Julia Child only had eyes for one man: her husband Paul Child. But Paul had a twin brother, Charles, who in turn had a son Alex Prud’homme, an accomplished writer. And so it was that Alex, Paul’s grandnephew, was the man destined to become Julia’s collaborator on her most beloved memoir. While Julia had often talked about writing “the France book,” it wasn’t until nine years after Paul’s death that Julia turned to Alex and said: All right, dearie, maybe we should work on it together." It probably didn’t hurt that he looks a bit like Paul, and that he clearly shares his intelligence and talent. “It’s one of the reasons Julia and I got along so well. We looked alike, we had similar temperaments and shared a similar sense of humour,” says Alex.
Together Alex and Julia wrote “My Life in France,” the book that became the Meryl Streep-starring half of the film “Julie and Julia.” Alex later wrote many popular Julia-themed books including “The French Chef in America,” “Born Eating,” and (with Katie Pratt) the enthralling book “France is a Feast,” which inspired the Napa Valley Museum’s first exhibition about Julia and Paul, and led to “Julia Child: A Recipe for Life.” Alex has written several other books including the recent “Dinner With The President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House
Meet Alex at The MAC soon!
"I tried to hold on to my impressions," she writes, "but it was hopeless, as if I were trying to hold on to a dream. No matter. France was my spiritual homeland: it had become part of me, and I a part of it, and so it has remained ever since." But one memory stayed firm, that of her first meal in France. "And thinking back on it now," she concludes, "reminds me that the pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite — toujours bon appétit!"
(From My life in france forward by Alex P)
Meet Alex soon at The MAC signing his books XXXXX
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