Ina Garten Memoir: Be Ready When the Luck Happens

Beloved culinary icon Ina Garten has written thirteen cookbooks that have sold more than thirteen million copies, yet it never occurred to her to write a memoir, as she didn’t think people would be interested.  If you are an Ina fan, of course we want to know more about her life, both fascinating and including hardships along the way.  How did she get to where she is?  When did she learn to cook? These and dozens more questions are answered about her life in this memoir.

It may seem like a charmed life with millions of devoted fans, a second home in Paris, a loving husband, awards, adventures, and success in cookbooks and television shows.  The side not seen is the woman who was savvy, risk-taking, and survived a difficult childhood, yet built a multi-million dollar media empire.  Who wouldn’t find it fascinating and want to learn more?

It’s always sad to read about anyone who suffered in childhood with a parent who was cold or abusive and unfortunately, Garten lived through both.  She spent most of her young life alone in her room.  Her mother’s cooking was far from the recipes we now enjoy from Garten’s cookbooks.  She came to realize that one’s childhood does not have to be their life story, and that it’s possible to eventually write your own story, and that Garten did.

Early in her career Garten wrote nuclear energy policy papers for the White House, while her husband Jeffery worked for President Jimmy Carter’s Secretary of State.  When Garten left her White House job to buy The Barefoot Contessa, a small specialty food store in Westhampton Beach, New York, she had no idea what she was getting into.  You will have to read all the small details in the book but it obviously flourished.  Next came the popular television show by the same name as her store, cookbooks followed, and the rest is culinary history.

I thoroughly enjoyed her memoir which has so much more to say about Garten’s life than my quick review.  I encourage every Ina fan to read it and know why her title states to “Be Ready When the Luck Happens.”  Take risks, learn to say no at times, don’t let anyone or anything dictate your life, be brave and courageous. All that and more will prepare you for the luck that can happen.

P.S.  Support independent book stores to buy the book!