While I came to Julia Child’s My Life in France on the crest of her resurgent popularity, based on Meryl Streep’s turn in Julie & Julia, her story is always fresh for those aspiring to follow her gastronomic path to success. In this lovely book, co-authored with her husband’s grand-nephew, Alex Prud’homme, she details not only her discovery of food, cooking and the domestic life, but her relationship with the love of her life – and the man she credits for making her the household name she became – Paul Child. Covering their years in France – from Paul’s USIS assignment in 1948 to when she closed their home in Provence in 1992 – she not only covers her stint at Le Cordon Bleu, the lengthy and arduous co-production of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her enchantment with everything francais, but her long and loyal partnership with the man who devoted his life to helping her succeed in bringing European dishes to American kitchens. Filled with Paul Child’s marvelous photos and Julia’s familiar, witty and unpretentious banter, this is the model for the perfect memoir. ( )

The original idea for "My Life in France" came from Julia's husband Paul as he sifted through the hundreds of letters that he and Julia had written to Paul's twin brother Charles. Paraphrasing Julia's collaborator Alex Prud'Homme says, for one reason or another, the book never got written. Paul died in 1994 and Julia began to think of this book as a tribute to her husband, the man who had swept her all to Paris in the first place." Finally at age ninety-one she told Alex, her great nephew and a professional writer, "All right, dearie, maybe we should work on it together."

The book begins in 1948 with Julia and Paul's first view of the lights of Le Harve as their ship drew into port. Married only two years they saw Paul's diplomatic posting to France as an adventure and crucible test of their relationship. It ends in 1992 when, with Paul no longer able to travel, Julia packs up and returns the keys to their get-away cottage in France.

One reviewer describes the memoir as "an engaging, endearing love letter to France". Another says "evocative...crackling with Child's joie de vivre." I concur with these descriptions. I also saw this as a love story between two remarkable people who were devoted to one another. The move "Julie and Julia" perfectly captures this aspect.

In short - I highly recommend this book and the movie as well. ( )

I can't say that I was ever a huge fan of Julia Childs, but I remember her distinctly as a background to the early part of my childhood. (I also distinctly remember the SNL skits done in imitation of her, which were absolutely brilliant.) It wasn't until I saw the movie Julie & Julia that I actually discovered how tremendous a personality she was. Which is clearly what led me to read her book, My Life in France.

Unlike the other biographies I've read lately (Eat Pray Love and The Geography of Love), My Life in France isn't self-indulgent, nor is it prescribing a way of life and being that is so inaccessible to most (unlike the authors of those other books, Julia and her husband lived on a modest government income and actually WORKED for a living). Even better, it introduces you to a woman who is so completely accessible and so passionate about life that you wish you had known her when she was still alive (Julia Childs passed in 2004).

One of my favorite things about the book are the words she uses to describe things: Twaddle! being my favorite. She was such a no-nonsense, self-deprecating, deeply talented, self-aware, and FUN woman. I definitely suggest you take the time to know her better. ( )

Is anyone really as good natured as Julia Child? No, I think most of this book is fantasy, but it's fun. ( )

Before reading “My Life in France”, I only knew Julia Child as the somewhat fumbling “French Chef”. After reading this biography, I know her as a headstrong, opinionated, independent, completely unsentimental, FUNNY women who would not take no for an answer. The author is Mrs. Child’s nephew, who turned comfortable backyard conversations, into a well paced story where I never once felt like I was reading anything less than Julia Child’s words. Even though it is a biography, it is written in the first person, which was a brilliant choice on the part of the author. And the romance between Julia and Paul is so lovely. Their relationship was a true partnership, during a time when women were expected to be subservient to their spouses. Hers is a great story, worth the read. ( )