My Life in France

Inherownwords,hereisthecaptivatingstoryofJuliaChild’syearsinFrance,whereshefellinlovewithFrenchfoodandfound‘hertruecalling.’FromthemomenttheshipdockedinLeHavreinthefallof1948andJuliawatchedthewell-muscledstevedoresunloadingthecargotothefirstperfectlysoignémealthatsheandherhusband,Paul,savoredinRouenenroutetoParis,wherehewastoworkfortheUSIS,Juliahadanawakeningthatchangedherlife.Soonthistall,outspokengalfromPasadena,California,whodidn’tspeakawordofFrenchandknewnothingaboutthecountry,wassteepedinthelanguage,chattingwithpurveyorsinthelocalmarkets,andenrolledintheCordonBleu.Aftermanagingtogetherdegreedespitethemachinationsofthedisagreeabledirectriceoftheschool,Juliastartedteachingcookingclassesherself,thenteamedupwithtwofellowgourmettes,SimoneBeckandLouisetteBertholle,tohelpthemwithabooktheyweretryingtowriteonFrenchcookingforAmericans.Throwingherselfheartandsoulintomakingitauniqueandthoroughteachingbook,onlytosufferseveralroundsofpainfulrejection,ispartofthebehind-the-scenesdramathatJuliarevealswithherinimitablegustoanddisarminghonesty.Filledwiththebeautifulblack-and-whitephotographsthatPaullovedtotakewhenhewasnotbattlingbureaucrats,aswellasfamilysnapshots,thismemoirislacedwithwonderfulstoriesabouttheFrenchcharacter,particularlyintheworldoffood,andthewayoflifethatJuliaembracedsowholeheartedly.Aboveall,sherevealsthekindofspiritanddetermination,thesheerloveofcooking,andthedrivetosharethatwithherfellowAmericansthatmadehertheextraordinarysuccessshebecame.Levoici.Etbonappétit!,