My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme

“I closed my eyes and inhaled the rising perfume. Then I lifted a fork-full of fish to my mouth, took a bite and chewed slowly. The flesh of the sole was delicate with a light but distinct taste of the ocean that blended marvelously with the browned butter. I chewed slowly and swallowed it. It was a morsel of perfection.” ~ Julia Child

These are Julia Child’s words at the beginning of her autobiography, My Life in France, just after her husband explains to her about the butter. Not even well into the first chapter and my mouth was watering!

There is more than one way to travel — planes, trains, automobiles, and books! If you want to be transported by written word (I’m listening on Audible) to another world, the world of Julia Child when she moved to France with her husband Paul in 1954, you must read this book. Never have I read anything that stimulates the senses like the words describing Julia’s adventure. And an adventure it was!

This best-selling story is a book for people who want to traveler. A book for foodies. A book for the underdog. It’s a love story in the truest sense. It’s about a life well-lived. About a woman who found her passions, pursued them, and perfected them in her own way.

If you are old enough to have seen Julia Child’s TV show or have seen the movie Julie & Julia with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams based on the book, you’ll enjoy this read. I saw her show, have seen the movie, and am just now getting to the book. It’s the first time I’ve read a book after seeing the movie. I always do the reverse.

Minette Mimosa McWilliams Child — the name of Julia and Paul’s cat they thought was just a stray and turned out to be a very rare breed from Spain. These are my kinda 5 Heart people!