My Life in France

Julia Child

A memoir begun just months before Child's death describes the legendary food expert's years in Paris, Marseille, and Provence and her journey from a young woman from Pasadena who cannot cook or speak any French to the publication of her legendary Mastering cookbooks and her winning the hearts of America as "The French Chef." 150,000 first printing.

What an absolute joy. And the added bonus of reading while in Paris…it doesn’t get better than this.

Sarah Erle

Laura Mauler

Heavenly inspiration! I want to be just like Julia Child, not for her cooking but for her enthusiasm for life. She doesn't know things and isn't afraid to ask (huge failing of mine), and when she sets about learning things she does so whole-heartedly. Not just with cooking - she didn't learn to cook a drop until she was 36!! - but in art and world affairs and foreign cultures. Truly, she seems to have said yes to living life, and I think she would have been the best of fun to know.

My favorite bit of advice: "I don't believe in twisting yourself into knots of excuses and explanations over the food you make. When one's hostess starts in with self-depreciations such as "Oh, I don't know how to cook...," or "Poor little me..," or "This may taste awful..." it is so dreadful to have to reassure her that everything is delicious and fine, whether it is or not. Besides, such admissions only draw attention to one's shortcomings (or self-perceived shortcomings), and make the other person think, "Yes, you're right, this really IS an awful meal!" Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed - eh bien, tant pis!" (p. 77).

Gillian Rose

Lovely story and journey of an icon!!! Thank you Julia!

Becca M

Nicole Vanderbilt

We should all strive to be more like Julia!

Elizabeth Moore

"Adored" is the perfect word for how I felt about this book. Finishing it dragged on for me as I stared it during a really busy work month and then had to put it down for a book club read, and the beginning of the book did feel just a tad lethargic, but man did I love the whole thing!

First off, Julia is just about the most inspiring person ever. She found what she truly loved to do at age 35, she put her heart and soul and sweat into every once of her work and wasn't just some lazy overnight success like everyone seems to be these days, she had such a rich marriage and friendship with her soulmate/husband Paul, and she saw all of the world.

Secondly, it is so much fun to listen to her talk about food! I never thought I could be so fascinated as to what goes into a really good cookbook (the Bible of cookbooks, for that matter) and to all of the research and testing that could go into it. It was so cool to see how her and her partners' fame was born.

Lastly, Julia's descriptions of place are amazing - this book is just as much a travel book as it is a memoir or a book on food. Traveling with Julia and Paul to Paris, Marsaille, Provence, Plittersdorf, Germany, and Oslo as well as back in the US from coast to coast was so engaging and transportive.

Julia's outlook on life is wildly positive and contagious. You can't help but take on the same outlook while reading this book, and I hope after you're done as well!

Jess Madson

My new life motto is WWJD - what would Julia do? I thought this book was absolutely charming and could hardly put it down. Marriage, travel, writing, cooking - Julia Child did it all with an open mind and heart, as well as a great sense of humor, and her perspective has inspired me to look for the good and the fun in everything.

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 did not know the first thing about cooking. What's a shallot? she asked her husband Paul, as they waited for their sole meunière 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 My Life in France follows her extraordinary transformation from kitchen ingénue to internationally renowned (and loved) expert in French cuisine. Bursting with adventurous and humorous spirit, Julia Child captures post-war Paris with wonderful vividness and charm.

My Life in France

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