Mini Review: Book Eight

As always, Julia
The letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto
Edited by: Joan Reardon
Finished: 2.26.11

I picked this book up from a display at the library knowing nothing about it other than "Oh Julia Child, I like her" and "Oh, those are nice colors they use on the cover". I also thought this Avis DeVoto was a man, until I cracked the cover.

And oh... This book... It was wonderful. I have a new appreciation for Julia Child. I had no idea what a wonderful person she was. This book is no biography, but it tells her story almost as well or better than a biography could. Through a series of letters between her and Avis, her character, charm, talent, humor and more are revealed, and to me, she is a remarkable person.

Her friendship with Avis begins by chance when Julia sends a letter in response to an article Avis' husband wrote concerning knives. Avis answers the letter, and with that, you could almost say, American cooking was changed for ever. The book chronicles Julia's effort to get her book published - you know, the Art of French Cooking? The book that began Julia's career? The book that got Americans to stop cooking out of a can? That book. And Avis has SO much to do with its success. She is the one who gets the first publisher interested, secures an advance, and essentially edits the book for Julia.

I found it really interesting how difficult it must have been to cook really great food in America in their time. Julia would send Avis recipes for the book (Julia was in Paris through most of the book) and Avis would reply saying "What are shallots? We don't have fresh xx here, only frozen. You must specify butter or Americans will try and put margarine in." And so on and so forth.

Besides the cooking, the two talk politics (both democrats with infuriatingly overwhelming amounts of republican family... ha! can so relate), language, love, and seemingly unimportant everyday events. They come to be such great friends, and it is enjoyable to read as it develops. They are tremendously smart women who attempted real change through cooking, political involvement, and just generally being lovely people.

Overall: 9.5/10 loved it.