I just finished Julia Child's My Time In France and her story left me moved and inspired. She discovered her life's calling when she was in her late 30's. With no formal training or true kitchen experience, she followed her passion to know everything about French cuisine. For the rest of her life she dedicated herself to learning and trying new recipes, truly mastering the art of French cooking.
She labored over her first book for over a decade. After her second rejection she landed a contract with Knopf, thanks in part to her future editor Judith Jones.
One of my favorite passages is the revelation that Judith lived in Paris during the same time as Julia. Julia writes that, "It's quite possible that we passed Judith and Evan on the street, or that we stood next to each other at a cocktail party, for we were leading parallel lives. But we never met in Paris". Judith lived in Paris from 1948 to 1951. She read Julia's manuscript in 1959, sitting in her NY office.
In the book Julia makes numerous references to being lucky. As a reader, I kept thinking of the famous quote "Luck is opportunity meeting the prepared mind".
Now to follow Julia's example and follow through with my own passion project!
