When Julia Child arrived in Paris in 1948, a 'six-foot-two-inch, thirty-six-year-old, rather loud and unserious Californian', she spoke barely a few words of French, and didn't know the first thing about cooking. 'What's a shallot?' she asked her husband Paul, as they waited for their sole meuniere during their very first lunch in France, which she was to describe later as 'the most exciting meal of my life'. As she fell in love with French culture, buying food at local markets, sampling the local bistros and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life began to change forever, and we follow her extraordinary transformation from kitchen ingenue to internationally renowned (and internationally loved) expert in French cuisine. Bursting with Child's adventurous and humorous spirit, 'My Life in France' captures post-war Paris with wonderful vividness and charm.
My Life in France
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Child's exuberant, affectionate and boundlessly charming account ... chronicles, in mouth-watering detail, the meals and the food markets that sparked her interest in French cooking, and her growing appreciation of all things French. --New York Times
Luscious … The large-as-life presence of Julia Child looms on every page. --Washington Times
Whether you have [seen Julie & Julia] or not, you must read this charming, eccentric memoir from Julia Child, a towering figure in the world of cookery. --Independent on Sunday --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Luscious … The large-as-life presence of Julia Child looms on every page. --Washington Times
Whether you have [seen Julie & Julia] or not, you must read this charming, eccentric memoir from Julia Child, a towering figure in the world of cookery. --Independent on Sunday --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
About the Author
Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California. She worked for the OSS during World War II; afterwards she lived in Paris, studied at the Cordon Bleu and taught cooking with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, with whom she wrote the first volume of 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' (1961). From 1963 to 1973 she presented 'The French Chef' on American television, and several other television shows and numerous cookbooks followed. She died in 2004. Alex Prud'homme, Paul Child's grandnephew, is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in 'The New York Times', 'The New Yorker', 'Vanity Fair' and 'Time'. He is the author of 'The Cell Game' and the co-author of 'Forewarned'.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
75 of 77 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
My Life in France is the most entertaining memoir I've read in 2006! It's a winner.
I first met Julia Child under unusual circumstances. My consulting firm was located down the street from where she got her hair done. Every Friday night, she would be seen peering into the windows to look at our art collection. After a few weeks of this, I walked outside and invited her in to tour the work up close. She was immediately studying everything from about three inches away. She thanked me politely and charged out the door. There was no hint of the slightly tipsy person filled with laughter who hosted The French Chef. Ah . . . I felt like I had met the real woman beneath the persona.
From that meeting, I gathered that she was a woman moved more than most by curiosity. I found myself also being curious about how she learned enough about French cooking to help co-author that masterwork, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Most French people in those days would not choose working with an American as a way to produce a work about France. That would be like putting salty Virginia ham into Quiche Lorraine.
My Life in France nicely filled in all the blanks for me. The book was lovingly finished by her grand-nephew, Paul Prud'homme, after Julia's death and is filled with lovely photographs produced by Julia's husband, Paul Child.
Here's the short version of the book. Julia had been in Asia for World War II as part of the OSS and met her husband there. He was ten years older than she was and well traveled . . . especially in France. After World War II, he joined the USIS (predecessor to the USIA) which played a friendly sort of propaganda function promoting American values and ways of doing things.... Read more ›
I first met Julia Child under unusual circumstances. My consulting firm was located down the street from where she got her hair done. Every Friday night, she would be seen peering into the windows to look at our art collection. After a few weeks of this, I walked outside and invited her in to tour the work up close. She was immediately studying everything from about three inches away. She thanked me politely and charged out the door. There was no hint of the slightly tipsy person filled with laughter who hosted The French Chef. Ah . . . I felt like I had met the real woman beneath the persona.
From that meeting, I gathered that she was a woman moved more than most by curiosity. I found myself also being curious about how she learned enough about French cooking to help co-author that masterwork, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Most French people in those days would not choose working with an American as a way to produce a work about France. That would be like putting salty Virginia ham into Quiche Lorraine.
My Life in France nicely filled in all the blanks for me. The book was lovingly finished by her grand-nephew, Paul Prud'homme, after Julia's death and is filled with lovely photographs produced by Julia's husband, Paul Child.
Here's the short version of the book. Julia had been in Asia for World War II as part of the OSS and met her husband there. He was ten years older than she was and well traveled . . . especially in France. After World War II, he joined the USIS (predecessor to the USIA) which played a friendly sort of propaganda function promoting American values and ways of doing things.... Read more ›
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By A. B.
Format:Paperback
I bought this book after watching 'Julie and Julia' in the cinema. As I loved the film I was curious to find out more about Julia Child's life.
This book certainly gives a good insight into her life and you get a real feel of how passionate she was about food. However, this book gets a bit too foody at times, there are only so many descriptions about food she has eaten and cooked one can read without getting a bit bored!
If you are a serious food lover, you will love this book but if you expect the whit and fun of the film you might be a bit disappointed.
This book certainly gives a good insight into her life and you get a real feel of how passionate she was about food. However, this book gets a bit too foody at times, there are only so many descriptions about food she has eaten and cooked one can read without getting a bit bored!
If you are a serious food lover, you will love this book but if you expect the whit and fun of the film you might be a bit disappointed.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I could not put this book down. I have personally never owned any Julia Child cookbooks but had purchased the book as I knew she had gone to Le Cordon Bleu and I wanted to know how she had evolved into such a culinary powerhouse. What struck me most about the book was the matter of fact language, it wasn't romanticized at all, but showed how she fell into cooking in her middle age and how that evolved into something so much bigger. It was inspirational for me, as it shows that one doesn't need to have picked up cooking very early on (although this is normally better), but is something that can be learned and developed well into your later years with much dedication and pratice =)
Read it!
Read it!
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Whether you have seen 'Julie and Julia' or not, this is worth reading.
It is a good story with lots of suspense - even if you know that the book eventually gets published. There's much more, however, about life in the 1950s and its fascinating. You'll even get seduced into wondering what all these French recipes are really like.
Finally, it's beautifully written and a joy to read.
It is a good story with lots of suspense - even if you know that the book eventually gets published. There's much more, however, about life in the 1950s and its fascinating. You'll even get seduced into wondering what all these French recipes are really like.
Finally, it's beautifully written and a joy to read.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By maya j
Format:Hardcover
'My Life in France' is a superb book that effuses with that wonderful endearing quality we have all come to know and love in Julia Child. The book focuses mainly on the early years of developing her first cookbooks and television show.
The book begins when she and her husband, Paul, make their first trip to France because of his new job assignment. You feel her giddy excitement upon landing on the shores of a place she had for so long desired to go. We hear in minute detail the look, smell and taste of her first French meal, and from there we are introduced to "La Belle France". Before I began the book, I wondered for how long I could sustain reading each night about a person's breakfast, lunch or dinner meal that had been eaten 50 years prior, but Julia has such an adorable way of speaking, and her sometimes child-like observations of life and people around her are so heartwarming, you just wish you had been there. As the book progresses, she speaks about her collaboration with two women for her first book, and sometimes the claws come out. You're thinking, "Julia!" But, as with all friendships, there are things that agree with us and things that don't. Without some of these tidbits, the book may have been too trite, or frankly boring. Subsequently, it was interesting to hear of the minor squabbles that occurred between the women and the simple controversies concerning her husband and his role as a "diplomat". Paul and Julia Child made many friends overseas, whom they adored and loved. The majority of these people stayed in her inner circle until the end of their lives. For me, night after night, I couldn't wait to sit down and read about so many dinner parties with simmering meats and side dishes, lovely conversations, and eccentric friends.... Read more ›
The book begins when she and her husband, Paul, make their first trip to France because of his new job assignment. You feel her giddy excitement upon landing on the shores of a place she had for so long desired to go. We hear in minute detail the look, smell and taste of her first French meal, and from there we are introduced to "La Belle France". Before I began the book, I wondered for how long I could sustain reading each night about a person's breakfast, lunch or dinner meal that had been eaten 50 years prior, but Julia has such an adorable way of speaking, and her sometimes child-like observations of life and people around her are so heartwarming, you just wish you had been there. As the book progresses, she speaks about her collaboration with two women for her first book, and sometimes the claws come out. You're thinking, "Julia!" But, as with all friendships, there are things that agree with us and things that don't. Without some of these tidbits, the book may have been too trite, or frankly boring. Subsequently, it was interesting to hear of the minor squabbles that occurred between the women and the simple controversies concerning her husband and his role as a "diplomat". Paul and Julia Child made many friends overseas, whom they adored and loved. The majority of these people stayed in her inner circle until the end of their lives. For me, night after night, I couldn't wait to sit down and read about so many dinner parties with simmering meats and side dishes, lovely conversations, and eccentric friends.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Toujous Bon Appetite
Julia Child and the places you will go. Who knew, that this tall woman with the high voice that I saw on television was once filled with lust? Read more
Published 13 days ago by prisrob
5.0 out of 5 stars
My wife loved it.
We enjoyed her shows when we lived in California in the 80s and I bought this after we watched Julie & Julia a few weeks ago.
My wife loved it and that's good enough for me.
My wife loved it and that's good enough for me.
Published 2 months ago by T. Kelly
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
Really enjoyed the book, such a lovely insight into Julia Child's time in France & beyond. Anyone with an interest in her cooking would love it
Published 3 months ago by Elizabeth Tanner
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Life in France
My Life In France is a biography of Julia Child, one of the key figures in bringing French cuisine to America, and one of the first TV chefs. Read more
Published 3 months ago by oxfoodblog
4.0 out of 5 stars
Julia's life in Julia's words
This is a lovely book, written with heart and care. Julia Child had a wonderful life full of travel and cookery experiences, and because the cooking part came later in her life she... Read more
Published 3 months ago by ribenaberry2001
1.0 out of 5 stars
Kindle edition poorly edited
I have only read the sample and will not be buying the book. Not because I am not interested, but because it is very poorly edited. For example:
"[... Read more
"[... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Eva-Maria
4.0 out of 5 stars
My Life in France
I loved reading this account of Julia Child in France and how she began cooking. Mastering the art of French Cooking is a classic and since watching "Julie and Julia" I was... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Hazel Parker
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for a foodie
I love this book. I had seen the movie first, which is where I first heard about Julia Child. This is a beautifully told story of her time living in France.
Published 5 months ago by louise
4.0 out of 5 stars
My life in France
I enjoyed reading about Julia Childs and her great passion for French food.
I had seen the film 'Julie and Julia' and loved it. Read more
I had seen the film 'Julie and Julia' and loved it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Liz
4.0 out of 5 stars
Julia Child
This is a necessary addition to any book shelf of fans of Julia Child. We get a close look at Julia's life and relationships in this book and although it is a large book the time... Read more
Published 8 months ago by edel
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