Backstage with Julia : my years with Julia Child

This insider's account of life with Julia is a very admiring look at the woman who taught America to cook. Julia's impact on the author (Nancy Verde Barr, long-time chef's assistant) is evident in the first few pages. Julia's philosophy was, as long as you are doing what you love and doing it well, what's the sense in stopping?

It is lovely to read that Julia embraced everything positive, from engaging eagerly with fans at book signings to re-enacting Dan Ackroyd's famous Saturday Night Live sketch lampooning her. It is equally interesting to discover that Julia did not permit mentioning things which she despised, generally the names of disagreeable chefs and the words "tired" and "exhausted." Her rejection of these negative notions may be the secret to her never-ending energy.

Barr provides a number of anecdotes that perfectly illustrate classic Julia traits, including her outspokenness, risque sense of humor, constant curiosity and love of kitchen experimentation. This portrait of Julia's years as an American celebrity gives readers a picture of her success, work ethic and desire to keep going right up until her health failed.

For a light and engaging introduction to the life of Julia Child, I preferred the book Julia co-wrote with a relative and entitled: "My Life in France" which takes the reader through Julia's travels, discovery of fine cuisine and publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

"Backstage with Julia" lacks the in-depth look at who Julia got to be where she is and spends more time marveling at her gung-ho attitude and merry approach to hard work. This was a very pleasant read about a very unusual - and unstoppable - woman.