Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch
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- Create Date：2021-03-31 03:33:25
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Erin French
- ISBN：1250312345
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Carin
，
Erin didn't have the easiest life。 Her dad was a tyrant who forced her to work long hours in his diner in Freedom， Maine。 Her mom was loving but didn't speak up for her。 She loved the food at the diner and trying new things but she didn't love how much it took her father away from the family and made him perpetually stressed and angry。 She managed to get away to college even though her father refused to pay for it。 And after a late-night get together with her old high school boyfriend， she ended Erin didn't have the easiest life。 Her dad was a tyrant who forced her to work long hours in his diner in Freedom， Maine。 Her mom was loving but didn't speak up for her。 She loved the food at the diner and trying new things but she didn't love how much it took her father away from the family and made him perpetually stressed and angry。 She managed to get away to college even though her father refused to pay for it。 And after a late-night get together with her old high school boyfriend， she ended up pregnant， which went over like a lead balloon。 So she dropped out of college at 21 and had a baby boy （what her father always wanted instead of Erin and her sister。） Meanwhile she was working at the diner， often solo， often 16+ hour days。 When she moved out， she also got a job at a high-end restaurant。 There she met Tom， twice her age， who at first seemed like a creep。 Eventually she decided her wasn't， and reader， she married him。 And reader， it was bad。Tom was an active alcoholic when she married him。 He cheated on her。 He also adopted her son and helped her open a restaurant so it seems like he wasn't all bad。 But then when she started taking a lot of pills to deal with the stress of the restaurant and him， things went south fast。 There was some physical abuse and a restraining order。 But then when she went to rehab， he closed her restaurant （somehow only her name was on the mortgage and only his name was on the title， hmmmm） and took away her son。 She fought him for custody and also fought her way out of debt to open another restaurant， which is wildly successful （the reservations are sold out within minutes of their opening for the entire season。）It's as if Ruth Reichl had a bad childhood and a terrible twenties。 Or if Anthony Bourdain was a women who was a teenage mom。 Tons of drama， lots of trauma， but oh the food， the glorious amazing food。 。。。more
Tikri /Letitia
，
Won a Goodreads ARC。 Totally recommend this well written real-life story。
Erin Cataldi
，
I love a good chef's memoir。 I won't lie - before reading this book I had never heard of the Lost Kitchen or of Erin French - but you better believe that as soon as I finished reading this I went online to look for photos and videos。 It is such a powerful story - Erin went to hell and back to make her dream come true。 Growing up in her father's diner， Erin realized at an early age she loved to cook。 At first Erin was desperate to leave the small town of Freedom， Maine and go to the city - but la I love a good chef's memoir。 I won't lie - before reading this book I had never heard of the Lost Kitchen or of Erin French - but you better believe that as soon as I finished reading this I went online to look for photos and videos。 It is such a powerful story - Erin went to hell and back to make her dream come true。 Growing up in her father's diner， Erin realized at an early age she loved to cook。 At first Erin was desperate to leave the small town of Freedom， Maine and go to the city - but later， twenty one and pregnant， she was right back where she started - sweating in a diner。 She eventually overcame that hurdle and finally moved out of her parents and was able to work at a bistro and a catering job and while there she met a man。 Fast forward to a marriage， an adoption， and an illegal supper club - things seemed to be improving - but in fact everything was about to come to a head in the worst way possible。 I won't give too much away - but what Erin was able to overcome and achieve is damned impressive and inspiring。 The way she writes about her hopes， dreams， cooking， parenthood， and more is wonderful。 This memoir is lyrical， hopeful， and resilient。 I will definitely be reading more about Erin and her restaurant。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
French doesn't pull any punches in this thoughtful memoir which traces her life through the kitchens of life。 It's hard to review memoirs without feeling as though you are passing judgment on the life of the author but French has been there done that for herself。 Beginning as child， she found solace in cooking， even when her life spiraled out of control。 She's worked with food since she was a child in her father's place and now， in 2021， she owns one of the most renowned restaurants in the US。 S French doesn't pull any punches in this thoughtful memoir which traces her life through the kitchens of life。 It's hard to review memoirs without feeling as though you are passing judgment on the life of the author but French has been there done that for herself。 Beginning as child， she found solace in cooking， even when her life spiraled out of control。 She's worked with food since she was a child in her father's place and now， in 2021， she owns one of the most renowned restaurants in the US。 She's self taught， which makes it all the more unlikely。 What's amazing， though， is how she has been able to forge a new path for herself and her son。 There's no self pity here or any recrimination， really but rather an honest look at how the decisions she made- both good and bad- shaped her and got her （and her son） to where they are today。 Thanks to edelweiss for the ARC。 Terrific read。 。。。more
Michaela
，
Pretty okay bookHonestly I thought this was a pretty okay book。 It’s about Erin French starting in her childhood that begins in a small town at her father’s diner， then goes into how she fell in love with food and then into all the happenings in her adult life being a single mother and battling a drug addiction。 She is a strong woman and has definitely gone through a lot in her life。 I admire her for that。 Overall， I don’t usually read memoirs and this one wasn’t really my favorite one that I’ve Pretty okay bookHonestly I thought this was a pretty okay book。 It’s about Erin French starting in her childhood that begins in a small town at her father’s diner， then goes into how she fell in love with food and then into all the happenings in her adult life being a single mother and battling a drug addiction。 She is a strong woman and has definitely gone through a lot in her life。 I admire her for that。 Overall， I don’t usually read memoirs and this one wasn’t really my favorite one that I’ve read but I definitely appreciate it and it was a pretty interesting story。 Although I was bored at times and kind of just wanted to stop reading at others， it was a pretty okay book。 I recommend it if you are into the kind of stuff that this memoir is about which is like food and cooking and strong women rebuilding their lives after some big problems。 This book wasn’t my favorite but was definitely an okay book。 。。。more
Yun
，
Erin French is the chef of the critically acclaimed The Lost Kitchen， one of the most exclusive restaurants in the country， where the only way to get a seat is to mail in a postcard and be entered into their lottery。 There， you will compete with the other 20，000 postcards that came in for a chance to eat at this small 40-seat restaurant during its open season。 Finding Freedom details Chef French's journey from a young age discovering her love of food and cooking， to her early adult life of being Erin French is the chef of the critically acclaimed The Lost Kitchen， one of the most exclusive restaurants in the country， where the only way to get a seat is to mail in a postcard and be entered into their lottery。 There， you will compete with the other 20，000 postcards that came in for a chance to eat at this small 40-seat restaurant during its open season。 Finding Freedom details Chef French's journey from a young age discovering her love of food and cooking， to her early adult life of being a struggling single mom， to her rock bottom years of prescription pill and alcohol addiction， to becoming the successful woman that she is today。 This was a journey fraught with peril and heartbreak， but also with healing and redemption。A memoir is such a personal experience， and you can tell that French put her heart and soul into this。 She went through some extremely traumatic experiences in her life， and it must have been hard to put it all in writing and to be so open to judgement and criticism。 Yet she was brutally honest and often spent a lot of time on introspection to figure out her own role in what transpired。 I admire her honesty and her unflinching ability to look at herself， something that is not easy for anyone to do， let alone in such a public forum。But I had a few issues with this book that prevented me from connecting with it more。 For one thing， her writing style is extremely descriptive and detailed。 For example， if she's talking about her restaurant， she would describe everything about it， including its wall color， countertops， chairs and tables， lighting choices， silverware， napkins， plates and bowls， etc。， leaving no detail unmentioned。 That， plus her preference for long unbroken paragraphs， means that it's not unusual to turn to a new page， see a wall of text of nothing but descriptions。 It made it hard for me to keep my attention， and when it did wander， I had trouble remembering where I was in the paragraph。For a memoir， there's also a noticeable lack of anecdotes， especially towards the second half of the book。 For example， she often talks about her son， but there isn't a single thing I remember about him because she never shared anything concrete。 Or she often mentions that she and her sister don't get along， but didn't actually give any examples of what happened。 Instead， she tells her story mostly through introspection， with events quickly summarized so that she can get to her thoughts and feelings on it， which is where she really spends the bulk of her time。It was also extremely hard to read what happened to her。 She grew up surrounded by toxic people and relationships。 Instead of setting boundaries， she only knew how to enabled these people and to grab on ever harder， seeking their approval and affection。 Then， when she became an adult， those were the only kinds of relationships she knew how to have and she went on to replicate them。 It was really frustrating to see this happen when she was young， but it was even more so once she became an adult and continued in this toxic environment。This is a very dark book， and I didn't realize going in that it would be so。 What I thought I was getting is an inspirational story about a struggling chef finally making it in the culinary world， along with interesting tidbits of what it's like to be this profession。 Instead this is really an addict's story of growing up in an abusive household， not learning the necessary skills to cope， and then using drugs and alcohol to do it。 It's about hitting absolute rock bottom and then starting the long slow climb out into the light。After everything she's been through， I'm glad Erin French got the success she worked so hard for。 While I didn't completely connect with her memoir， I do think her restaurant sounds amazing， and I hope one day to have the chance to try it for myself。My heartfelt thanks for the advance copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Leeann
，
I am going to be an outlier on the rave reviews for this one， I guess。 For whatever reason， it just did not do it for me。 I started out with great interest but found myself starting to lose focus during the second half。 I love Maine and love food， so I expected to adore it。 It seems that most people did， though， so I would recommend trying it based on that alone。Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。
Caroline
，
I really enjoyed this book。 There was a lot to love for me personally， but it is a memoir that I think a lot of people will be able to relate to and enjoy。The biggest draw for me has to be the author's writing style。 The story of her life has high highs and low lows， and she delves into all of the pain and vulnerable moments as well as the joys and the rages。 Nothing is off limits and she really captures scenes from her life with a wry sense of humor （when she can） and also a brutal honesty at t I really enjoyed this book。 There was a lot to love for me personally， but it is a memoir that I think a lot of people will be able to relate to and enjoy。The biggest draw for me has to be the author's writing style。 The story of her life has high highs and low lows， and she delves into all of the pain and vulnerable moments as well as the joys and the rages。 Nothing is off limits and she really captures scenes from her life with a wry sense of humor （when she can） and also a brutal honesty at times。But beyond that vulnerability， it is her ability to craft a sensory experience out of this book that was remarkable to me。 Every moment she describes she ventures to bring you to the scene with her - the sights， the sounds， the smells - everything。 It really gives you a sense of what going to her restaurant might be like actually - she clearly takes her attention to the sensory experience in writing and has translated that into the experience of dining。If I had to offer any critique， the one thing that comes to mind is that it was at times difficult to gauge the passage of time。 Not a big deal for me personally， but some might find it confusing。The only caveat I would offer to readers is that this memoir definitely comes with a trigger warning。 The author delves into very painful topics of addiction， anxiety， depression， and suicide so I would say readers should be aware of that。 。。。more
Rebecca
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***SPOILER ALERT*** While I'm reading this book， my review may contain spoilers。 Proceed at your own risk！（view spoiler）[ （hide spoiler）]Location: Freedom， MaineI won an advance copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 All opinions are my own。 ***SPOILER ALERT*** While I'm reading this book， my review may contain spoilers。 Proceed at your own risk！（view spoiler）[ （hide spoiler）]Location: Freedom， MaineI won an advance copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Mary Beth
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Erin French is the owner of the worldwide dining destination: The Lost Kitchen。 But prior to this unprecedented success she was a young girl growing up in Freedom， Maine。 Working the line at her father's diner， from a young age， and dreaming of becoming a professional chef。 But as luck would have it Erin's life takes a few turns for the worse and she experiences unforseen heartbreaking circumstances。 She has to drop out of college due to becoming pregnant as her father becomes more and more emot Erin French is the owner of the worldwide dining destination: The Lost Kitchen。 But prior to this unprecedented success she was a young girl growing up in Freedom， Maine。 Working the line at her father's diner， from a young age， and dreaming of becoming a professional chef。 But as luck would have it Erin's life takes a few turns for the worse and she experiences unforseen heartbreaking circumstances。 She has to drop out of college due to becoming pregnant as her father becomes more and more emotionally and verbally abusive to her due to his disappointment in the way she has messed up her life。 Erin is failed over and over again by her parents as her mother proves powerless to come to the defense of her daughter。 Erin ends up alone， without a home or job with her baby son， Jaim， determined to make a life for him better that her own。 But she eventually goes down the spiraling hole of addiction， depression and anxiety。 A relationship with a man who seems to be her savior but in the end is brutal and abusive and determined to destroy her。 But Erin， refuses to give up。 She finds comfort in food and cooking and begins to see her culinary sklls as a way to rescue her life as well as her son's。 Erin courageously finds a sense of family and community and realizes the goodness of culinary life in this world of her own making。 。。。more
Kirsten
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We all have stories to share。 If your story is anything like mine， it includes some wins， some heartache， celebrations， loss， and much more。 Each person has their own unique story to tell with pieces that shaped who they are today。Erin French grew up in a tiny town in Maine， and all she ever wanted to do was leave。 Yet throughout her life she kept finding herself not far from where she grew up。 This book details her journey from a line cook in her father's diner， to a bartender， server， and cook We all have stories to share。 If your story is anything like mine， it includes some wins， some heartache， celebrations， loss， and much more。 Each person has their own unique story to tell with pieces that shaped who they are today。Erin French grew up in a tiny town in Maine， and all she ever wanted to do was leave。 Yet throughout her life she kept finding herself not far from where she grew up。 This book details her journey from a line cook in her father's diner， to a bartender， server， and cook on her way to owning her own restaurant， The Lost Kitchen。 Along the way， she shares her experiences of wins， heartache， celebrations， loss， and more。I had never heard of The Lost Kitchen， and honestly this is probably not a book I would normally pick up。 However， after reading a sneak peek of the first couple chapters， I found myself extremely curious about Erin's story。 Her writing drew me in from the beginning， and kept me engaged throughout the entire book。 As her dreams became clearer and closer， I wanted her to succeed。 The vignettes she shared of both her successes and losses made me connect to her story， and if you like cooking and food I bet you’d like this book too！ While I had not previously heard of The Lost Kitchen， I will now have to plan a trip to Maine just so that I can eat at her restaurant。CW: animal loss， infant loss， alcoholism， physical abuse， emotional abuse/manipulation， depression， addiction， divorce， suicide， sexual encounters， substance abuse 。。。more
Sonya Moyle
，
Thank you to Celadon Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。As a Celadon Reader， I often receive surprises in the mail。 #bookmailReading the back of this novel， piqued my interest， but I wasn't sure if I would be able to connect with the book as I'm not an avid cook or baker。Boy was I wrong。 A sucker for a good memoir， this was an amazing story of love， failure， and redemption。 Of someone who fell time and time again， but didn't give up。I would highly recommend this novel Thank you to Celadon Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review。As a Celadon Reader， I often receive surprises in the mail。 #bookmailReading the back of this novel， piqued my interest， but I wasn't sure if I would be able to connect with the book as I'm not an avid cook or baker。Boy was I wrong。 A sucker for a good memoir， this was an amazing story of love， failure， and redemption。 Of someone who fell time and time again， but didn't give up。I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves memoirs。 I'm off to find "The Lost Kitchen" to stream！#CeladonReads #FindingFreedomMemoir #partner 。。。more
Literary Redhead
，
The most inspiring memoir I’ve read in ages， candidly revealing the life of Erin French， founder of The Lost Kitchen， the acclaimed restaurant named a TIME world dining destination。 Potential diners send postcards that if picked， allow them access to a-once-in-a-lifetime meal。 I was dawn to Erin’s honest story through hell then redemption。 She details work in her alcoholic dad’s diner， becoming a single mother at 21， suffering addiction and abuse in a marriage to an older man， and finally “findi The most inspiring memoir I’ve read in ages， candidly revealing the life of Erin French， founder of The Lost Kitchen， the acclaimed restaurant named a TIME world dining destination。 Potential diners send postcards that if picked， allow them access to a-once-in-a-lifetime meal。 I was dawn to Erin’s honest story through hell then redemption。 She details work in her alcoholic dad’s diner， becoming a single mother at 21， suffering addiction and abuse in a marriage to an older man， and finally “finding freedom” in a dilapidated mill she turns into a world-renown restaurant。 Kept me turning pages， enrapt in a story of suffering and rebirth I will never forget。 Just sent my postcard in — please keep your fingers crossed！5 of 5 StarsPub Date 06 Apr 2021#FindingFreedomMemoir #NetGalleyThanks to the author， Celadon Books， and NetGalley for the ARC。 Opinions are mine。 。。。more
Samantha Fink
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Thanks to Bookish First and the Publisher for sending me an ARC！Going up from rock bottom is difficult but not impossible and this memoir shows that。 Erin quite literally had to start her life over from scratch。 It was hard reading about everything Erin went through since she was just a child。 She was born and immediately became a disappointment just because she was female。 She worked hard but never heard a word of appreciation。 She struggled as a single parent， then fought through a toxic marri Thanks to Bookish First and the Publisher for sending me an ARC！Going up from rock bottom is difficult but not impossible and this memoir shows that。 Erin quite literally had to start her life over from scratch。 It was hard reading about everything Erin went through since she was just a child。 She was born and immediately became a disappointment just because she was female。 She worked hard but never heard a word of appreciation。 She struggled as a single parent， then fought through a toxic marriage。 She forgot herself and became what others wanted her to be， which led her down a dark path。 She lost what was most precious to her and had no choice but to accept the consequences of her actions。 However， it was moving and heart-warming to see her turn her life around。The way this book is written， it is like Erin is sitting right by us telling us her story。 The writing was very descriptive， which I have to admit at times made me skim， but I also liked it because it created such a detailed atmosphere。 It brought everything to life and placed me right in the scene。 The style also made it very easy to read。 I’m typically a very slow reader but I averaged a page every 2 minutes。 Once I started reading， I just wanted to continue。 I also looked forward to picking it up。 The rocky relationships she had with people in her life was compelling and I enjoyed seeing their progression。 I also loved to seeing Erin’s development as a cook。 I， as someone who loves to cook， found it captivating。 Sitting down to read about someone else’s life may not seem interesting， but Erin’s is one you will not forget。 It’s one you’ll become invested in。This was a very topic heavy book， with lots of triggers， but that is something I liked to read about。 It’s relatable， emotional and striking。 It makes the ending so much more gratifying。 This book is one that reminds me of why I love to read。 I would highly recommend。 。。。more
Bianca
，
Do not read or listen to this book while hungry; you will regret it！ Although， while reading and listening， I was hungry 90% of the time。 The food descriptions are incredible！Thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the review copies。 This new memoir by the famous chef， Erin French， comes out April 6th and if you're a foodie， you'll want to grab a copy！Erin herself did the narration， and her emotions came through so clearly。 This memoir was consumed with so much sadness and hurt， yet i Do not read or listen to this book while hungry; you will regret it！ Although， while reading and listening， I was hungry 90% of the time。 The food descriptions are incredible！Thank you to Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio for the review copies。 This new memoir by the famous chef， Erin French， comes out April 6th and if you're a foodie， you'll want to grab a copy！Erin herself did the narration， and her emotions came through so clearly。 This memoir was consumed with so much sadness and hurt， yet it was also filled with endless hope。 Her journey was inspiring。 Erin is a self-taught cook who started working at her father's diner as a young girl。 She moved up to small catering jobs， waitressing， opened a small traveling dinner party， and now owns a full-scale restaurant。The Lost Kitchen is located in Freedom， Maine， and you're lucky to get a reservation。 The restaurant soon was selling out for the entire year on the Spring day when they first opened their reservations for the year。 They were quickly overwhelmed with reservation requests and came up with a new system: send a postcard to Freedom， Maine and a random selection will be done for the upcoming season。 I thought this was such a cute idea， and it was done to drum up the postal office in the small town of Maine。I'm off to write my postcard and dream about delicious foods from this book！ 。。。more
Jude （NYJudester） Fricano
，
Erin French's inspiring story of food， family and love is masterful。 She is determine and resourceful as life continues to hand her one challenge after another。 With candor and courage she shares the story of her years working in her father's diner which taught her the basics and lit a flame of determination to succeed within her。 She finds her tribe along the way as well as learns to forgive and be loved for exactly who she is today。 The food descriptions are inspiring and the peaceful， calm su Erin French's inspiring story of food， family and love is masterful。 She is determine and resourceful as life continues to hand her one challenge after another。 With candor and courage she shares the story of her years working in her father's diner which taught her the basics and lit a flame of determination to succeed within her。 She finds her tribe along the way as well as learns to forgive and be loved for exactly who she is today。 The food descriptions are inspiring and the peaceful， calm surroundings lull the reader into gratitude。 This is a top-notch memoir。 。。。more
Sally
，
I must admit I had watched the entire six episodes of the Lost Kitchen television series， prior to reading this book。 I was already a champion for Erin， and her entire staff of friends and family。 This book showed the strength of an individual， who realizes life’s purpose！ Raw， emotional ， and yet inviting it draws you in wanting to know more。 Such an inspiring story。 You come away wishing for her continued success， and for her mom， sister， and father to find their journey too。 My post card will I must admit I had watched the entire six episodes of the Lost Kitchen television series， prior to reading this book。 I was already a champion for Erin， and her entire staff of friends and family。 This book showed the strength of an individual， who realizes life’s purpose！ Raw， emotional ， and yet inviting it draws you in wanting to know more。 Such an inspiring story。 You come away wishing for her continued success， and for her mom， sister， and father to find their journey too。 My post card will be ready to mail April 1。 。。。more
Kelly
，
Well， Finding Freedom is a reminder that while I've definitely had sucky moments throughout my life， I could have had way more than I did。 Erin struggles through many things before ultimately finding success， and it certainly seems that her childhood set her up for both her successes and her failures。 She has the benefit of being raised on a farm， able to run around and play， breathe fresh air and eat good food。 But she's also learning both good and bad things from a controlling and distant fath Well， Finding Freedom is a reminder that while I've definitely had sucky moments throughout my life， I could have had way more than I did。 Erin struggles through many things before ultimately finding success， and it certainly seems that her childhood set her up for both her successes and her failures。 She has the benefit of being raised on a farm， able to run around and play， breathe fresh air and eat good food。 But she's also learning both good and bad things from a controlling and distant father that sets her path for decades to come。 He teaches Erin a great appreciation for food that both made me hungry while reading this book， and also made me wish for that gift myself。 But he also sets her up to doubt herself and make bad choices in relationships。 Erin does not shy away from being very critical of people that she had bad relationships with in this novel - including her father， sister and ex-husband。 And while it's her story to tell， it sure made me hope that I'd never made anyone feel the way those people made her feel。 Her story really shines when she's writing about food， whether it's foraging it， cooking it or consuming it and I wish there'd been a little bit more of the book focused on the success of her restaurant。 Her relationship with her ex-husband can at times consume the story， and the conclusion of their relationship almost feels abrupt for the time she spends on the beginning of their relationship， their marriage and their divorce proceedings。 I do have to say that I wish Maine wasn't so far away and reservations weren't so hard to get！ 。。。more
Connie
，
“The only way out was through。”In sometimes difficult and at other times exquisite detail， Erin French spins the details of her life in this memoir。 After a childhood filled with moments in which she tried so hard to win the approval of her father， who rarely showed emotions and was even cruel in his comments at times， she ends up getting pregnant at twenty-one and giving up her dreams of finishing college and getting a good job。 Falling back on her past experience working in her father’s restau “The only way out was through。”In sometimes difficult and at other times exquisite detail， Erin French spins the details of her life in this memoir。 After a childhood filled with moments in which she tried so hard to win the approval of her father， who rarely showed emotions and was even cruel in his comments at times， she ends up getting pregnant at twenty-one and giving up her dreams of finishing college and getting a good job。 Falling back on her past experience working in her father’s restaurant and love of food， she picks up jobs in that line of work。 Eventually she marries an emotionally abusive man， and gets hooked on pills prescribed by her doctor。I would love to see this book in the hands of older teenagers or young adults， because this path to addiction seems to be one that is often started because the person is having trouble dealing with the problems that come from life。 Erin became addicted to bills prescribed by a doctor for trouble falling asleep， anxiety and depression。 That detail was missing in the brief blurb I read about the book。This was definitely worth reading。 Erin’s determination to have a better life shines through the pages and I appreciated all the details she shared。There is cursing throughout。 。。。more
Marianne K
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I'd never heard of the author nor her world famous restaurant before reading this book。 Not being someone who 'lives to eat' I was worried about whether this was the book for me。 This memoir turned out to be rather interesting （although I really could have done without the harm to animals descriptively portrayed）。 The author grew up with a tyrant for a Father which clearly informed her early adult years。 A disaster of a marriage to a much older man proves almost fatal， and the subsequent divorce I'd never heard of the author nor her world famous restaurant before reading this book。 Not being someone who 'lives to eat' I was worried about whether this was the book for me。 This memoir turned out to be rather interesting （although I really could have done without the harm to animals descriptively portrayed）。 The author grew up with a tyrant for a Father which clearly informed her early adult years。 A disaster of a marriage to a much older man proves almost fatal， and the subsequent divorce likewise。 It is an inspirational book， as long as you do not mind the in-depth and long descriptions of menus， meal planning， and all things food related。 The author clearly loves her profession and takes great joy in her work！ Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with an ARC copy。 。。。more
Jill
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Erin French， a self taught chef who eventually achieved great success by opening a lauded restaurant in Freedom， Maine， retells her early childhood and adulthood which defined her relationship with food。 Raised in a family with a terse and tyrannical father who owned a local diner， Erin spent much of her time in the diner where she was initially given minor chores in the kitchen and dining room， but eventually acquired enough skill to fill in as a line cook。 Her childhood is filled with food mem Erin French， a self taught chef who eventually achieved great success by opening a lauded restaurant in Freedom， Maine， retells her early childhood and adulthood which defined her relationship with food。 Raised in a family with a terse and tyrannical father who owned a local diner， Erin spent much of her time in the diner where she was initially given minor chores in the kitchen and dining room， but eventually acquired enough skill to fill in as a line cook。 Her childhood is filled with food memories， and infused with her relationship with her warm， supportive and loving mother。 But food also substituted for fatherly affection， and she was constantly trying to win positive attention from her father。 She always felt like a letdown to her father， who had really wanted a son and never got one。Erin repeats this fatherly relationship when she marries a man much older than she is and her life takes a catastrophic turn。 In brutally honest language， the author recounts her failed relationships and the disastrous ways in which she copes。 The language when she discusses the relationships with her father and husband is sometimes gritty and vulgar and almost unbearably honest。 At times， I felt like speeding past those sections to get to the parts where she writes about food。 Her language blossoms into beautiful， flowing， mouth-watering descriptions when she writes about food and the dining experiences she is able to create for her customers。 I can picture the scenes she creates in her pop-up dinners， and eventually in her restaurant， The Lost Kitchen。 The Lost Kitchen is a beautifully restored old mill， a haven where she brings together the skills of many women， her creative and ever-changing menus and restaurant design to create a beautiful experience for the diner。 The book ended on a high note， though there were some long， painful episodes along the way。 。。。more
Amber Eats Books
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I had never heard of Erin French or her restaurant before picking up this book。 I do love food and a good personal journey。 So， I figured that there was a good chance I would still connect with her story。 I decided to give it a shot。 I started reading this book back in February。 I was bummed when just a day later my anxiety levels got high again。 I couldn’t concentrate so I decided to set the book aside。 I wanted to give it its best shot since it was a book that was sent to me for review。 Fast f I had never heard of Erin French or her restaurant before picking up this book。 I do love food and a good personal journey。 So， I figured that there was a good chance I would still connect with her story。 I decided to give it a shot。 I started reading this book back in February。 I was bummed when just a day later my anxiety levels got high again。 I couldn’t concentrate so I decided to set the book aside。 I wanted to give it its best shot since it was a book that was sent to me for review。 Fast forward to yesterday。 I picked this book back up and devoured it。 What I didn’t know was that Erin goes through her own battle with anxiety。 I was worried that those scenes would trigger me but what I found was that I felt like I was being seen in those moments。 Hearing how she pulled herself out of a very dark time was very inspiring。 I’m so glad I read this when I did。The descriptions of food were so deliciously vivid。 I wish I could have tasted my way through the many courses she details。 So fair warning。。。this book will make you hungry！ I’m so grateful to Celadon Books for sending this book my way。 It was exactly what I needed。 。。。more
Julie Failla Earhart
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Approximately forty-two miles southwest of Bangor， Maine， is the small town of Freedom， home to one of the most desired restaurants in the world: The Lost Kitchen。 Reservations at the small restaurant open every year on April 1， and within a couple of days， the entire season is booked。 You can’t call; you have to send in a postcard or a letter that is then placed in a lottery。 Hopefuls from all the fifty states and twenty-two countries vie for a seat at the table。The Lost Kitchen is the dream/re Approximately forty-two miles southwest of Bangor， Maine， is the small town of Freedom， home to one of the most desired restaurants in the world: The Lost Kitchen。 Reservations at the small restaurant open every year on April 1， and within a couple of days， the entire season is booked。 You can’t call; you have to send in a postcard or a letter that is then placed in a lottery。 Hopefuls from all the fifty states and twenty-two countries vie for a seat at the table。The Lost Kitchen is the dream/restaurant of Erin French， a Mainer born and bred。 She has not been to culinary school or studied under great chefs。 She relies on instinct and simple foods。 The menu changes daily and is based on what local foods are available that day。 Erin French didn’t start out to open a world-renown restaurant。 Growing up in Freedom， she dreamed of becoming a doctor。 Those plans were waylaid when at twenty-one， French found herself pregnant and alone。 She left college and went back home。 There she worked with her father in his diner and lived with her parents。 She discovered that cooking soothed her soul， and she was good at it。 Even the sixteen to eighteen hours a day， six days a week， didn’t dampen her enthusiasm。 Eventually she and her son， Jaim， moved to a cottage on her parent’s property。 During the off-season （winter）， the diner was closed and she found work in other restaurants。 Life was hard。 French turned to pills to get her up in the morning， keep her calm during the day and to help her sleep at night。 Eventually French met someone and married him。 But as soon as the ring went on her finger， her new husband， Tom， began to berate her， control her every move， and， on occasion， threaten her life with physical violence。French shares her highs and lows with her reader， without pulling any punches。 Sometime this book is hard to read as French battles for her life and sanity。 From multiple tries in rehab to a custody/divorce battle， French’s story is a classic American tale of grabbing yourself by your bootstraps and picking yourself up， time and time again。I do wish that French had given us a recipe or two。 That would have pushed this book into a 6 star category。 However， Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world。 。。。more
Jennifer Neves
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There are lots of reviews here that give a synopsis of this beautiful book with details about what happens， but as a reader trying to decide what I want to read， I love to hear how a book made other people feel。 I would like to try to share how this book got under my skin and explain why you should read it！ Erin French is both ordinary， in that she is approachable， open， real， and extraordinary—a force of nature with seemingly endless capacity to rise and push back against a harsh world。 Readi There are lots of reviews here that give a synopsis of this beautiful book with details about what happens， but as a reader trying to decide what I want to read， I love to hear how a book made other people feel。 I would like to try to share how this book got under my skin and explain why you should read it！ Erin French is both ordinary， in that she is approachable， open， real， and extraordinary—a force of nature with seemingly endless capacity to rise and push back against a harsh world。 Reading her journey was a constant reminder that we are each driven by an unseen and often unknown strength that does not care whether the world is kind to us or whether we are drowning。 Reading this book inspired me to believe in our collective ability to overcome with sheer force of will。 You would be hard pressed to find someone that maintains such deep care for others while working through some truly horrific situations。 This book is a breath of empathy， a salute to the working class， and will make you proud to be a human being as you live vicariously through the author’s struggle and triumph。 。。。more
Lisa | Lady_Logomancer
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A rollercoaster of a memoir with a gorgeous cover！Sharp as a knife， Erin French precisely takes us from her childhood in the small town of Freedom， Maine through her teen years working in her dad’s diner， her college years in Boston， and then back again to Freedom as a single mother。 She shows us how she started over when her dreams of being a doctor were dashed upon having her son。 How she found love as a single mom working in bistros and finding comfort in a much older man。 She found the coura A rollercoaster of a memoir with a gorgeous cover！Sharp as a knife， Erin French precisely takes us from her childhood in the small town of Freedom， Maine through her teen years working in her dad’s diner， her college years in Boston， and then back again to Freedom as a single mother。 She shows us how she started over when her dreams of being a doctor were dashed upon having her son。 How she found love as a single mom working in bistros and finding comfort in a much older man。 She found the courage to start her own supper club then busy restaurant， only to lose it all again when she became hopelessly addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs as she slowly worked herself to death。 After a disastrous trip to rehab where she was just an insurance number in a bed， her husband shuttered her restaurant and assumed sole custody of her son， allowing no contact。 Erin was forced once again to start over penniless and heartbroken in Freedom， Maine。 The title Finding Freedom is a nod to her home town， her quest to be free of an overbearing father， freedom from her abusive husband and finally， at last making her dream of farm to table cooking on her own terms come true。 This book was really an interesting read of you are a food lover。 I often thought it was impossible to own a restaurant， the physical and emotional cost seems unbearable to me and some of what French went through in her life in the food industry proved just that。 However， she also showed me what it was inside of her that would persevere all of her life’s tribulations to beautifully and lovingly use the organic and local produce around her to make good food and nourish others。 The author was not afraid to name names and call out behaviors that contributed to her trauma and mental illness。 She roasts her ex-husband， her dad and her sister pretty hard in this book。 I was surprised at the level of detail she recounts in parts but I understand that she wanted to lay out her entire truth in this memoir and how she overcame time and time again when life threw her face down in the dirt。 I enjoyed this book。 I felt very inspired in the end and I wish I could visit French’s restaurant The Lost Kitchen in Maine， but you literally have to win a lottery to get in there！ I’m heartened by her success。Thank you to @netgalley and @celedon for a free copy of this beautiful book。 I give this review of my own accord。 。。。more
Sarah Sieminski
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Thanks to Celadon Books （through Bookish First） for the ARC！I love memoirs， and Finding Freedom is no exception。 I was initially drawn to this book based on French’s reputation in the culinary world。 I could feel the way cooking is a part of her soul， and the descriptions of her dishes left me drooling。The book starts out with her childhood， growing up in a diner owned by her father， and works through college， pregnancy and an abusive marriage， along with opening two restaurants。 French’s journe Thanks to Celadon Books （through Bookish First） for the ARC！I love memoirs， and Finding Freedom is no exception。 I was initially drawn to this book based on French’s reputation in the culinary world。 I could feel the way cooking is a part of her soul， and the descriptions of her dishes left me drooling。The book starts out with her childhood， growing up in a diner owned by her father， and works through college， pregnancy and an abusive marriage， along with opening two restaurants。 French’s journey wasn’t easy （see the trigger warnings below）， and I appreciate the honesty she spoke with when sharing her darkest days。 This is a big part of the book and it wasn’t easy to read， but necessary to understand her “why。” The story of her first restaurant broke my heart， and I was rooting for her so hard throughout the rest of the book。I love that she built her dreams with a village of strong women - and explained how each of them contributed - and I enjoyed learning about her farm-to-table process。 She puts her whole heart into her cooking， and I've started thinking about that when I'm cooking。 I’d love to visit her restaurant some day！TW: domestic abuse， alcoholism/addiction， suicide 。。。more
Dorie - Cats&Books :）
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Just when I was looking for something new and different to read this beautiful book showed up on my doorstep！！！！ The gorgeous cover immediately called to me and I found the inside to be just as beautiful as the outside！！！！！！！！！！I seldom read memoirs， I just never take the time to research that genre。 Erin French’s memoir comes when she has reached a high in her career， her restaurant “The Lost Kitchen” is now well established in the town of Freedom， Maine。 It is known worldwide for its “farm to Just when I was looking for something new and different to read this beautiful book showed up on my doorstep！！！！ The gorgeous cover immediately called to me and I found the inside to be just as beautiful as the outside！！！！！！！！！！I seldom read memoirs， I just never take the time to research that genre。 Erin French’s memoir comes when she has reached a high in her career， her restaurant “The Lost Kitchen” is now well established in the town of Freedom， Maine。 It is known worldwide for its “farm to table” menu and is booked months in advance。 It is her journey to this place that is fascinating。Born to a stern father who runs a local diner， French grew up in the restaurant’s kitchen。 While very young she started with helping out with simple tasks and by the time she was a teenager she was working the line taking and then making and filling orders。 Like most young people she was restless and anxious to flee this small town。 She finally escaped Freedom to go to college only to find herself pregnant and homeless at 21。 What I loved was French’s complete honesty when talking about her journey。 She never blamed anyone but herself for her many ups and downs in life。 She was frank when discussing when she hit rock bottom， controlled by a manipulative husband who eventually even took full custody of her son while she was in rehab。 He forced the closure of her first restaurant while she was in treatment。 She was in danger of losing everything that she loved， her freedom， her restaurant and her son。 She details her fall into drug addiction and how she clawed her way back to independence。Food was always a focus in her life。 She loved experimenting with new ways to use fresh， local produce and eventually her restaurant became well known by locals and foodies from far and wide， especially after it was featured in some food and travel magazines。 She never went to culinary school but learned as she cooked and experimented。She found in the end that Freedom， Maine was exactly where she wanted to be。 She bought an old mill that had been abandoned for many years， it was reborn into a restaurant with the barn as a wine cellar。 The women of Waldo County would be the ones that came to work for her and support her。 “What we had in common was that we were all making and building a life here in this rural place that sometimes felt like the middle of nowhere， and knowing that we weren’t’ alone lent some sort of comforting strength”。 Her success is hard earned and wow， I would love the chance to eat there someday！！！ I will leave you to read her amazing journey， it is eye opening， honest and filled with the kind of strength of character that we all aspire to。I received this novel from the publisher， Celadon Books。 All opinions are my own。This novel will be available for purchase on April 6， 2021 。。。more
N。R。 Tomasheski
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I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from #CeladonReads。French has a friendly， conversational writing style that works well for this memoir， in which she recounts the ups and downs that shaped her ultimate success as a sought-after chef in rural Maine。The story is woven with delightful and delicious descriptions of the food she prepares - from classic diner fare at her father's restaurant to the recipes she conjures for her supper club and， later， restaurants， resulting only from a I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book from #CeladonReads。French has a friendly， conversational writing style that works well for this memoir， in which she recounts the ups and downs that shaped her ultimate success as a sought-after chef in rural Maine。The story is woven with delightful and delicious descriptions of the food she prepares - from classic diner fare at her father's restaurant to the recipes she conjures for her supper club and， later， restaurants， resulting only from a lifelong love of and exposure to food and cooking techniques。For those who want more， French now has a television program， The Lost Kitchen> on The Magnolia Channel。#FindingFreedomMemoir 。。。more
Alexandra Preston
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A big thank you to Celadon Books and Bookishfirst for the chance to review this book。I'm just going to start off by saying Ms。 French has had one heck of a life。 It was captivating to read about。 Kinda makes me feel like an overly nosy neighbor who thrives off gossip， but in the best of ways if that's possible。 Ms。 French really holds back nothing as she narrates to her audience the trials of her life。 From her early pregnancy， through her bid to escape Freedom， through the struggles of her deve A big thank you to Celadon Books and Bookishfirst for the chance to review this book。I'm just going to start off by saying Ms。 French has had one heck of a life。 It was captivating to read about。 Kinda makes me feel like an overly nosy neighbor who thrives off gossip， but in the best of ways if that's possible。 Ms。 French really holds back nothing as she narrates to her audience the trials of her life。 From her early pregnancy， through her bid to escape Freedom， through the struggles of her developing pop up's， restaurants， the implosion of her marriage and the rebuilding of her life after her addiction struggles。 This is really the story of someone pulling themselves back together after having hit the very lowest point in their life。It was an engaging and thoughtful book that， like I said seemed to hold nothing back from the reader。 It very much puts into perspective that with tenacity and drive people can overcome even the worst of circumstances and thrive。 。。。more
Ashley Kritzer
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