Here is the next book club selection!
Vintage Book Club
Here is how it works. At the beginning of every month I announce the book we will be reading for the month.
At the end of the month I update this post with some discussion questions. We use the comments section below to share our thoughts with each other.
Since this is a blog geared towards vintage living, most of the books that I select are related to vintage life.
The book may be an actual vintage book written in the early to mid 20th century. Or it may be a more current book that explores a topic from that era, or is set in that era.
I am so excited to go on a reading adventure with you!
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VINTAGE BOOK CLUB SELECTION: November 2021
This month we will read My Life in France by Julia Child.
I am a big fan of Julia Child, as are other members of my family. At holiday gatherings we have been known to plop in a DVD of The French Chef as we play card games together. It makes for great entertainment!
I really enjoy this memoir that Juila Child wrote with the help of her nephew, Alex Prud’homme. It really shows how, as a middle aged woman, she blossomed and grew into the Juila Child that we all know and love.
From the back cover:
“Juila Child singlehandedly created a new approach to American cuisine with her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her television show The French Chef, but as she reveals in this best-selling memoir, she was not always a master chef.
Indeed, when she first arrivedin France in 1948 with her husband, Paul, who was to work with the U.S. Information Service, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever with her new-found passion for cooking and teaching. Julia’s unforgettable story – struggles with the head of the Cordon Bleu, rejections from publishers to whom she sent her now-famous cookbook, a wonderful, nearly fifty-year marriage that took them across the globe – unfolds with the spirit so key to her success as a chef and a writer, brilliantly capturing one of the most endearing American personalities of the last fifty years.”
Are you ready to dive into My Life in France?
Find this book at Biblio.com. Bibio has free shipping on millions of new and rare books!
Or head to your local library!
Happy reading!
Book Club Discussion
I hope you enjoyed reading this book! I feel like Juila Child has a larger than life personality. She is a unique character who’s passion for cooking is unmatched.
I always get a kick out of watching Julia Child in action on her TV show. I love how she has a very unassuming presence. Things go wrong in her kitchen, but she does not let that fluster her.
I like how she rolls with the punches and makes the best of what she can. My absolute favorite episode of The French Chef is actually the pilot episode, “The Potato Show.”
There is a critical moment in the episode when she goes to flip the potatoes that she is cooking in a pan on the stove. Before she attempts the flip she says “When you flip anything, you just have to have the courage of your convictions…”
And of course, her attempt at flipping the potatoes completely flopped! You can see the delightful moment by clicking here. Go to about 14 minutes into the video to see the potato flop.
But I love how she is not in the least bit phased by the failed potato flip. She just carries on and makes the best of the situation.
Several years ago my husband and I latched on to that quote and we still use it often! Particularly during our house build, when we come across tasks that stretch us, we will say aloud “You must have the courage of your convictions!” And then we carry forth. It is kind of fun to carry Julia Child in our back pocket like that.
I have a lot more thoughts to share about this book, and I will put them down in the comments as we discuss it together!
Here are some questions to consider as you share your thoughts below in the comments.
- What is one of your favorite quotes from this book.
- What impresses you most about Julia Child’s career?
- Do you have a favorite Julia Child moment, either from this book, or from her show The French Chef?
Got my book today!!!!!
I finished the Julia Child book and really enjoyed it! It (almost) makes me want to learn French cooking!
I loved how enthusiastic Julia was and totally immersed herself in the adventure of living in another country. I have always admired individuals who go to a foreign country and learn the language and the culture. To me that would be a very daunting task.
I enjoyed knowing more about her husband and their relationship, and that period of American history when they lived in France.
Julia Child had a strong character and personality, but she also showed compassion. And such a love of people! She truly embraced life.
Thanks for recommending this book!
I am glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. She really was a unique person, and it is very interesting to learn more about her life!
One thing that I find most inspiring about Julia Child is that she really came into her own in the middle of her life. At one point in the book she said that she found herself in the process of writing the cookbook. I feel that often times people think the middle of their life is too late to take on new endeavors and learn new things. But Julia shows us that there is still a lot of beauty and life to be had in the middle years. Look at all that woman accomplished starting from her 30s on!
Reading about the whole cookbook writing process was very interesting as well. I am amazed at the detail and scientific nature of her recipe development. It was also interesting to get a behind the scenes look at her relationship with Simca. It is obvious that they had very different personalities, but for the most part they were able to balance each other out. It was difficult at times, and I think Julia was in a challenging position as she was the one bridging two different cultures.
I have a couple of favorite moments from the book. One is on page 78 when Paul describes Julia working in the kitchen in a letter to his twin brother. I love the mental image it brings to mind.
I also loved the behind the scenes glimpse into the first episodes of “The French Chef.” I am amazed at her ability to adapt to any curveball that comes her way!
I will end with my favorite quote from the book. Early in the book Julia said she was not a cat person, but fell in love with their cat in Paris. Towards the end of the book she says “A house without a cat is like a house without sunshine!” I wholeheartedly agree with this!
Hi Maggie! I really enjoyed reading this book, even though my only previous exposure to Julia Child was the famous SNL spoof and watching “Julie and Julia”. What an interesting life she lived. I really appreciated that the book was written by herself and her nephew. It felt authentic and unapologetic, just like the woman herself. What confidence she possessed, both that which was supported by hours of testing and preparation, and the “just go for it” required by live television.
I definitely fit more into the category of “eat to live” than “live to eat”, and my lack of cooking skills have been well documented, so I couldn’t relate to the descriptions of some of the elaborate meals she prepared and consumed, especially when she used the french terms. I didn’t find that as irritating as some reviewers; I was usually able to figure it out, and after all, the book was “My Life in France”.
For a non-foodie the book was interesting as the portrayal of a woman who truly lived by her motto of “never apologize”. I’m glad her co-author didn’t interject himself or try to “clean up” parts of her personality that made her who she was. She certainly seemed to waste no time on emotions, but did what needed to be done and moved on. Some of the women I’ve admired through the years seem to have had that trait. I’m sure a heart not worn on a sleeve must still feel as deeply as the ones that just can’t hide.. Her relationship with Paul was certainly an exception to the lack of emotion. I loved the Valentines they sent to their friends and how involved he was with her projects. The description of his very interesting career and the politics involved really added to the book. The description of McCarthyism was chilling.
I enjoyed the clip of the potato flop and can see why her shows were and continue to be watched. Such a soothing, we can take care of this, presence. She makes Betty Crocker seem a little uptight. The “courage of your convictions”, indeed!