As the Cold War chilled, inside a Melbourne house a young girl was caught in the crossfire of domestic conflict amid the clashing political and social values of her autocratic grandmother, her self-denying mother, and her glamorous aunt; three women who presented very different models of womanhood.
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Summary
As the Cold War chilled, inside a Melbourne house a young girl was caught in the crossfire of domestic conflict amid the clashing political and social values of her autocratic grandmother, her self-denying mother, and her glamorous aunt; three women who presented very different models of womanhood.
Description
The 1950s. Boring?
Hardly.
An influx of European refugees, stirrings of feminism, and the threat of a third world war were remaking Australia. As the Cold War chilled, inside a Melbourne house a young girl was caught in the crossfire of domestic conflict amid the clashing political and social values of her autocratic grandmother, her self-denying mother, and her glamorous aunt; three women who presented very different models of womanhood.
Critic Reviews
Praise for Cold War in a Hot Kitchen
'A joyful and compassionate memoir replete with family lore and Australian history' - Marylee MacDonald, Surrender, winner of Wishing Shelf Book Award
'Compelling reading. Spence's attention to detail and well-researched analyses are a rich contribution to the study of twentieth century Australian social history.' - Jennifer Radden, Professor Emerita, Department of Philosophy, University of Massachusetts Boston
'Cold War in a Hot Kitchen takes us to an almost forgotten Melbourne, steeped in carefulness after two world wars and a depression. An ambiguous time of outward conformity and growing unease. In this beautifully remembered record, a middle-class girl learns to be a woman in a time on the cusp of radical change. A joy to read.' - Janet McCalman
'Charming and perceptive memoir of a middle-class Melbourne girlhood in the 1950s and the constraints on women's lives.' - Judith Brett, Emeritus Professor of Politics, La Trobe University
About the Author
Margaret Ann Spence is the author of two novels, the award winning Lipstick on the Strawberry and the award finalist Joyous Lies. A graduate of Melbourne University, Margaret worked for Penguin Books (Australia) Ltd, and Walkabout magazine before moving to the United States to obtain a master's degree in journalism from Boston University. She worked in public relations, earned an MBA degree, and has published in newspapers and print and online magazines. Retaining close ties with Australia, Margaret was appointed the Australian Honorary Consul in Boston 1990-2000. She moved to Phoenix, Arizona, on her marriage to the Australian scientist John C.H. Spence FRS. Following his death in 2021 Margaret splits her time between Arizona and Massachusetts, where her children live with their families.
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