Synopses & Reviews
With her outsize personality, Julia Child is known around the world by her first name alone. But despite that familiarity,and#160;how muchand#160;do we
really know of the inner Julia? and#160; Now more than 200 letters exchanged between Julia and Avis DeVoto, her friend and unofficial literary agent memorably introduced in the hit movie
Julie and Julia, open the window on Juliaand#8217;s deepest thoughts and feelings. This riveting correspondence, in print for the first time, chronicles the blossoming of a unique and lifelong friendship between the two women and the turbulent process of Juliaand#8217;s creation of
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, one of the most influential cookbooks ever written. Frank, bawdy, funny, exuberant, and occasionally agonized, these letters show Julia, firstand#160;as a new brideand#160;in Paris, then becoming increasingly worldly and adventuresomeand#160;as she follows her diplomat husbandand#160;in his postingsand#160;to Nice, Germany, and Norway. and#160; With commentary by the noted food historian Joan Reardon, and covering topics as diverse as the lack of good wine in the United States, McCarthyism, andand#160;sexual mores, these astonishingand#160;letters show America on the verge of political, social, and gastronomic transformation.
Review
"An absorbing portrait of an unexpected friendship."
-Entertainment Weekly
"The spirit of the indomitable Julia Child lives on in Joan Reardonand#8217;s AS ALWAYS, JULIA, a saucy soup-to-nuts compilation of the correspondence between Child and lifelong friend Avis DeVoto. As Julia said, and#8216;Life itself is the proper binge.and#8217; Letand#8217;s live it up!"
and#8211; Elissa Schappell, Vanity Fair, Dec. issue "The womenand#8217;s frank, tender letters are an absolute delight to read, as much for their mouthwatering discussion of cuisine as for the palpable fondness they portray for one another. In an early note, DeVoto calls Childand#8217;s evolving manuscript "as exciting as a novel to read," and, indeed, so are their conversations."
-Booklist, starred reviewand#160;
"This epistolary testament to a close friendship will surely appeal to Child fans."
- Kirkus Reviews "Witty, enlightening and entertaining, these letters serve as a compelling companion volume to Mastering the Art of French Cooking."
- Publishers Weekly
Review
"The spirit of the indomitable Julia Child lives on ... A saucy soup-to-nuts compilation."
and#8212;Vanity Fair
and#8220;An absorbing portrait of an unexpected friendship.and#8221;
and#8212;Entertainment Weekly
and#8220;Juliaand#8217;s inimitable voice shines through ... These letters offer [a] glimpse of how the truly great can merge heart and soul in the pursuit of excellence.and#8221;
and#8212;Wall Street Journal
and#8220;[Child] comes booming back to life in these dishy missives ... A delicious read.and#8221;
and#8212;People (3and#189; of 4 stars)
and#8220;Blazingly alive and entirely irresistible.and#8221;
and#8212;Boston Globe
"This book feels like chick lit ... of an exalted order ... Two housewives, each in her 40s ... let rip about all kinds of things, from shallots, beurre blanc and the misery of dried herbs to politics, aging and sex ... Funny and forthright opinions about food and life."
and#8212;New York Times
"A testament to the fortitude that went into creating a classic."
and#8212;Saveur
"Just as interesting as the behind-the-scenes nuts-and-bolts on this culinary landmark is the far subtler picture that is painted of these two women, the times in which they were living, and the friendship that grew between them ... The letters take on the resonance of a plainsong kind of poetry."
and#8212;Los Angeles Times
"Delightful .and#12288;.and#12288;. Expertly edited by the culinary historian Joan Reardon, [it] fills in that period of hard work, uncertainty, cheerleading and deepening love."
and#8212;Bloomberg
"A pleasure both culinary and literary .and#12288;.and#12288;. A lesson in how to become an American original."
and#8212;Whole Living
"An important piece of culinary history through the never-before-seen letters between these two witty women."
and#8212;New York Post
"A reminder of the power of persistence, of a dream or a friendship, and of the lost art of writing a letter."
and#8212;Oregonian
"Fascinating and engrossing."
and#8212;Dallas Morning News
Synopsis
A National Bestseller
Winner of an International Association of Culinary Professionals Award for Literary Food Writing
"An absorbing portrait of an unexpected friendship." -- Entertainment Weekly
"Julia's inimitable voice shines through . . . These letters offer a] glimpse of how the truly great can merge heart and soul in the pursuit of excellence." -- Wall Street Journal
Julia is known around the world by her first name alone. But how much do we really know of the inner Julia Child? Through this riveting correspondence between Julia and Avis DeVoto, her "pen pal" and literary mentor, we hear Julia's deepest thoughts and feelings and witness the blossoming of a unique and lifelong friendship. We see, too, the turbulent creation of one of the most influential cookbooks ever written. Frank, bawdy, funny, exuberant, these astonishing letters show an America on the verge of political, social, and gastronomic transformation and two women deeply engaged in the making of that new world.
" Child] comes booming back to life in these dishy missives . . . A delicious read." -- People (31/2 of 4 stars)
"Blazingly alive and entirely irresistible." -- Boston Globe
Synopsis
This dishy and delightful, never-before-published correspondence between America's queen of food, Julia Child, and her confidante and mentor Avis DeVoto, shows not only the blossoming of a lifelong friendship, but also an America on the verge of political, social, and gastronomic transformation.
Synopsis
With her outsize personality, Julia Child is known around the world by her first name alone. But how much do we really know of the inner Julia? Out in paperback just in time for the 100th anniversary of Julias birth, these more than 200 letters exchanged between Julia and Avis DeVoto, her friend and unofficial literary agent, open the window on Julias deepest thoughts and feelings. This riveting correspondence chronicles the blossoming of a unique and lifelong friendship and the turbulent process of Julias creation of one of the most influential cookbooks ever written. Frank, bawdy, funny, exuberant, these astonishing letters—hailed on many Must Lists and as a Best Food Lit book—show America on the verge of political, social, and gastronomic transformation.
Synopsis
A National Bestseller
Winner of an International Association of Culinary Professionals Award for Literary Food Writing
and#8220;An absorbing portrait of an unexpected friendship.and#8221; and#8212; Entertainment Weekly
and#8220;Juliaand#8217;s inimitable voice shines through . . . These letters offer [a] glimpse of how the truly great can merge heart and soul in the pursuit of excellence.and#8221; and#8212; Wall Street Journal
Julia is known around the world by her first name alone. But how much do we really know of the inner Julia Child? Through this riveting correspondence between Julia and Avis DeVoto, her and#8220;pen paland#8221; and literary mentor, we hear Juliaand#8217;s deepest thoughts and feelings and witness the blossoming of a unique and lifelong friendship. We see, too, the turbulent creation of one of the most influential cookbooks ever written. Frank, bawdy, funny, exuberant, these astonishing letters show an America on the verge of political, social, and gastronomic transformation and two women deeply engaged in the making of that new world.
and#8220;[Child] comes booming back to life in these dishy missives . . . A delicious read.and#8221; and#8212; People (3and#189; of 4 stars)
and#8220;Blazingly alive and entirely irresistible.and#8221; and#8212; Boston Globe
About the Author
Culinary historian, cookbook author, and biographer Joan Reardon is the author of M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, and Alice Waters:andnbsp;Celebrating the Pleasures of the Table,andnbsp;M.F.K. Fisher Among the Pots and Pans, Poet of the Appetites: The Lives and Loves of M.F.K. Fisher, and Oysters: a Culinary Celebration. Reardon, who has aandnbsp;PhD in English literature, won an IACP Award for culinary writing, publishes and edits a quarterly newsletter for Les Dames dand#8217;Escoffier Chicago, and serves on the advisory board of Gastronomica magazine.