New Book: Julia Child

I just learned of a Julia Child biography published last April. JULIA CHILD is part of the Penguin Lives series and was written by Laura Shapiro.

Shapiro has written two notable books on American culinary history: SOMETHING FROM THE OVEN: REINVENTING DINNER IN 1950S AMERICA and PERFECTION SALAD: WOMEN AND COOKING AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. Both titles are on my shelves, and I expect to add her Child biography in time.

Newsweek spotlighted the Child biography in a recent column titled "Sleeper Reads," which featured "five worthy hardbacks that didn't make the best-seller lists but should have," reviewing the book thusly: "A slim, elegant account of Child's journey from a file clerk on the verge of spinsterhood, to housewife, to French chef and beloved American cultural figure. Shapiro, a former NEWSWEEK staffer, writes in clear, fluid prose and doesn't shy away from Child's flaws and (only occasional) failures."

This is a good year for fans of Julia Child, with BACKSTAGE WITH JULIA having been published earlier this year. See this post for a link to that book, which was a delightful read.