Autobiography

Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch

Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch

  • Downloads：3732
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-04-26 12:31:33
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Erin French
  • ISBN：1250791073
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

From Erin French， owner and chef of the critically acclaimed The Lost Kitchen， a TIME world dining destination， a life-affirming memoir about survival， renewal， and finding a community to lift her up

Long before The Lost Kitchen became a world dining destination with every seating filled the day the reservation book opens each spring， Erin French was a girl roaming barefoot on a 25-acre farm， a teenager falling in love with food while working the line at her dad’s diner and a young woman finding her calling as a professional chef at her tiny restaurant tucked into a 19th century mill。 This singular memoir—a classic American story—invites readers to Erin's corner of her beloved Maine to share the real person behind the “girl from Freedom” fairytale， and the not-so-picture-perfect struggles that have taken every ounce of her strength to overcome， and that make Erin’s life triumphant。

In Finding Freedom， Erin opens up to the challenges， stumbles， and victories that have led her to the exact place she was ever meant to be， telling stories of multiple rock-bottoms， of darkness and anxiety， of survival as a jobless single mother， of pills that promised release but delivered addiction， of a man who seemed to offer salvation but in the end ripped away her very sense of self。 And of the beautiful son who was her guiding light as she slowly rebuilt her personal and culinary life around the solace she found in food—as a source of comfort， a sense of place， as a way of bringing goodness into the world。 Erin’s experiences with deep loss and abiding hope， told with both honesty and humor， will resonate with women everywhere who are determined to find their voices， create community， grow stronger and discover their best-selves despite seemingly impossible odds。 Set against the backdrop of rural Maine and its lushly intense， bountiful seasons， Erin reveals the passion and courage needed to invent oneself anew， and the poignant， timeless connections between food and generosity， renewal and freedom。

A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books

Download

Reviews

Elizabeth ，

A must read。 I read it in one day Thank you for sharing your story ❤️

Joanna Sinclair ，

I’ve been an admirer of Erin French and The Lost Kitchen for many years。 I expected to love the book for that reason alone， but I found Erin’s descriptions of Maine food and culture so relatable and nostalgic。 This memoir reads like a novel and spans from charming stories about childhood to haunting first hand accounts of abuse and addiction。 Erin is known for putting her heart into her food， and she’s done the same with this book！

Valerie Ahern ，

One of the best books I have read in a long time！ Being a foodie and someone who loves to cook， entertain and dreams of opening a café， I was hooked from page one。 To eat at The List kitchen is most definitely on my bucket List！

Denise B ，

I loved this story 。 The food Erin cooked and the hardships she endured kept my interest throughout the book！

Sarah ，

Finding Freedom was a great read。 Inspirational， emotional and well written。 I would love to visit the author’s restaurant in Maine someday for sure。

Paul Szydlowski ，

The author makes it clear she is not a chef， just a cook's daughter who learned at his side， felt neglected， married poorly， became addicted to pills and alcohol， kicked those habits then returned to her tiny Maine hometown where she owns a restaurant that holds a lottery every spring to book reservations that fill her restaurant for the year。 One helluva tale。 The author makes it clear she is not a chef， just a cook's daughter who learned at his side， felt neglected， married poorly， became addicted to pills and alcohol， kicked those habits then returned to her tiny Maine hometown where she owns a restaurant that holds a lottery every spring to book reservations that fill her restaurant for the year。 One helluva tale。 。。。more

Jody ，

I'm not sure if this book is going to make me gain 10lbs or lose 5lbs。 The 10 because peppered throughout this compelling and deeply personal story are descriptions of food that had me salivating and mentally menu planning。 The 5 becuase nothing I nor my husband could make measured up with what I was reading about。 Erin's story is about a choice to move forward， to own your choices， and to look forward。 To finding a new passion， a new path， and about overcoming everything that life throws at you I'm not sure if this book is going to make me gain 10lbs or lose 5lbs。 The 10 because peppered throughout this compelling and deeply personal story are descriptions of food that had me salivating and mentally menu planning。 The 5 becuase nothing I nor my husband could make measured up with what I was reading about。 Erin's story is about a choice to move forward， to own your choices， and to look forward。 To finding a new passion， a new path， and about overcoming everything that life throws at you， including the consequences of your choices。 It's about moving forward， and finding a way。 Finding Freedom connected with something inside me， and had me crying when I didn't expect to。 The book hangover was so strong that I couldn't touch another book for a week。 The only thing I could do was look at flights to Maine and food-spo。 A truly delightful read， excellent for foodies。 。。。more

Lisa ，

I always enjoy a good memoir。 Wow， pretty much sums up my feelings in this one！ I’ll be honest， I never heard of Erin French or The Lost Kitchen。 I saw this book on Instagram before it was released and was attracted by the cover。 If like me， you are not familiar with Erin French， she is the owner and chef of The Lost Kitchen in Freedom， Maine， recently voted by Time Magazine as one of the World’s Greatest Places。 There is also a reality television series。It is a great story about believing in yo I always enjoy a good memoir。 Wow， pretty much sums up my feelings in this one！ I’ll be honest， I never heard of Erin French or The Lost Kitchen。 I saw this book on Instagram before it was released and was attracted by the cover。 If like me， you are not familiar with Erin French， she is the owner and chef of The Lost Kitchen in Freedom， Maine， recently voted by Time Magazine as one of the World’s Greatest Places。 There is also a reality television series。It is a great story about believing in yourself and not giving up on your dreams。 Initially， it seems that it is about how Erin pivots when life does not go as planned and she has to give up the medical career she was working towards。 Her hard work and determination allow her to create a life for her and her son to be proud of， but it is how she overcomes the many obstacles that are then thrown in her way that make her story truly inspiring。Erin grew up working in her father’s diner in Maine。 That is where her love of all things food began。 She discovered the pleasures of seeing customers react to dishes she created at a young age。 Her father was an emotionally distant task masker and she was always striving to earn his approval。 Erin is honest in telling her story and does not gloss over the difficult family relationships。Through perseverance， Erin achieves her dream of opening a restaurant。 She is overwhelmed by its success。 She gives her all to the restaurant but she falls into a world of pills， as she tries to make it through each day while managing anxiety and depression。 She loses everything but learns through rehab that she can rebuild a happier， healthier life。I found myself shaking my head while reading this book。 It was unbelievable how truly awful some of the people in Erin’s life were to her。 People who were supposed to be building her up but instead chose to tear her down。 There were times in the book when I did not see how she could go on， her current success is a testament to her strength and determination。 She built a restaurant in the middle of nowhere and was worried about whether people would come。 In only three years it has become a dining destination， with reservations by lottery。 Last year they received 20，000 entries into the lottery。 This page turning memoir is truly an inspiring story。 。。。more

Lorilin ，

Dang， dude。 Reading this memoir is rough at times。 I’m glad Erin French made it to where she is right now （and I’m super psyched for her upcoming show on the Magnolia Network）， but she sure took the hard path to get there。 A cold upbringing， early motherhood， a messy marriage， and an even messier divorce—with addiction thrown in the mix， too。 My heart goes out to her。 But it says a lot that she has been able to overcome and thrive in spite of so many obstacles。 I wish her all the best in her fut Dang， dude。 Reading this memoir is rough at times。 I’m glad Erin French made it to where she is right now （and I’m super psyched for her upcoming show on the Magnolia Network）， but she sure took the hard path to get there。 A cold upbringing， early motherhood， a messy marriage， and an even messier divorce—with addiction thrown in the mix， too。 My heart goes out to her。 But it says a lot that she has been able to overcome and thrive in spite of so many obstacles。 I wish her all the best in her future endeavors。 She’s earned every bit of her success。 I need to read her cookbook now， The Lost Kitchen。 It sounds pretty great。 。。。more

Amber Chance ，

I loved this book so much。 I love everything she overcame。 I love how she wasn’t overly blaming Tom for everything。 He was a huge part of her problems but she acknowledged the work she had to do。 I can only hope that Tom was a good father to Jaim while Erin was figuring out her life。 I’m glad she was able to succeed and to find true love。 I laughed some and cried a lot and just felt all the sorrow and the happiness she experienced。 Such a good read。 Now to try to get a reservation at The Lost Ki I loved this book so much。 I love everything she overcame。 I love how she wasn’t overly blaming Tom for everything。 He was a huge part of her problems but she acknowledged the work she had to do。 I can only hope that Tom was a good father to Jaim while Erin was figuring out her life。 I’m glad she was able to succeed and to find true love。 I laughed some and cried a lot and just felt all the sorrow and the happiness she experienced。 Such a good read。 Now to try to get a reservation at The Lost Kitchen。I read this via audiobook。 Bonus: it’s read by the author！ 。。。more

Christie ，

Enthralled with her story & journey。I loved this story， her raw， honest transparency in the miserable marriage， the resulting self-medication。 I also grew up in a family restaurant business， so so enjoyed her passion in creating dishes， menus， but loved her visions down to every detail for the venues she found was just a great story of resilience ，perseverance， grit。。 and I am so overjoyed there was light， & love at the end of her tunnel。 This needs to be a movie！！

Dawn ，

I watched the show， “The Lost Kitchen” and was immediately hooked。 I loved the story of Erin and The Lost Kitchen， so I was excited to read her book。 Beautiful descriptions of food， heart wrenching difficulties Erin had thrown at her and the resilience she continues to show were inspiring。 I really enjoyed this book。

Highlandbird ，

Strangely enough， I had just taken a trip from Waterville， where my daughter is in College， down thru Freedom to Belfast， and on to Camden and Rockland。 We were exploring mid coast Maine on her break。 I had heard of The List Kitchen， longing to patronize it， but knowing it is nearly impossible to get a reservation by postcard。 We had gone to the Coop， Owls Head， and many other places mentioned in the book。 Then this book popped up on my FB feed！ So of course I ordered it straight away。 Fantastic Strangely enough， I had just taken a trip from Waterville， where my daughter is in College， down thru Freedom to Belfast， and on to Camden and Rockland。 We were exploring mid coast Maine on her break。 I had heard of The List Kitchen， longing to patronize it， but knowing it is nearly impossible to get a reservation by postcard。 We had gone to the Coop， Owls Head， and many other places mentioned in the book。 Then this book popped up on my FB feed！ So of course I ordered it straight away。 Fantastic story of missteps and redemption， heartbreaking， surprisingly well written。 Erin is an inspiration。 The book was an immersive page turner for me。 Still Hoping to win the Lost Kitchen Lottery。 。。。more

Catherine ，

Erin French begins her story with the challenges she faced growing up with a dad who wasn't easy but did introduce her to food。 An unwed pregnancy， single motherhood， a toxic relationship and addiction are challenges we've heard before。 But Erin survives and overcomes these challenges to create a little restaurant in a corner of Maine。 The book sings when she talks about food and the joy she has in serving people。 She doesn't just create good food， but a complete experience when dining。 She buil Erin French begins her story with the challenges she faced growing up with a dad who wasn't easy but did introduce her to food。 An unwed pregnancy， single motherhood， a toxic relationship and addiction are challenges we've heard before。 But Erin survives and overcomes these challenges to create a little restaurant in a corner of Maine。 The book sings when she talks about food and the joy she has in serving people。 She doesn't just create good food， but a complete experience when dining。 She builds a community of people who work together and people line up to enjoy。 。。。more

Kayla - the。bookish。mama ，

Do you ever read a book and you like it but it wasn’t at all what you expected？ I had to sit with this one for a few quiet minutes after finishing。 This is a wonderful memoir about acknowledging your roots， resiliency， and remaking yourself。 I loved the beginning of the book， and the retelling of her childhood， her childhood family relationships， and how all of that was impacted by food and the restaurant industry。 I grew up in a small Midwestern town and the way she described Maine was so famil Do you ever read a book and you like it but it wasn’t at all what you expected？ I had to sit with this one for a few quiet minutes after finishing。 This is a wonderful memoir about acknowledging your roots， resiliency， and remaking yourself。 I loved the beginning of the book， and the retelling of her childhood， her childhood family relationships， and how all of that was impacted by food and the restaurant industry。 I grew up in a small Midwestern town and the way she described Maine was so familiar。 It made me nostalgic of playing in the woods as a kid and being so in tune with nature。 If you also grew up in a small rural town there is so much that you will appreciate about this book。I admire Erin’s transparency because I truly believe her story will help others to feel inspired。 Had I known that there would be as much detail to her addiction and her toxic marriage， I am not sure that I would have picked this book up， but I am really glad that I did。 （This is due to my own life experiences， and the experiences of those that I care for）。 It is a story of survival， and then going from surviving to thriving。 There were so many times I just wanted to hug her。 I was angry when she was as angry， and I felt like I was experiencing all of the emotions right along beside her。 And when she was triumphant I wanted to cheer for her in her victories。 I think her sharing so intimately of her personal battles will bring hope to those who have also shared in these experiences。Now。。。the food。 I wanted to taste so many of these pages。 The way she describes food is nothing but pure magic。 The words dance on your taste buds。 Apart from the small town memories， I LOVED the way she recalled the meals she crafted。 It was always done with such care， and you can feel her passion for everything she prepares。 Even reading about her food evokes an emotional response。 And I was constantly hungry while reading。If you have ever worked in the restaurant world - whether a diner or in fine dining， there is so much that you will be able to relate to。 Regardless if you were a server or chef， it’s like an homage of the way people are tied to the culinary experience。I was lucky enough to win this copy via a Goodreads giveaway。 All opinions are my own。TW: alcoholism， drug addiction， rehab， mention of others experiencing rape and late term miscarriage （not the author and not detailed）， unplanned pregnancy， domestic abuse， verbal abuse， divorce， custody battle， animal cruelty， and animal slaughter for culinary purposes 。。。more

Catherine ，

Content Warnings: drug/alcohol abuse， domestic abuse， suicidal ideation I first became aware of Erin French from her show “The Lost Kitchen” on Discovery+。 My husband and I were immediately hooked and binged-watched all of the episodes in one sitting。 This memoir reads like fiction and I had a hard time putting it down。 It delves far deeper than the tv show does into the details of her life and her past struggles。 I felt heartbroken for Erin and rooted for her like crazy。 Every time she was knoc Content Warnings: drug/alcohol abuse， domestic abuse， suicidal ideation I first became aware of Erin French from her show “The Lost Kitchen” on Discovery+。 My husband and I were immediately hooked and binged-watched all of the episodes in one sitting。 This memoir reads like fiction and I had a hard time putting it down。 It delves far deeper than the tv show does into the details of her life and her past struggles。 I felt heartbroken for Erin and rooted for her like crazy。 Every time she was knocked down， she got right back up again。 She’s an inspiration to anyone who has felt hopeless， lost， or beaten down。 I think her story can help a lot of people that find themselves in similar shoes。I’m so glad she finally got her happy ending。 She deserves every ounce of it。 。。。more

Janet Reid ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 3。5 I loved all the food descriptions-made me want to start experimenting in the kitchen and pay the Lost Kitchen a visit （if I were so lucky）。 However I thought Erin doesn’t take responsibility for her own actions。 Tom does indeed sound like a complete unlikeable selfish jerk but at the same time Erin had a bad prescription drug problem。 Sounds like the toxic relationship was brought about by both of their actions。 I would have liked to hear a little bit more about her recovery。 She was in reha 3。5 I loved all the food descriptions-made me want to start experimenting in the kitchen and pay the Lost Kitchen a visit （if I were so lucky）。 However I thought Erin doesn’t take responsibility for her own actions。 Tom does indeed sound like a complete unlikeable selfish jerk but at the same time Erin had a bad prescription drug problem。 Sounds like the toxic relationship was brought about by both of their actions。 I would have liked to hear a little bit more about her recovery。 She was in rehab， left early and seemed to have been able to kick her prescription drug problem very quickly despite the huge amount of stress she was still under。 All in all it was a beautifully written book and very interesting。 Glad Erin has found such great success after all her struggles。 。。。more

Heather Freeman ，

Best book that I’ve read so far this year。。。so good that I’m sad it’s over。

6girlsmom ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I received a copy of this book from Bookish First in exchange for my review。 My thanks to the author and the publisher for this opportunity。Erin French writes quite a memoir。 She had a somewhat bumpy childhood， with assorted ups and downs: a freedom filled existence surrounded by animals， nature， and loving grandparents， hard working parents， a somewhat distant relationship with her dad， and an unplanned pregnancy， but she was somehow making it work。 She met an older man and fell in love， and th I received a copy of this book from Bookish First in exchange for my review。 My thanks to the author and the publisher for this opportunity。Erin French writes quite a memoir。 She had a somewhat bumpy childhood， with assorted ups and downs: a freedom filled existence surrounded by animals， nature， and loving grandparents， hard working parents， a somewhat distant relationship with her dad， and an unplanned pregnancy， but she was somehow making it work。 She met an older man and fell in love， and they married。 He adopted her son， but the marriage started going sour， and Erin turned to pills to cope with the stress， anxiety， and abuse。 After being put in rehab， things turned VERY bad， very quickly。 She not only lost her marriage， she lost her biological son to his adoptive dad， and she lost the restaurant she had started from the ground up。 With incredible courage， she fought her way back， and with a strong support system， she slowly rebuilt her life。 I found this a painful story to hear， but also inspiring。 。。。more

Jordan Lynch ，

I had never heard of Erin French or The Lost Kitchen when I requested Finding Freedom， but I love food-related memoirs， so I was excited to learn her story。French's journey to become a world-renowned chef is an interesting tale。 Beginning with her experiences working in her father's local diner and ending with the worldwide acclaim of her second restaurant， The Lost Kitchen， French is open and honest about the ups and downs of her road to success。 This includes the good times--learning to cook， I had never heard of Erin French or The Lost Kitchen when I requested Finding Freedom， but I love food-related memoirs， so I was excited to learn her story。French's journey to become a world-renowned chef is an interesting tale。 Beginning with her experiences working in her father's local diner and ending with the worldwide acclaim of her second restaurant， The Lost Kitchen， French is open and honest about the ups and downs of her road to success。 This includes the good times--learning to cook， becoming a mother， finding her confidence in the kitchen--and the bad times。 French shares in detail her struggles with broken relationships， addiction， and mental illness。 These topics make for some hard reading， but they're important parts of French's story， and I appreciate her willingness to speak on these issues and demonstrate how they allowed （or forced） her to grow as a person and as a chef。French also shares a lot of detail when describing her surroundings and her food！ I love being able to visualize the places and the scenery that French is experiencing， and more importantly， I love imagining all her delicious food！ Definitely don't read this book with an empty stomach。Finding Freedom is a heartbreaking but inspiring tale of one woman's path to finding herself and her place in the world。 If you enjoy books about food， overcoming mental illness， and girl power， you'll likely enjoy French's latest book。 。。。more

Pam ，

Wow， what a book！ I had never heard of Erin French or her restaurant before reading this book， but now I somehow have to make visiting her restaurant happen！ Erin literally pours her soul out on the pages of this book。 From her childhood of working at her dad’s dinner， to her disastrous marriage， to making her dream restaurant come true。 This is the story of how to make your dreams come true， by finding the courage within yourself， with the support of others， despite the total lack of support （a Wow， what a book！ I had never heard of Erin French or her restaurant before reading this book， but now I somehow have to make visiting her restaurant happen！ Erin literally pours her soul out on the pages of this book。 From her childhood of working at her dad’s dinner， to her disastrous marriage， to making her dream restaurant come true。 This is the story of how to make your dreams come true， by finding the courage within yourself， with the support of others， despite the total lack of support （and outright sabotage） by some who should be supporting you。 She goes from rock bottom to having a restaurant that is so popular， that reservations close out for the whole year just days （sometimes hours） after they open for the year。 While the story of her life， her dreams， her struggles were enthralling， it was the descriptions of the cooking that really mesmerized me。 I love seeing inside the mind of a chef。 She believes in letting the food shine through， nothing too fancy， just pure， good food and the people responded。 Seasonal menus with everything at it’s peak。 Loved this book！I received an ARC of the book。 。。。more

Karen ，

4。5 stars。

Kris ，

Though I tried to savor this memoir， I found myself devouring the familiar locale， the story and descriptions of raw emotions。 A brave journey of how to cope in this unpredictable world。

Elizabeth Howard ，

This was a fantastic memoir。 I felt every word and emotion the author shared and will never forget her story of perseverance。 Highly recommend！

Hannah ，

Do you ever finish a book that you wouldn’t normally pick up and love it so much that you desperately wonder what other books you’re missing out on just because they’re not your usual type？ Finding Freedom is one of those that I probably would have glossed over at the bookstore but it is absolutely one of my favorite books this year。 Thank you to Celadon Books for surprising me with the gifted copy！ I read this book on my flights to/from Washington， DC and my mouth was watering the entire time。 Do you ever finish a book that you wouldn’t normally pick up and love it so much that you desperately wonder what other books you’re missing out on just because they’re not your usual type？ Finding Freedom is one of those that I probably would have glossed over at the bookstore but it is absolutely one of my favorite books this year。 Thank you to Celadon Books for surprising me with the gifted copy！ I read this book on my flights to/from Washington， DC and my mouth was watering the entire time。 The food is described beautifully， although the bulk of the story focuses on her life surrounding the restaurant rather than daily grind of running a kitchen。 Erin writes in such a deeply personal way that it feels like you’re friends and I truly admire her vulnerability in this memoir。 There were times while reading where I felt so angry on her behalf， but by the end I was struggling to hold back happy tears so as not to be the girl crying on the plane。 I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy memoirs， stories about overcoming challenges， and those who appreciate gourmet cuisine :） 。。。more

Lee ，

With honesty and transparency， Erin French has penned a memoir that exudes pain， joy， self-destruction， self-preservation， love， dreams lost and dreams found。 The beauty of Erin’s story is that despite hitting what seemed to be rock bottom， she persisted。 She never stopped dreaming - and never stopped putting in all of the hard work necessary to see those dreams become reality。 Finding Freedom reads like a novel but the raw truths here are both heart-breaking and inspiring。 French’s words are de With honesty and transparency， Erin French has penned a memoir that exudes pain， joy， self-destruction， self-preservation， love， dreams lost and dreams found。 The beauty of Erin’s story is that despite hitting what seemed to be rock bottom， she persisted。 She never stopped dreaming - and never stopped putting in all of the hard work necessary to see those dreams become reality。 Finding Freedom reads like a novel but the raw truths here are both heart-breaking and inspiring。 French’s words are delivered with such poignant beauty and grace。 She does not try to hide the messy parts of her life - because those parts have contributed to who she is today。 Unapologetically she takes her readers through both the good and the bad， ending with the lessons she learned from the trials that she has been through。 If you only read one memoir this year， it needs to be Finding Freedom by Erin French！ 。。。more

Sherree Craig ，

What an amazing journey。 The Maine of my heart is the rugged and lovely backdrop for Erin French’s struggle to find her place in the world where she can shine， overcoming harsh emotional maelstroms to reach a place of peace and beauty。 The food descriptions she weaves are magical。 The pain she paints is palpable。 I am hoping for the day I’ll get to experience her restaurant， but am quite thrilled that she was able to taste the food in our own former business which she relishes on page 244 of her What an amazing journey。 The Maine of my heart is the rugged and lovely backdrop for Erin French’s struggle to find her place in the world where she can shine， overcoming harsh emotional maelstroms to reach a place of peace and beauty。 The food descriptions she weaves are magical。 The pain she paints is palpable。 I am hoping for the day I’ll get to experience her restaurant， but am quite thrilled that she was able to taste the food in our own former business which she relishes on page 244 of her story （beaming with pride here！）Congratulations on your victory， Erin！ Your words are as lovely and refreshing as the taste of the sea from a Maine oyster。 。。。more

Sheila ，

Erin French's story of how she lost everything and rebuilt her life and her restaurant。 She tells of her childhood， working in her dad's diner， then going off to college。 She drops out because of pregnancy and becomes a single mother who has dreams of being independent and learns more of how restaurants work。 That is where she meets her husband who is older than she is。 He makes her feel special and after they marry she achieves her dream of owning her own restaurant。 This is when cracks in her Erin French's story of how she lost everything and rebuilt her life and her restaurant。 She tells of her childhood， working in her dad's diner， then going off to college。 She drops out because of pregnancy and becomes a single mother who has dreams of being independent and learns more of how restaurants work。 That is where she meets her husband who is older than she is。 He makes her feel special and after they marry she achieves her dream of owning her own restaurant。 This is when cracks in her marriage and life begin to show。 Unfortunately she loses everything and has to start over。 Erin French is a strong woman though too many in her life tried to tell her differently。 I felt for her。 I cringed as she mixed booze and pills。 I felt anger as she tried to be a good mother， a good wife， and a good restaurateur。 I knew something would have to give and it was she。 But her overcame， persevered， and succeeded while others were doing their best to undermine her。 She showed how to rebuild a life when you have nothing more than a dream and a hope。 I loved the last few chapters。 There are so many lost souls out there and she was able to help them rebuild their lives also。 I appreciated her willingness to share her life story which still has more to go。 。。。more

Leslie ，

This isn't just the memoir of a foodie。 Its an examination of abuse， addiction， our broken mental health system， and the strength of the human spirit to overcome the odds。 I nearly came out of my skin around page 179 when Erin made a truly devious discovery。 Don't skip ahead。 Read her entire journey。 "Finding Freedom" is a story of triumph for so many reasons。 This isn't just the memoir of a foodie。 Its an examination of abuse， addiction， our broken mental health system， and the strength of the human spirit to overcome the odds。 I nearly came out of my skin around page 179 when Erin made a truly devious discovery。 Don't skip ahead。 Read her entire journey。 "Finding Freedom" is a story of triumph for so many reasons。 。。。more

Liane Neville ，

Powerful and honestI stumbled on the show Lost Kitchen and was immediately fascinated。 Then I saw that a book was available， and I dove in。 Erin’s personal story is amazing on its own-her beautiful， descriptive writing added a dimension I wasn’t expecting。 I could not put this book down。 I cried with Erin during her darkest times and celebrated with her the beauty of the joy， comfort and love she forged in Freedom。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0