Julia Child - A Trailing Spouse who Found Her Calling

Hi Everyone

Many of you have probably seen the movie Julie & Julia which was written and directed by Nora Ephron.

Julie Powell (Amy Adams) attempts to cook every recipe in Julia Child's (Meryl Streep) cookbook - Mastering The Art of French Cooking. She writes a blog about her experience. Woven into her story is the story of Julia Child's time in Paris, in which she discovers the art of cooking.



What impressed me most about this movie is the biography of Julia Child which is described in the movie and in her autobiography My Life in France

Julia was a working woman all her adult life. During World War 2 she worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and was posted to Sri Lanka and China. After the war, in 1946, she married her husband Paul, and in 1948 Paul was posted to Paris by the United States Foreign Service.

When Julia first arrived Paris she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. The couple had no children, Julia had no work, and she was searching what to do in her spare time.

Very soon, Julia fell in love with Paris, with French food and with the local markets. She started taking cooking classes at the Cordon Bleu, and the rest is history.

I believe that Julia childs can serve as a roll model for all trailing spouses. She was full of energy, active, assertive and was not afraid to go after what she wanted. Other than that she had a supportive husband on her side.

What we also need to remember is that all this happaned in the mid of the 20th century. Julia was a true pionneer. Any trailing spouse who struggles should read her book and be encouraged by Julia's amazing story

I would love to hear what you think about the story of Julia Child. Did it inspire you?

Sharon