Fiction Book Reviews

Book Review: Julia's Child

By Sandy Amazeen Jan 25, 2012, 3:25 GMT

A delectable comedy for every woman who\'s ever wondered if buying that six-dollar box of organic crackers makes her a hero or a sucker. Julia Bailey is a mompreneur with too many principles and too little time.  Her fledgling company, Julia\'s Child, makes organic toddler meals with names like Gentle Lentil and Give Peas a Chance. But before she can realize her dream of seeing them on the ...more

Julia Bailey bet a goodly portion of the family nest egg on the success of Julia’s Child, her start-up company that offered organic, wholesomely, prepared food for toddlers. Using recipes developed for her own two toddlers and marketed with catchy names like Gentle Lentil and Its Not Easy Being Green Beans, getting market placement should have been easy but as Julia discovers, it’s tough just being granted an interview. As Julia struggles to get her company launched, she must cope with caring for her two little boys, deal with the possibility that the attractive nanny has designs on her husband, equipment breakdowns, organic certification and the very real possibility that her husband will be laid off shortly.

Dedication and hard work finally begin to pay off, but even limited success comes with a steep price, as Julia must spend more time away from home. Balancing career demands while being the kind of wife and mother she envisions proves more difficult then Julia imagined so it is little wonder she missed a few important details. A national television spot could change everything for Julia’s Child if Julia has the courage to stand up for what is important and right.

Pinneo combines her experience in finance with a love of good food to create a bright, fun story that mothers of finicky eaters will instantly relate to. The characters are authentic as they react to situations in a realistic manner in this nicely paced tale set in the Big Apple. Many of Pinneo’s descriptions are laugh-out-loud funny and sprinkled throughout are easy to make, kid friendly recipes that even include tips on how to get your youngster involved in the prep work. This is a treat, especially for moms dealing with all the trials of the terrible twos.