My Life in France

By: Julia Child, Alex Prud'Homme

Narrated by: Kimberly Farr

Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

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, en route to Paris, in the fall of 1948, 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.

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. Here, she reveals the kind of spirit and determination, the sheer love of cooking, and the drive to share that with her fellow Americans that made her the extraordinary success she became.

©2006 Alex Prud'Homme (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"This is a valuable record of gorgeous meals in bygone Parisian restaurants, and the secret arts of a culinary genius." (Publishers Weekly)

“Exuberant, affectionate, and boundlessly charming...It chronicles, in mouth-watering detail, the meals and the food markets the sparked her interest in French cooking...It also tells the story of the inspired partnership between Child...and her husband, Paul...Every day in France brought a thrilling new discovery, but Child’s capacity for wonder and delight co-existed with "show me" skepticism...It is a wonderful picture of the most successful American export to France since Benjamin Franklin.” (William Grimes, The New York Times)

“Like a surprise nougat bursting from the center of a chocolate truffle, My Life in France also serves up her moving romance with the Renaissance man of her life...her husband, Paul Child.” (Andrew Marton, The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Life of a revolutionary

Julia Child, more than probably anyone, changed the face of eating in America. Her story in her own words of how she went from a expatriate housewife, to one of the leading voices of eating well in the world. A great read. Intoxicating!

Excellent book

This book gave me a much better understanding of Julia Child's background and how she developed her expertise in cooking. I had always been aware of Julia as an American, and now I realize how thoroughly she was involved with France and French cooking. The book also gives a very interesting account of the development of their cookbook and how the push to be a celebrity chef was already happening in the 1970's before the Food Channel!
I agree with the previous reviewer that the narrator's french was not always pronounced properly, but I found the narration pleasant and easy to listen to. I would highly recommend this book to foodies and francophiles.

Julia rules

What a wonderful memoir from beginning to end. The only reason I didn't give it the highest rating is the reader. Anyone who has ever heard Julia Child knows her distinctive high pitched voice, and the reader so clearly is not Julia, that I found it a bit disconcerting. More importantly though, she cleary doesn't speak French, although she manages a decent accent. Any first year French student knows that femme rhymes with hum not hem, that beurre blanc has no k sound at the end, that cuisine bourgoise does sound the s, etc. etc. etc. Call me a stickler for detail, but that's just plain sloppy. Sorry Julia, you deserve better.

Loved it

I've listened to this one twice. I loved it both times. I think the writing is great and the reader is incredible. The voices on these audio books don't always match the writing. This is a perfect blend. Child's stories about her time in France took me away. It's very romantic and the stories are beautifully told. I especially love the way she talks about food and the occasional French word thrown in. Very highly recommended.

For the Love of Julia

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would only recommend this book to people who truly love to cook and who experienced Julia as their first real chef.

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Life in France?

All of it. Since it was a quasi autobiography, all of it was wonderful. It put France squarely into my bucket list.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was, but because of the 11-hour time frame, I couldn't. However, I listened to it over the course of an extended holiday weekend.

Any additional comments?

I loved the narrator. She pronounced most things correctly (ex-pates instead of ex-pats is the one thing that stands out), and had such a wonderful speaking style that I could listen without missing anything or being irritated. I was very pleased with the fact that she didn't do a faux Julia voice and that her French accents and pronunciations were spot on. I really enjoyed this book, but because I'm a Julia fan, I may be somewhat biased.

Poor Narration

I really didn't care for the narration style in My Life in France. The reader wasn't quite boring, but she didn't really make Julia Child's personality come to life. I would have loved to hear someone who sounded and acted more like Julia.

Lovely but French pronunciation needs fine-tuning

I loved the book and enjoyed Kimberly Farr’s performance: she hit the correct French pronunciation 9 out of 10 times, but I would have hoped for a 10 out of 10 in a book that relies so heavily on the language. Overall very enjoyable though.

Great performance for such a full life.

Prepare to get hungry and wanting to get ASAP into the kitchen to try all the recipes she describes and give a story on how she discovered them. I cried I laughed and I could almost feel in France. Great narrator voice very according to Julia. One of my new favorite books ever.

Fascinating

The background and the sheer enjoyment that comes across from not only the love but the enjoyment in life that Julia and Paul have makes this such an enjoyable book and so worth adding to your collection

Amazing

This was an amazing story, I enjoyed her adventures. The writing was beautifully done. I wish I'd been in France during those times!