Finding Freedom: A Cook's Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch
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.
Reviews
“Erin is an overcomer and a risk-taker. She’s the kind of person who,
when faced with a setback, pushes forward and makes beauty out of
hardship. Her story is full of passion and courage, and when you read
this book, you will walk away feeling inspired and encouraged in your
own life.” ―Joanna Gaines, Co-Founder, Magnolia
"Erin
French is a talented chef, a successful entrepreneur, a beautiful young
woman, and a passionate promoter of living the 'good life.' This book
chronicles the incredible ups, and relatable downs, of building a life
and a business. Congratulations, Erin! You have done it!"―Martha Stewart, Founder Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
"Women everywhere will respond to Finding Freedom,
a story of the triumph of true passion against all odds. With grit,
honesty, and lyrical writing, Erin French takes us on her journey:
working the line at her father’s diner, surviving addiction, toxic
relationships, raising her son as a single mother, to finally
re-inventing herself as a renowned chef and restaurateur. Finding Freedom is a wild ride, one you won’t soon forget."―Stephanie Danler, bestselling author of Sweetbitter and Stray
"Erin
and I grew up in very different kitchens (an American diner; Chez
Panisse), but I recognized so much in her experience: the intimacy and
immediacy of a restaurant-as-second-home; the sounds and smells of
cooking; the pleasure of bringing joy to people through food. Erin's
story is a gritty, sensuous, honest story of finding her own path―with
the pursuit of good food as her bellwether."―Fanny Singer, author of Always Home
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