A Covert Affair: Julia Child and Paul Child

A Covert Affair: Julia Child and Paul Child, by Jennet Conant
 
This staff pick is really aimed for those who read My Life in France by Julia Child, which is her charmingly entertaining autobiography. A Covert Affair by Jennet Conant details the World War II years of Julia, her husband Paul and their widely-diverse group of friends when they worked in the Office of Strategic Services. Several of these friends of Julia's were mentioned, though not in great detail, in My Life in France.

Julia and Paul Child are the most interesting people in Conant's book. Julia's wartime service to the American government in several parts of the globe certainly is a total contrast to her later triumphs in promoting proper food preparation of French cuisine and other styles of cooking. An example of her assignments during the war was when Julia worked in Ceylon on a project associated with Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten. While A Covert Affair may not be the equal to My Life in France in terms of a great reading experience, it is recommended for those who have already read her autobiography and want to know more about Julia and Paul Child.
-Roy