My Life in France (Paperback)

by: Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme

Published by: Anchor

Reviewed by Yuka Mizushima

Julia Child arrived in France in 1948, newly married and unable to speak French. Jusband, Paul Child worked for the American Embassy in Paris. At first Julia was worried that the French would be a “nation of icky picky eaters,” but she soon became a Francophile. She studied French and fell in love with the food, the people and the picturesque surroundings.

My Life in France is a memoir that reads like a love letter to her husband and to the country and food that would have a great impact on Julia’s life.

I enjoyed her humorous anecdotes about practicing French with her sister, and the effects of English tea and chirping on her disposition. Child is also candid, whether she’s writing about her wish to start a family or her strained relationship with her father.

Julia encountered many interesting people: the food writer Prince Curonsky; the maid, Crazy Jeanne; and The Gourmettes, an exclusive women’s only eating club. It was through the Gourmettes that Julia met Simca Beck Fischbacher and Louisette Bertholle. These three ladies started their own cooking school, L’Ecole des Trois Gourmettes. Simca and Louisette asked Julia to help them complete their cookbook, which they hoped to get published in the United States. After many hours of research, rewrites and letters to different publishing companies, Mastering the Art of French Cooking was finally published. This book led to Julia getting her own cooking show on television.

Living in France Julia became passionate about food and was determined to get a certificate from the Cordon Bleu cooking school. She also discovered how much she enjoyed “cook bookery.” You can sense her joy and enthusiasm about food–whether she’s trying to perfect a mayonnaise recipe or contemplating the many recipes for bouillabaisse. Warning, if you read this on an empty stomach, you’ll probably have to pause to get a snack!

The book also provides a snapshot of the political atmosphere, incliuding Paul being investigated by the McCarthy administrations.

As I was reading, I could hear Julia’s voice narrating the book as she was exclaiming in delight or dismay: “Woe!” “Phooey!”

Armchair Interviews says: Read My Life in France before you see “Julie & Julia,” a film with Meryl Streep playing Julia Child.