Especially in her early novels, which take place shortly after World War II when rationing was still in effect, Pym's characters are often noted for their simple meals.

In An Unsuitable Attachment, parts of which take place in Rome, English characters struggle to adjust to the food and the cuisine.

As a result of the strong interest, her literary executors made available several previously unpublished novels, an autobiography, and a biography.

Publishers Weekly called it "respectfully yet whimsically presented" and noted the importance of cooking and other "small things in life" to Pym's literary style.

[3] The Paris Review notes that, while Pym herself was acknowledged as a good cook, the food featured in her novels is often (deliberately) unsatisfactory, and that renders the idea of a cookbook taken from her works rather unusual to 21st century tastes.