My Life in France

In her own words, here is the captivating story of Julia Child’s years in France, where she fell in love with French food and found ‘her true calling.’

From the moment the ship docked in Le Havre in the fall of 1948 and Julia watched the well-muscled stevedores unloading the cargo to the first perfectly soigné meal that she and her husband, Paul, savored in Rouen en route to Paris, where he was to work for the USIS, Julia had an awakening that changed her life. Soon this tall, outspoken gal from Pasadena, California, who didn’t speak a word of French and knew nothing about the country, was steeped in the language, chatting with purveyors in the local markets, and enrolled in the Cordon Bleu.

After managing to get her degree despite the machinations of the disagreeable directrice of the school, Julia started teaching cooking classes herself, then teamed up with two fellow gourmettes, Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, to help them with a book they were trying to write on French cooking for Americans. Throwing herself heart and soul into making it a unique and thorough teaching book, only to suffer several rounds of painful rejection, is part of the behind-the-scenes drama that Julia reveals with her inimitable gusto and disarming honesty.

Filled with the beautiful black-and-white photographs that Paul loved to take when he was not battling bureaucrats, as well as family snapshots, this memoir is laced with wonderful stories about the French character, particularly in the world of food, and the way of life that Julia embraced so wholeheartedly. Above all, she reveals the kind of spirit and determination, thesheer love of cooking, and the drive to share that with her fellow Americans that made her the extraordinary success she became.

Le voici. Et bon appétit! The New York Times - Alan Riding

The result is a delight. On one level, it's the story of how a "6-foot-2-inch, 36-year-old, rather loud and unserious Californian" ? her words ? discovered the fullness of life in France. On another, it recounts the making of "Julia Child," America's grande dame of French cooking. Inevitably, the stories overlap.More Reviews and RecommendationsBiography

Before celebrity chefs like Emeril and Nigella came onto the culinary scene, Julia Child was teaching America how to flamb?. When her groundbreaking television program, The French Chef, came into our kitchens, thousands of viewers tuned in to watch Julia flip crepes, blanch beans, and sear steaks, and to hear her signature sign-off: "Bon app?tit!"More About the AuthorCustomer ReviewsReader Rating: Ratings: 129Reviews: 71See All ReviewsJulia's Heart Shines Throughby PassionateCook

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February 22, 2010: Julia's passion for food, France, friends and her beloved Paul shine through her writings. I think most home cooks and certainly professional chefs will love how the "scientist" in Julia led her to research French cuisine so thoroughly. And she made complex recipes approachable for anyone who seeks a great eating experience. This book was so much better than "Julie and Julia"!! We are blessed that Julia made the effort to write this before she died and all this detail would have been lost.Julia serves up a wonderful read!by Pegster67

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February 22, 2010: Reading "My Life in France" makes you wish it was YOUR life in France - a witty yet educational journey as rich and as colorful as France itself. You get a wonderful glimpse into the private lives of Julia and Paul, their work for the US Government and how initially isolated Julia felt in a foreign country before she took France by storm! The book includes a lot of French phrases and terminology; so much so, that by the end of the book, you actually understand it! It is also filled with Julia's humor and to one who is a fan of Julia's, you can almost "hear" the book coming from her own mouth. It was a delightful read - most certainly for any fan of Julia's - or for anyone who just wants to read a good book. Bon appetit!!