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The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act
The enchanting story of Julia Child's years as a TV personality and beloved cookbook author, a sequel-in-spirit to My Life in France--by her great-nephew.
Julia Child is synonymous with French cooking, but her legacy runs much deeper. Now, Alex Prud'homme, Child's great-nephew and My Life in France co-author, vividly recounts the myriad ways in which she profoundly shaped how we eat today. He shows us Child in the aftermath of the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, suddenly finding herself America's First Lady of French Food and under considerable pressure to embrace her new mantle. We see her dealing with difficult colleagues and the challenges of fame, ultimately using her newfound celebrity to create what would become a totally new type of food television. Every bit as entertaining, inspiring, and delectable as My Life in France, the book uncovers the Julia Child beyond her "French Chef" persona and reveals her second act to have been as groundbreaking and adventurous as her first.
Julia Child is synonymous with French cooking, but her legacy runs much deeper. Now, Alex Prud'homme, Child's great-nephew and My Life in France co-author, vividly recounts the myriad ways in which she profoundly shaped how we eat today. He shows us Child in the aftermath of the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, suddenly finding herself America's First Lady of French Food and under considerable pressure to embrace her new mantle. We see her dealing with difficult colleagues and the challenges of fame, ultimately using her newfound celebrity to create what would become a totally new type of food television. Every bit as entertaining, inspiring, and delectable as My Life in France, the book uncovers the Julia Child beyond her "French Chef" persona and reveals her second act to have been as groundbreaking and adventurous as her first.
336 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2016
115 people are currently reading
1128 people want to read
About the author
Alex Prud’homme
13 books53 followersAlex Prud’homme is an American journalist and the author of several non-fiction books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
October 4, 2017
It was great to spend a week in the world of Julia Child. Since I've read several biographies on her, I didn't learn anything new (except that Hugh Hefner had a hand in building the magazine Food & Wine :-o), but when I closed the last page and thought to myself, I'm not sure if I actually like her. At times, I find her pushy, obstinate, and close minded. Perhaps that explains her success. Despite that, I still find her an inspiration, as a woman who really made herself in the second part of her life. Prud'Homme is her grand nephew, so it was great to see things through his eyes. While repetitive in parts, the way he brought the story together was lovely.
July 29, 2021
A biography of Julia Child's later years. Like the previous book My Life in France, there is a lot of detail in here. Some of it was interesting to me, but some of it was unnecessary and it dragged on a bit.
July 4, 2017
I found this book so fascinating! Of course I knew who Julia Child was before reading this book, but I don't think I understood what a profound effect she had on American cooking and food culture. It's gotten me interested in reading and owning some of Julia Child's cookbooks and watching The French Chef and her other shows.
Although the author confusingly skips around in time occasionally and there were a few parts having to do with the history of culinary movements that I skimmed, this is well worth the read. I loved Julia Child's memoir My Life in France, which was written with Alex Prud'Homme and this is a fascinating continuation of the life of Julia Child.
Recommended for readers who are interested in food memoir/biography.
Although the author confusingly skips around in time occasionally and there were a few parts having to do with the history of culinary movements that I skimmed, this is well worth the read. I loved Julia Child's memoir My Life in France, which was written with Alex Prud'Homme and this is a fascinating continuation of the life of Julia Child.
Recommended for readers who are interested in food memoir/biography.
August 10, 2016
I don't know why I should enjoy reading about Julia Child (I don't cook and have no plans to start), but I do. One of my favorite books about her is Alex Prud'homme's previous book with Julia, My Life in France, about Julia's early life and her memories of living and visiting France. The French Chef in America, written without Julia, who died in 2004, picks up where My Life in France left off, with the Childs' return to America and Julia's increasing success and fame, as a TV personality and a cookbook author.
As the grandson of Julia's husband's twin brother (got that?), Prud'homme knew Julia and visited her sometimes, but my impression is that these were rare occasions. So he had to do the research, and he may have had some access to letters and memories of other family members, but what results is a solid and thorough biography. I even learned a few things I hadn't already read elsewhere, such as that Julia had a total of three facelifts over the years. We also learn a little more about the years of Paul's decline and about Julia's less successful attempts at TV series.
For my money, the best book overall about Julia Child and her TV career is Dana Polan's Julia Child's The French Chef, the best just the facts book is Laura Shapiro's Julia Child, and the most gossipy is Dearie by Bob Spitz. My Life in France is fun for Julia's personal memories and now The French Chef in America fills in a few holes about her career and professional decisions.
As the grandson of Julia's husband's twin brother (got that?), Prud'homme knew Julia and visited her sometimes, but my impression is that these were rare occasions. So he had to do the research, and he may have had some access to letters and memories of other family members, but what results is a solid and thorough biography. I even learned a few things I hadn't already read elsewhere, such as that Julia had a total of three facelifts over the years. We also learn a little more about the years of Paul's decline and about Julia's less successful attempts at TV series.
For my money, the best book overall about Julia Child and her TV career is Dana Polan's Julia Child's The French Chef, the best just the facts book is Laura Shapiro's Julia Child, and the most gossipy is Dearie by Bob Spitz. My Life in France is fun for Julia's personal memories and now The French Chef in America fills in a few holes about her career and professional decisions.
February 2, 2025
Quite enjoyable, but much different from My Life in France. This book is written in third person rather than first and takes a more journalistic approach. While My Life in France followed Julia through the early years in France as she was discovering and developing her art and passion for culinary work, this emphasizes how that dream later came to fruition in the states and helped to transform the culinary landscape in America from jello mold, box mix everything to a grassroots culinary revolution and the rise of the celebrity chef as an influence in American homes (via the digital community caused by the new popularity of television), restaurants, and supermarkets. Informative and well-written, but I like to imagine Julia and Paul in France, with the dream just taking hold, and no idea what it would turn to be.
February 13, 2023
This was pretty good. Not quite as good as My Life in France, that one was definitely better than this one. This book got a little slow at times, and it felt a little all over the place at times too. But I was wanting to learn about the rest of Julia’s life after My Life in France ended & this book did satisfy my want for more! Just wish it was organized a little differently, and stayed on topic more.
January 2, 2021
I agree with the book jacket. It is impossible not to love Julia Child. I am going to cook from one of her books in 2021. Not only does the book inspire to eat better, but she was someone that “lived” all the years of her life. She lived as she cooked; with enthusiasm and gusto.
October 31, 2024
If there’s a more important American involved in food and cooking in the 20th Century, I don’t know who they are. A fascinating biography that pairs well with her memoir “My Life in France.”
August 15, 2025
How did I not know who Julia Child was? A fun journalistic dive into her impact on American cooking/culture. Sounds like we could have been friends.
March 16, 2023
Except for her “Baking with Julia” series, I have never really watched any of Julia Child’s other TV cooking series. However, I’ve always found her story to be a fascinating one, so I have read several books about her life, including the book preceding this one, “My Life in France,” upon which the movie, “Julia & Julia” - my favorite movie - was partially based. That book happens to be my all time favorite book, so when I came across this volume, I had to read it.
This book continues where “My Life in France” left off, with Julia and her husband, Paul, settling down in Cambridge, MA after Paul quits his job with the US government. What I particularly like about this book is that it shows how Julia was able to remain relevant over the decades in the ever-changing culinary landscape. We learn how her curiosity about food led her to evolve and grow as a culinary professional, leading her to constantly re-invent herself. It is this re-invention that provides a window into Julia’s grit and determination to forging her own path during a time when the path to becoming a culinary professional was less well defined as it is now, with the advent of the Food Network and all that came with it. Julia’s was truly a life well-lived, and it’s inspiring and refreshing to see that she lived life to the fullest all the way until the end. While the book is front and center about Julia, the love story between her and Paul is ever-present in the background, as it was in “My Life in France,” and gives heart to the story. One can’t help but admire Paul’s constancy in his support of Julia’s career and how the two worked together as a team to maintain Julia’s presence in the American culinary landscape. All of this makes for great reading and a worthy sequel to “My Life in France.” 4 stars.
This book continues where “My Life in France” left off, with Julia and her husband, Paul, settling down in Cambridge, MA after Paul quits his job with the US government. What I particularly like about this book is that it shows how Julia was able to remain relevant over the decades in the ever-changing culinary landscape. We learn how her curiosity about food led her to evolve and grow as a culinary professional, leading her to constantly re-invent herself. It is this re-invention that provides a window into Julia’s grit and determination to forging her own path during a time when the path to becoming a culinary professional was less well defined as it is now, with the advent of the Food Network and all that came with it. Julia’s was truly a life well-lived, and it’s inspiring and refreshing to see that she lived life to the fullest all the way until the end. While the book is front and center about Julia, the love story between her and Paul is ever-present in the background, as it was in “My Life in France,” and gives heart to the story. One can’t help but admire Paul’s constancy in his support of Julia’s career and how the two worked together as a team to maintain Julia’s presence in the American culinary landscape. All of this makes for great reading and a worthy sequel to “My Life in France.” 4 stars.
April 3, 2018
3.5 stars
I adore Julia Child! My limited knowledge of her comes from watching Julia and Julia, this book, and my favorite: My Life in France. Her energy and love of life literally jumps off the page! I had always thought of her as being a sort of June Cleaver but nothing could be farther from the truth. One of my favorite stories (from a letter her husband wrote) is of her plucking pasta from boiling hot water with her bare hands and exclaiming: "That's hotter then a stiff cock!" Hilarious!!!
Unfortunately this book fell a bit short for me. The first 3/4 were very good, full of little anecdotes giving you a wonderful picture of her personality and her daily life. The last 1/4 was boring, boring, boring and had more info regarding the food movement of the 1970s then it did of Julia. My Life In France spoiled me. I wanted more of THAT Julia! The one who demanded to be a student at Le Cordon Blu despite no female students being accepted! Don't get me wrong, the book had that but the ending couldn't sustain it.
Read My Life in France if you want a clear picture of Julia Child's life and her journey to becoming a French "cook" from America!
I adore Julia Child! My limited knowledge of her comes from watching Julia and Julia, this book, and my favorite: My Life in France. Her energy and love of life literally jumps off the page! I had always thought of her as being a sort of June Cleaver but nothing could be farther from the truth. One of my favorite stories (from a letter her husband wrote) is of her plucking pasta from boiling hot water with her bare hands and exclaiming: "That's hotter then a stiff cock!" Hilarious!!!
Unfortunately this book fell a bit short for me. The first 3/4 were very good, full of little anecdotes giving you a wonderful picture of her personality and her daily life. The last 1/4 was boring, boring, boring and had more info regarding the food movement of the 1970s then it did of Julia. My Life In France spoiled me. I wanted more of THAT Julia! The one who demanded to be a student at Le Cordon Blu despite no female students being accepted! Don't get me wrong, the book had that but the ending couldn't sustain it.
Read My Life in France if you want a clear picture of Julia Child's life and her journey to becoming a French "cook" from America!
May 2, 2021
This book wasn’t as good as My Life in France. It didn’t have Julia’s flair. Out of necessity, it repeated whole passages and pertinent information from MLiF. Julia seemed a little crankier, a bit more persnickety, unlike the exuberant charm that oozed from MLiF. It isn’t fair to judge this book by MLiF, because it is a very good, well researched and informative book, but it doesn’t have the same cozy feel of its predecessor. This book does have more background on Julia’s collaborators over the years, which I appreciated, but I highly recommend that you read MLiF first and then read this to fill out your knowledge of Julia and her friends and collaborators.
April 17, 2017
An entertaining and pleasant biography covering Julia Child's years in America. Ultimately, this is probably a three-and-a-half star book. The sequence seemed a bit disjointed at times, but the content was entertaining. Alex Prud'homme read the book himself, and he was a competent reader. Recommended, especially if you are/were a fan of Julia Child.
June 5, 2024
I am impressed by Julia Child and all the work she contributed to TV/cuisine culture. However this book is a snooze. I even did the audiobook. There are too many details written in an unengaging way. So many side characters and stories it’s hard to keep track. I found myself asking “so what?” way more than “and then what???”
August 8, 2017
Ok, but a little flat. Still, I was glad for the information.
March 31, 2022
Personally I liked the first one better, but this was good
February 10, 2020
Julia didn't want to send her viewers on "a wild couscous chase"...I do love her so. I really enjoyed reading this. It did not reach the pinnacle of "My Life in France," but that book was such a high point for me that it was not reasonable to suspect that it could. It was lovely to spend this time and hear more about her second act.
December 31, 2017
I remember watching Julia Child on PBS as a little, little girl, sitting under my mom's ironing board. Even though I didn't know what boeuf bourguignon was back then, it was always clear that Julia was having a blast. That enthusiasm drove her message home for me, even though it was subconscious at such a young age: food is fun, food is to be enjoyed and not feared, food is something to care about and to share with loved ones. Food matters.
It's full of behind the scenes stories, but my absolute favorites were those from Dan Aykroyd about creating his spoof of Julia on SNL (which she thought was funny, because she was a fun person), and about how Julia was directly responsible for the Bass-O-Matic sketch. Julia was friendly with Dan's aunt and gave her an early version of a Cuisinart. As a kid, Dan saw his aunt drop whole fish into the new machine when testing it out while making bouillabaisse!
The narrative weaves in some interesting perspectives on the evolution of the celebrity chef craze, as Julia clearly played such a massive part in the public's perception of food and those who create with it.
This has definitely inspired me to seek out some old episodes of The French Chef. It'll be like hanging out with an old, dear friend.
On kitchen gadgets: "While she preached the necessity for 'moderation,' Julia admitted that she suffered from a kitchenware 'megalomania.'" p 34
"A big part of Julia's allure was her natural ease on TV. Her combination of grace and awkwardness built a sense of trust and intimacy with the audience, which was reinforced by her deep knowledge and sure technique." p. 46
"Julia's aversion to corporate sponsorship was an article of faith. 'Just last week I was offered a million dollars if I would endorse a new product, but I said no,' she observed in 1980. 'Once you start endorsing products, you're no longer a free agent. Your value is gone.'" p. 53
"Julia was not the only one whose restless energy was shifting in experimental directions that June [1971]. Just up the road a darker spirit prevailed in Villefranche-sur-Mer, a seaside resort between Nice and Monaco, where the Rolling Stones had 'exiled' themselves to record a new album. [...] While Julia Child characterized one aspect of the seventies, the Stones embodied another - the manic, dangerous, sexy, hallucinogenic weirdness of the time - a few miles away." p. 124-125
"Now that Julia was a celebrity, people and organizations frequently wanted her to conform to their idea of who she was, or tried to use her fame to promote their own agendas. But Julia had a deep aversion to being coerced, and usually found a humorous way to confound those who tried to co-opt her." p. 211
"Julia wanted Americans to love food, not fear it." p. 216
"Julia Child was the nation's first 'celebrity chef.' Though there were other chefs on television, and Julia's fame was just one aspect of the nation's growing interest in food, she played a pivotal role in revolutionizing the way Americans shopped, cooked, and ate. Julia, it turned out, had brought the right message to the right place at the right time, and she was the right messenger. She appealed to a broad swath of the public, helped to popularize fine dining, and changed the grocery and cookware businesses. Inventing her career as she went, Julia inspired many people to pursue jobs in the culinary arts, education, advocacy, and journalism." p. 256
"Julia Child was not solely responsible for the extraordinary growth of the American food business, of course. But by single-mindedly following the gleam in her eye, she played a significant role in establishing the right conditions for it. Julia created a new model for what cooks and food could be, and thus changed public perceptions." p. 260
It's full of behind the scenes stories, but my absolute favorites were those from Dan Aykroyd about creating his spoof of Julia on SNL (which she thought was funny, because she was a fun person), and about how Julia was directly responsible for the Bass-O-Matic sketch. Julia was friendly with Dan's aunt and gave her an early version of a Cuisinart. As a kid, Dan saw his aunt drop whole fish into the new machine when testing it out while making bouillabaisse!
The narrative weaves in some interesting perspectives on the evolution of the celebrity chef craze, as Julia clearly played such a massive part in the public's perception of food and those who create with it.
This has definitely inspired me to seek out some old episodes of The French Chef. It'll be like hanging out with an old, dear friend.
On kitchen gadgets: "While she preached the necessity for 'moderation,' Julia admitted that she suffered from a kitchenware 'megalomania.'" p 34
"A big part of Julia's allure was her natural ease on TV. Her combination of grace and awkwardness built a sense of trust and intimacy with the audience, which was reinforced by her deep knowledge and sure technique." p. 46
"Julia's aversion to corporate sponsorship was an article of faith. 'Just last week I was offered a million dollars if I would endorse a new product, but I said no,' she observed in 1980. 'Once you start endorsing products, you're no longer a free agent. Your value is gone.'" p. 53
"Julia was not the only one whose restless energy was shifting in experimental directions that June [1971]. Just up the road a darker spirit prevailed in Villefranche-sur-Mer, a seaside resort between Nice and Monaco, where the Rolling Stones had 'exiled' themselves to record a new album. [...] While Julia Child characterized one aspect of the seventies, the Stones embodied another - the manic, dangerous, sexy, hallucinogenic weirdness of the time - a few miles away." p. 124-125
"Now that Julia was a celebrity, people and organizations frequently wanted her to conform to their idea of who she was, or tried to use her fame to promote their own agendas. But Julia had a deep aversion to being coerced, and usually found a humorous way to confound those who tried to co-opt her." p. 211
"Julia wanted Americans to love food, not fear it." p. 216
"Julia Child was the nation's first 'celebrity chef.' Though there were other chefs on television, and Julia's fame was just one aspect of the nation's growing interest in food, she played a pivotal role in revolutionizing the way Americans shopped, cooked, and ate. Julia, it turned out, had brought the right message to the right place at the right time, and she was the right messenger. She appealed to a broad swath of the public, helped to popularize fine dining, and changed the grocery and cookware businesses. Inventing her career as she went, Julia inspired many people to pursue jobs in the culinary arts, education, advocacy, and journalism." p. 256
"Julia Child was not solely responsible for the extraordinary growth of the American food business, of course. But by single-mindedly following the gleam in her eye, she played a significant role in establishing the right conditions for it. Julia created a new model for what cooks and food could be, and thus changed public perceptions." p. 260
March 17, 2017
A must for anyone with a Julia obsession, and still fascinating for those less crazed. I am enchanted by Julia and Paul's relationship. Prud'homme does an excellent job of capturing how they managed Paul's aging and decline and you see here a subtle but heartbreaking picture of Julia's loyalty throughout. The book sometimes zooms out for snapshots of the Childs' environment- Cambridge neighbors, politics of representation at the White House, sexual harassment in the workplace. A short tangent on the Childs' homophobia, which Julia shed as she watched friends die of AIDS in the 80s, is illustrative of Prud'homme's sensitive gaze- he speculates that Julia's awkward stature and Paul's artistic bent left both feeling vulnerable to accusations of homosexuality, which they internalized as a sort of amused contempt for the 'real' homosexuals (even more painful and ironic given the charges of homosexuality made against Paul as part of the Red Scare/State Department purge).
Julia could be stubborn, contradictory, and a bit ridiculous. Paul was moody. Yet they shine as the type of people you would love to know- fun, loyal, and smart friends who valued companionship and pleasure. The particular attractions of their love story for me are obvious- the intellectual connection, the strong physical chemistry despite seemingly mismatched bodies, the tender understanding and protection of each other's faults. Their life style and values as diplomats abroad resonate across the decades. It's a pleasure always to spend time with them, and Prud'homme educates about his famous great-aunt without ever boring.
Julia could be stubborn, contradictory, and a bit ridiculous. Paul was moody. Yet they shine as the type of people you would love to know- fun, loyal, and smart friends who valued companionship and pleasure. The particular attractions of their love story for me are obvious- the intellectual connection, the strong physical chemistry despite seemingly mismatched bodies, the tender understanding and protection of each other's faults. Their life style and values as diplomats abroad resonate across the decades. It's a pleasure always to spend time with them, and Prud'homme educates about his famous great-aunt without ever boring.
November 1, 2020
What a beautiful and inspiring book that chronicles the passion and genius of Julia Child. It is so well researched that one cannot read it without feeling completely submersed in Julia Child's life: her work, her relationships, her creativity, and her passions. It also includes great details on the food revolution that occured in the 70s and the birth of modern cooking shows and channels. I recommend this book to all of those who are fans of Julia Child, history nerds and/or cook enthusiasts.
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December 15, 2016Realizing that I had gotten an audio book hurt my heart. I LOVE Julia Child and she is one of my biggest heroines. So I just bought the physical copy of the book to go with it. Yay me!
I love hearing about Julia's life and her bawdy, wonderful personality. I love this book.
Booksource: I received a copy of the book from Blogging for books in exchange for review.
I love hearing about Julia's life and her bawdy, wonderful personality. I love this book.
Booksource: I received a copy of the book from Blogging for books in exchange for review.
December 27, 2016
Julia, what a delight! I loved reading more about her and her journey into television and mainstream success.
May 20, 2017
The French Chef in America is a fascinating look at Julia Child's later years. Most of it is centered around Julia's relationships—with Simca Beck, her Mastering the Art of French Cooking co-author; with chefs James Beard and Jacques Pépin; with PBS, the home of many of her cooking shows. The book paints a compelling picture of a fascinating woman.
As the book is so focused on Julia's relationships, it doesn't always go in chronological order. It's not necessarily a problem, but I did find it a bit difficult to follow at times. (This is probably largely due to the fact that I was listening on audiobook during my drive to and from church—my one long drive of the week. Had I been reading the book, I could have easily flipped back and refreshed my memory as to where I was.) One chapter would end in the late 1990's, and the next would begin in the 1970's. It just took some re-orienting at times to get back into the flow of the story.
While I liked learning about Julia's later career, I especially enjoyed discovering her connections to current chefs like Sara Moulton (the first chef I ever watched on Food Network back in the early 2000s) and Emeril Lagasse, as well as learning more about her relationship with Jacques Pépin. Also, the author goes into great detail regarding Julia's methods for developing and testing recipes, and I found the whole process fascinating.
The audiobook is read by Alex Prud'homme, the author and great-nephew of Julia's husband Paul. As I listened, it really felt like I was sitting with Prud'homme as he told stories about Julia's life. It made for an incredibly enjoyable listening experience.
I recommend this book to anyone who remembers watching Julia's cooking shows or who just enjoys a good biography.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a free copy of this audiobook. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own.
As the book is so focused on Julia's relationships, it doesn't always go in chronological order. It's not necessarily a problem, but I did find it a bit difficult to follow at times. (This is probably largely due to the fact that I was listening on audiobook during my drive to and from church—my one long drive of the week. Had I been reading the book, I could have easily flipped back and refreshed my memory as to where I was.) One chapter would end in the late 1990's, and the next would begin in the 1970's. It just took some re-orienting at times to get back into the flow of the story.
While I liked learning about Julia's later career, I especially enjoyed discovering her connections to current chefs like Sara Moulton (the first chef I ever watched on Food Network back in the early 2000s) and Emeril Lagasse, as well as learning more about her relationship with Jacques Pépin. Also, the author goes into great detail regarding Julia's methods for developing and testing recipes, and I found the whole process fascinating.
The audiobook is read by Alex Prud'homme, the author and great-nephew of Julia's husband Paul. As I listened, it really felt like I was sitting with Prud'homme as he told stories about Julia's life. It made for an incredibly enjoyable listening experience.
I recommend this book to anyone who remembers watching Julia's cooking shows or who just enjoys a good biography.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a free copy of this audiobook. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own.
January 4, 2018
After reading Julia Child's My Life in France, I was compelled to read The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act. Written by her grand nephew, Alex Prud'Homme, this book is written in the third person unlike the original book, which was written by Julia herself.
The French Chef is based on Julia's life in her later years. Although the book is repetitive in many areas, the repetition of stories are a nice reminder of My Life in France, as well as a way to bring some of those stories full circle with new stories intertwined; explaining how those events came to be. I was in awe, being someone who is looking to start on a new life path, that Julia found her true voice in her later years, around the age of 63. The book encompasses her love of food, cooking, her best friend, as well as her true love for her husband Paul.
Julia was one of the true pioneers of cooking shows, as well as women in the cooking world. Although she never truly marketed herself as a chef, she was trained at the Cordon Bleu in France. Instead, Julia called herself a cook.
If you are a fan of Julia Child and have recently completed The French Chef, and you wish to continue to be inspired by this amazing woman who died just 2 days shy of turning 92, I highly recommend The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act.
The French Chef is based on Julia's life in her later years. Although the book is repetitive in many areas, the repetition of stories are a nice reminder of My Life in France, as well as a way to bring some of those stories full circle with new stories intertwined; explaining how those events came to be. I was in awe, being someone who is looking to start on a new life path, that Julia found her true voice in her later years, around the age of 63. The book encompasses her love of food, cooking, her best friend, as well as her true love for her husband Paul.
Julia was one of the true pioneers of cooking shows, as well as women in the cooking world. Although she never truly marketed herself as a chef, she was trained at the Cordon Bleu in France. Instead, Julia called herself a cook.
If you are a fan of Julia Child and have recently completed The French Chef, and you wish to continue to be inspired by this amazing woman who died just 2 days shy of turning 92, I highly recommend The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act.
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January 16, 2024Julia Child has always had a very special place in my heart; her love for encouraging home chefs and sharing recipes is so beautiful. I loved Julia before reading this book, but The French Chef in America just solidified that for me. She was such a gracious, caring, and heartfelt woman who genuinely desired the best for her readers and audience. I lost track of the amount of times I laughed uncontrollably, teared up, or just felt like my heart was bursting while discovering more about her career. I loved how Julia was so humble in her success and sought to be very transparent with her audience–she was genuinely the person she appeared to be on screen. Even if I wasn't such a Julia Child fan I think I still would've loved learning about how her career really only took off in the second half of her life. She pivoted in her late 30s early 40s and redefined herself becoming one of the world's most influential names in culinary history. Gosh I just love her so much.
I don't rate non-fiction, but this was totally a 5 star read for me. It's been on my list (and shelf) for years and I loved it so much more than I thought I would. I need to go rewatch "Julie and Julia" again!
I don't rate non-fiction, but this was totally a 5 star read for me. It's been on my list (and shelf) for years and I loved it so much more than I thought I would. I need to go rewatch "Julie and Julia" again!
July 16, 2017
Nowhere near as fun or appealing as Julia Child herself. I was excited to read more about Child after liking 'My Life in France'. It's been quite a while since I've read it but I being disappointed there wasn't more there. But since that book was so charming it seemed like this would be a good pickup.
This book picks up after the first one, but other reviews are right. There's a lot of rehashing of Child's book (which she also co-wrote with Prud'Homme) and unfortunately his voice here alone just isn't the same. Even though it's been a long time since I read 'Life' I was really bored overall with the beginning.
From there it doesn't really get that much better. It's a retelling of her career with what basically felt like padding talking about guests and it just didn't have the humor and charm of 'Life'. It was disappointing overall and did feel like Prud'Homme might have been trying to cash in on the Child name/brand.
I'd skip this one. If you're really interested, I'd recommend the library or a cheap bargain buy.
This book picks up after the first one, but other reviews are right. There's a lot of rehashing of Child's book (which she also co-wrote with Prud'Homme) and unfortunately his voice here alone just isn't the same. Even though it's been a long time since I read 'Life' I was really bored overall with the beginning.
From there it doesn't really get that much better. It's a retelling of her career with what basically felt like padding talking about guests and it just didn't have the humor and charm of 'Life'. It was disappointing overall and did feel like Prud'Homme might have been trying to cash in on the Child name/brand.
I'd skip this one. If you're really interested, I'd recommend the library or a cheap bargain buy.
January 13, 2018
I greatly enjoyed My Life in France, which Prud'Homme co-authored with Julia Child and which was presented in first-person narration in her voice. While this "second act" book is well written and researched by Prud'Homme, Child's great-nephew, it is a different beast: journalistic and almost painfully detailed/documented to the extent that it loses that special flavor of Julia Child's ebullience, curiosity, self-deprecation, humor, and love for life. This book reads less like a biography (and, obviously, less intimately than a memoir) and more like a recap of Julia's professional life (e.g., descriptions of TV shows, lots of detail about White House specials) funneled through a library. If you are extremely interested in the history of food trends, you will find fascinating bits here, but often these sections seem more like a digression to me than a necessary background to understanding and appreciating who Julia Child was. A very respectable piece of scholarship, but not a particularly inviting or intimate portrayal of a larger-than-life character.
December 30, 2016
You guys know that I loved My Life in France and the story of Julia Child, so when I saw that there was an opportunity to pick up more information about the famous chef, I immediately went for it.
I didn't pay close enough attention to realize, I was being sent an audio book. That said, it was an awesome format to enjoy and learn more about this famous person. I learned more about what is was like as a result of the cooking show, about her personal politics, and so much more. I felt like it was another piece of the story that I never knew.
As for the audio book itself, I enjoyed the narration. I enjoyed the excitement in the readers voice in particular sections and I really enjoyed the message behind it all. I appreciated the opportunity to listen to this book and I would highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: I was awarded this book as part of the Blogging for Books program. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.
I didn't pay close enough attention to realize, I was being sent an audio book. That said, it was an awesome format to enjoy and learn more about this famous person. I learned more about what is was like as a result of the cooking show, about her personal politics, and so much more. I felt like it was another piece of the story that I never knew.
As for the audio book itself, I enjoyed the narration. I enjoyed the excitement in the readers voice in particular sections and I really enjoyed the message behind it all. I appreciated the opportunity to listen to this book and I would highly recommend it.
Disclaimer: I was awarded this book as part of the Blogging for Books program. Though I did not pay for the book, the opinions are strictly my own.
August 12, 2022
"The French Chef in America" rates a distant third in terms of authorized/semi-authorized Julia Child biographies. Child herself ("My Life in France") has already run away with gold, and Bob Spitz's "Dearie" earns silver on account of its thorough reporting. Sadly, Prud'homme's crack at Julia Child's later years nearly resembles a college thesis, it is so tone deaf to the casual reader (chapters are literally organized into numbered sections). Prud'homme's firsthand observations of his great aunt are interesting, but he nearly completely avoids her last years, an omission which should universally offend all elderly persons. Big "however": Prud'homme's unique contribution is to Simone Beck, Child's early co-author. Here, at long last, "Simca" is given her beautiful due. Previously untold anecdotes abound, including a probably-not-apocryphal story about Simca pounding her own broken bone back into her body with the heel of her shoe. If only the rest of the book were as good!
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