MY FINE FELLOW

A sparkling retelling of My Fair Lady set in an alternate 1830s London in which Princess Charlotte lives to become queen.

Helena Higgins and Penelope Pickering are top students at the Royal Academy of Culinaria Artisticus who dream of being culinary consultants for England’s moneyed elite. While Helena is known for her bossy nature and discerning palate, Penelope specializes in drawing on international flavors to create memorable dishes. While shopping at Covent Garden, they come across street peddler Elijah Little, whose “Faraway Pasties”—actually empanadas—leave Helena convinced that with some polish she can turn Elijah into a sought-after gentleman chef. Cohen strikes a compelling balance between paying homage to her source material and telling a new story about two outsiders trying to make their marks in a deeply prejudicial society. Penelope’s White English father and Filipina mother live abroad in order to protect their White-passing child’s prospects. Orphaned Elijah’s family fled to England from Bavaria to escape antisemitism. Cohen seamlessly weaves historical facts about England’s Jewish communities throughout her novel, and readers will connect to both Penelope’s and Elijah’s desires to remain true to themselves in a world that would prefer them to stay on the margins.

A compelling novel that showcases the diversity of 19th-century England.