FCPL Reading Challenge September 2021 - Biography and Memoir

Anthony Bourdain’s book, Kitchen Confidential:  Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly is memorable to me for many reasons (I never order the fish on Mondays), one of which is that it was likely the first of a long line of chef memoirs to capture my interest.  Learning what goes on behind the kitchen door can be fascinating.  It’s a tough job in more ways than one, and chef memoirs seem to have more than the average story’s worth of bad luck and tough times.

Erin French is the owner of The Lost Kitchen, a seasonal destination restaurant housed in an old mill in Freedom, Maine.  The Lost Kitchen was named one of “TIME Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places” and one of “12 Restaurants Worth Traveling Across the World to Experience” by Bloomberg. 

Erin French shares her version in her book Finding Freedom:  A Cook’s Story, Remaking a Life from Scratch. Erin’s family ran a diner-type restaurant in Maine and she grew up around food and foodservice. Erin details her rural childhood, roaming the countryside and hanging out in the diner, followed by some rebellious teenage years.  Her struggles as a single mother are interspersed with her growing passion for locally farmed and raised food and her pleasure in creating delicious, wholesome dishes that bring joy.  There are very low lows, including drug addiction, domestic abuse, financial insecurity, anxiety and depression. There is also determination and hope as she builds both a meaningful life, a supportive working community, and a truly original restaurant, step by painful step. There is a real sense of community building among the staff and loving and lovely descriptions of ingredients, food, and meals. 

Finding Freedom is a good choice for fans of Yes, Chef by Marcus Sameulsson or Blood, Bones, and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton.

Amy Billings

Youth Services Supervisor

Sharon Forks Library

#WeKnowBooks