What is the Purpose That Drives You? A Book Review of My Life In France by Julia Child and Alex Prudhomme
An image of Julia Child’s kitchen.
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In the fall of 1948, recent newlyweds Julia and Paul Child disembarked on the dock in Le Havre, France. It was there that Julia discovered her purpose, which led her to become America’s iconic voice for French Cooking.
The book My Life in France by Julia Child and her nephew Alex Prud’homme is a beautifully executed memoir. You’ll almost hear Julia’s voice detailing her days in France as she cultivated her zeal for French cuisine. The book takes you on a vicarious tour of Paris post WWII, and most predominantly Julia’s personal quest as she takes the leap to study French cooking at Le Cordon Bleu.
Like many people, I first knew of Julia Child by watching her on public TV during her years as host of The French Chef (1963-1973). I would have been a kid with no interest in cooking at the time, but I remember her unique voice and style.
And then, by the time of the SNL skit with Dan Aykroyd in 1978, Julia was so well-known that even non-cooks such as me appreciated that she had become an institution in the culinary world. But, given I’m most notably a movie fan, it was the release of Julie & Julia in 2009 starring Amy Adams and Merle Streep (written and directed by Nora Ephron) that sold me entirely on Julia Child’s story.
When it came time to read My Life in France, I was ready to take the trip. The book turned out to be an unexpected and luscious pleasure. It was as if Julia and I were sitting together as I listened, while she lured me along. She confided and shared her take on life and many opinions along the way.
I also felt as though I were traveling as Julia weaved anecdotes of her experiences. There was the Paris apartment she and Paul made their own, plus the varied characters they conferred with daily as they navigated Paris. And, of course, there was a French cat.
I salivated over details of dishes they ate and wines they drank, and even enjoyed some of their late-night gatherings with the friends, too. But it was Julia’s enthusiasm that was most compelling and inspiring for me.
My Life in France offers several life lessons to consider as well. Here were some of my biggest takeaways:
French food is an adventure. It probably speaks to my somewhat limited food library, but not every dish Julia beautifully described would have been to my personal liking. (I’ll pass on the aspics, for example.) I was on board for chicken, fish, and the bread of course, but the pressed duck pushed beyond my personal culinary comfort.
I’ll tell you why, too, and you can decide if it would be up your alley or no. Canard á la Presse is a French delicacy served tableside. The dish involves a machine which funnels the duck meat through a press and squeezes out the juices, primarily blood. The drippings are then used to prepare a sauce which is also prepared tableside. The sauce is then spooned over the platted duck.
Julia, of course, was fascinated by the process, but I turned a bit green with her description. Here is a modern-day version of this dish being prepared over at New York City’s Daniel’s restaurant.
New chapters await so long as you reach for them. Julia’s story proves that new opportunities can come to those who pursue adventure no matter their age. Julia lived a middle class life in Pasadena, California until WWII when she went to work for the U.S. government and spent time in China. The experience opened her eyes to a larger world.
While in service, she met Paul Child, and they married when Julia was 40 years old. Paul continued to work in Federal service, which afforded them the opportunity to live abroad. Throughout the stories from My Life in France, we learn of their wonderful and supportive relationship. They were both creatives who enjoyed learning and traveling together.
Julia committed to help write a book about French cooking for American audiences, which was a breakthrough and untested idea at the time. A decade later when she was 50, Mastering the Art of French Cooking had been picked up by publisher Knopf and became a huge whirlwind success.
With the book launched, Julia dove headfirst into publicity and discovered the possibility of producing a cooking show for public TV. By her early 50s, Julia pioneered the cooking show format which became The French Chef.
Lifetime friendships and collaboration can be difficult. Julia teamed with authors Simone (Simca) Beck Fischbacher and Madame Louisette Bertholle for Mastering the Art of French Cooking. There were several setbacks along the way in the decade it took to publish the book.
Many stories detail the differing temperaments and work ethics of the authors, but they shared a passion for creating the cookbook, which kept them going. Each woman was a powerful personality in her own right, which sometimes led to clashes. For the sake of their goal, Julia explains the many compromises and adaptions each made to complete the work.
Differing political views in a family can be tough. Julia’s relationship with her father John McWilliams was a challenged one. He was conservative, and Julia was not. John held expectations that his daughter’s life would be traditional. As she says in the book, “He wanted his daughters to marry conservatives and breed like rabbits.”
Julia’s life with Paul and her love of Europe and French cooking did not meet with her father’s expectation. And they regularly collided on political views as well. Julia laments that she couldn’t be herself with her father.
Do what you love with gusto. Julia’s stories reveal her laser-focused engagement in her education and her work. Her drive had nothing to do with remuneration or recognition, but a dogged determination to do something important to her which she hoped would be important to others.
I found Julia’s attitude exhilarating. She presents how worthwhile it is to pursue a passion and to do work you value. The book drips with engaging stories of interesting people and delicious details of food, which she clearly got so much out of. The addition of Paul Child’s photographs peppered throughout is the icing on the cake of this delightful read.
Most importantly, My Life in France provides a contagious example of how to live, to choose your purpose, and to approach it each day with zest. I challenge any reader not to find a sense of renewal in their life, a firm desire to refresh and re-focus, after they read this book. Perhaps as you finish it, you’ll stand up and in your Julia Child voice shout, “Bon Appetite!”
Postscript: Spring is a time of thinking refresh and organizing of our spaces. I was in the mode BEFORE the pandemic required we all stay inside. If you need help and inspiration, I recommend the Get Organized Gal’s courses for support.
I used her course to organize my office, and it is in pretty good shape these days. Success in one space has lead to cleaning channels to other rooms and photos as well. Check out he courses here.
Sherry and Alexandra Borzo together in Lima, Peru
Sherry is the founder of Storied Gifts a personal publishing service of family and company histories. She and her team help clients curate and craft their stories into books. When not writing or interviewing, Sherry spends loads of time with her grandchildren and lives in Des Moines, Iowa.
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