May Read: Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

 

I recently returned from vacation and decided to try an e-book on my iPad while I was traveling. I had this book on my TBR and was delighted to see it was available on Hoopla. 

Loved this mystery! It takes place in 1949, Paris. American Tabitha has traveled to Paris to visit her Grandfather and honorary Uncle. They are two eccentric, wealthy elderly men who are delighted to have Tabitha visit. Tabitha, who speaks French fluently, is absolutely in love with Paris and has been there for eight months, with no intention of leaving anytime soon.

And best of all, across the street live Julia and Paul Child. Julia has taken Tabitha under her wing, helping her shop at the market and teaching Tabitha to cook. Julia is famous in the neighborhood for her cooking, but her worldwide fame is years away. 

Julia's sister Dot is also living in the same apartment as Julia and Paul, and she's involved in an American theater. Her friends gather at the apartment late at night for drinks, smokes, and a good time. After one such night, a horrible discovery is made: Therese, a young woman who was at the party the night before, is found dead near the garbage area in the apartment building basement. She's been brutally stabbed to death. Tabitha recognizes her, and thus begins her foray into figuring out who killed Therese, and why. 

I was charmed by the setting, the characters, and as the plot unfolded, the mystery. It never lagged or slowed down, but kept a steady pace forward. Tabitha--loved her! Just curious and smart enough to figure things out, but not one to bumble her way forward. Julia's character is big, joyful, and full of life. While the pool of suspects is small, it is not easy to figure out just who was the murderer. Putting the clues together with Tabitha was part of the fun--you don't know any more than she does. 

I absolutely enjoyed the heck out of this mystery, and can't wait for another in this series. Anyone who loves Julia Child will want to grab this one. I liked that she is not the main character who solves the mystery, but is a prominent character who brings a zest to the story. And the food! A great way to travel to post-World War 2 Paris. 

Rating: 5/6 for a mystery that unfolds amongst wine, great food, and the streets of Paris. A mystery that kept me intrigued until the very end. 

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May Read: Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

Warming Up Julia Child by Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz

 

Julia Child was the first person besides my Mom that I saw cook food. Of course, it was easier to watch my Mom, standing on a chair in our kitchen and being up close (and if I was lucky, getting to lick the beaters).  Julia Child I first saw on PBS, on a Saturday. I didn't know what to think of this woman who gestured a lot, had an interesting voice, and seemed both incredibly gifted and a bit silly all at once. She made food I'd never heard of, and wasn't sure I'd like, either. My palate was definitely 1970's Midwest child. 

It wasn't until I was much older, and my Mom had passed, that I found out she was not a born cook, and didn't really enjoy cooking much. But with eight children, she learned to cook. Julia, however, inspired me to be interested in cooking in a different way--to enjoy the process, to think about the ingredients, and most importantly, to inhale the results. She also taught me it's okay to fail sometimes, and that sometimes the end results don't look so great, but taste wonderful.

I never thought much about how Julia Child became the star that she was until I read Warming Up Julia Child. While it is true many famous people have that star quality, it's usually with the help of others that their potential develops and shines. That was also true for Julia.

This non-fiction book examines the six people who were part of Julia's life at a crucial time: the beginnings of her work on what would become Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  While I knew this cookbook was years in the making, I had no idea just how many years Julia and her friend Simone Beck worked on it. The back and forth of letters, the visits--it's mind boggling to think they persisted in creating this cookbook. Author Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz brings their relationship to life using actual correspondence and diary entries of the two women, along with Julia's husband Paul. Simone and Paul weren't the only players in Julia's life: Avis DeVoto helped get their cookbook into the hands of Judith Jones and William Koshland at Knopf after Houghton Mifflin turned it down. Judith helped shape the final cookbook with Julia, and William's influence at Knopf proved invaluable. Finally, there was Ruth Lockwood at WGBH in Boston, where Julia became famous with her French Chef cooking show (the one I saw as a kid). The relationships between all the players are fascinating and you really get a good sense of all the work involved over the years in developing and maintaining those relationships through thick and thin. 

Though photos, voluminous correspondence, and diary entries we get a peek inside Julia's mind, Paul's frustrations in a job that made him deeply unhappy, and the ups and downs of friendships. The process of creating a cookbook is beyond difficult, and I am amazed and impressed at Julia and Simone's determination to keep moving forward for ten years. Imagine that: working on a cookbook for ten years. And that cookbook has gone on to sell over 1.5 million copies (as of 2019) and is still in print and considered a classic. 

I enjoyed this behind the scenes look at Julia's friendships and business partnerships with the people who helped her become the beloved chef we came to know. It is especially interesting to get a peek into her marriage to Paul, and just how much he supported her throughout their marriage. They truly were a perfect match. 

If you are a fan of Julia Child, this should be on your TBR list. I think in today's world we often see the finished product and fail to think about the work that was required to bring that product to fruition. Julia was brilliant, and lucky to be surrounded by a group of people who believed in her, believed in her cookbook, and worked hard to see it published. 

A big thank you to Pegasus Books for a chance to read and review this book. Publication date is April 5th (just a few days away!) and the book will be available in hardcover and ebook. 

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Warming Up Julia Child by Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz

Spring 2022 Titles on My List

 Mother Nature teased us last week into thinking we just might be moving into Spring with beautiful days and warmer temperatures. But this week, it's been chilly and the last few days super windy. The sun is shining, so it's not all bad--and I am spotting green things poking out of the ground in my flower beds. 

I have to say there isn't a part of the year where I'm not excited about new books. Every month there is something to look forward to, and April is no exception for me. I've been reading a bit more, but still much slower than usual. Right now it's safe to say I have four books all going at the same time, and all completely different than the others. 

Here are some of the books I'm eager to see published in April, as well as some titles I plan on reading this month:

This book was just released and is a new series about a "recovery" person who finds lost items. This novel introduces characters and sends us on an epic lost treasure adventure. 

Big buzz around this one--it's out in May and is "Mexican Gothic Meets Rebecca". Sounds like a great read!

I bought this a few months ago and still haven't started it yet. Historical fiction set in a world famous bookstore in Paris. 

My only comfort in knowing The House on Tradd Street series was finished was knowing this new book, featuring one of the characters from that series was just around the corner. I. Cannot. Wait. 

So excited to read this! Lost Colony of Roanoke? Yes please. 

A publisher read and review. Who can so no to any book about Julia Child? Not me! 

Alma Katsu again takes on horror, this time at a Japanese internment camp. 

Jenny Colgan returns with a new series set at an all girls school. 

This is what I plan on reading in the next month or so....I've been doing a few TikTok reviews and I enjoy those very much! You can find me on TikTok under @Luv2read66.  I also post them to my Instagram account @bookaliciousbabeia.  

I'm currently reading: Diablo Mesa by Preston & Child; The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid; Menopause: A Comic Treatment, Homicide and Halo Halo by Mia P. Manansala, and In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace. Hope to have two done early this next week. 

What are you reading? 

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Spring 2022 Titles on My List

Provence, 1970 by Luke Barr

Provence is one of those places that I know is more beautiful than what I can possibly imagine.  And Provence, 1970 by Luke Barr confirmed not only the loveliness of this special part of France, but tossed in some of the most famous chefs and food writers at the time to create a snapshot of a crucial turning of the wheel in American food culture.  

Paul and Julia Child, M.F.K. Fisher, Simone Beck, James Beard, and Richard Olney all were in Provence during December, 1970.  The Childs were settling into their home away from home, La Pitchoune.  Simone Beck and her husband were arriving shortly, and M.F.K. Fisher was revisiting her favorite places in France.  James Beard was at a nearby clinic trying to lose weight, and failing miserably. Richard Olney lived in Provence, in a small home perched on a hillside, growing vegetables and creating gorgeous dishes out of local foods.  Each person was a giant in food culture, and riding the wave of French food popularity in America.   

But none of them were really very happy.  America was experiencing growing pains:  Vietnam, the Civil-Rights movement, music, culture--you name it, America was shifting.  Each of these people felt it, and this moment in time:  Provence in December, 1970 was when they would all gather to eat, talk, and drink.  And in those moments of argument, laughter, dislike, creativity, and passionate debates, a movement away from the influence of French cooking began for America.  It was also a moment of realization for many of them on how they wanted to move onwards, bring new ideas to the world of food, and put to bed memories and ways of thinking that didn't serve a purpose in this new world.  

Don't get me wrong.  This book is chock-full of gorgeous food, drink, and views.  It is more than just a food book, and as you read it you'll realize this.  It is a book of contemplation, one that makes you look at the world around you and how we all got to 2015.  It makes you look at things you hold onto, and probably should let go.  It gives you a breath of fresh air, and lets ideas percolate in your mind.  And it is a love letter to a time and place that doesn't exist anymore.  

Luke Barr based this memoir on his Great Aunt M.F.K. Fisher's green notebooks, which she kept while in France in 1970.  He clearly admired his Aunt, and her ability to move forward into a new life in her 60's.  Paul and Julia Child are so alive in this memoir, it's hard to imagine them both gone.  Sadly, they're all gone.  So take some time, grab a bottle of wine, some bread and cheese, and read this lovely memoir.  Then make yourself a wonderful supper.  This memoir certainly had me thinking about food, how to prepare it, and the care we should all take in feeding not only our bodies but our souls.  

Rating:  8/10 for a memoir that  brings each memorable person fully alive, and incredible food descriptions that make your mouth water.  You will never look at food quite the same again.

Available in Hardcover, paperback, and e-book.

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Provence, 1970 by Luke Barr