty, courage…and what unites us as the world tries to tear us apart.
It’s 2049, in a Russian-occupied America ravaged by civil war. Valerie Kipplander—daughter of the assassinated secretary of state—is thrown in jail. When the regime discovers this daughter of privilege is also a talented culinary student, she’s forced into service in the kitchen of a Russian general whose troops occupy New York.
The general’s mansion proves a prison of a different sort. The head chef has a mysterious past. The Russians have a more insidious agenda than what they’ve promised. The resistance wants her on their side. And one of the guards wants her dead.
Valerie knows she must take a stand. The risks are monumental, the choices few. But how long can she serve the men bent on destroying her beloved country?
Interview with Cyrus Webb / Conversations Live about The Kitchen Brigade.
Reviews for The Kitchen Brigade
“In The Kitchen Brigade, a powerful dystopian imagining of a post-Trump world in which Russia has overtaken America, author Laurie Boris pulls us into unexpected territory with her rich, detailed narrative of the despair, courage, and persistent creativity found amongst a band of female chefs forced to serve their captors.” — Lorraine Devon Wilke, author of The Alchemy of Noiseand Hysterical Love
“Page turning all too believable dystopian spy novel with a dash of lavender. The best dystopian novels that I have read have just a trace of believability while being just outrageous enough for your inner voice to tell you, “I can kinda see things going that way but, nah!” However, this fictional future of post-civil war occupied American novel reads more like next week’s HBO documentary. In other words, more of a horror story than a cautionary tale. To me, this turned the same switches in my brain that usually are only accessed by Stephen King, M. Night Shyamalan, or Hitchcock perhaps. Centering around a wonderful cast of the damaged and flawed, taking beautiful dashes of iron chef, chopped, and other cooking fantastic shows an entree of action, suspense, and romance get the perfect bake. As a result, the story is suitable for either Hollywood or Paul Hollywood.” —AE Drury
“There have been a few books written and movies made around the theme of America being occupied by Russia. I have never read one that seemed possible or realistic until now. I just loved it and it is very timely in the current political environment.
“What I liked most about The Kitchen Brigade is the lesson that unity matters. Politics matter. Who we choose to be as a nation matters. To bring all those points home in a way that is not preachy but very entertaining and thoughtful takes good writing and great characters. Laurie Boris gives us that. And she gives it to us in abundance. Valerie, Tomas, and Etienne are just three of the proud Americans that inhabit this novel. They made me proud to be American. They represent a sentiment that I believe is true. Americans will always fight back, and they are at their best when things are at their worst. Great book.” —Ray Simmons for Readers Choice
Review of The Kitchen Brigade: The Ruined Chapel
Laurie Boris 