I am currently reading "As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto". The book is a complation of over 200 letters written between the two women. The correspondence spans from 1952 until 1961 and offers glimpses into the daily life of both women.
The two became pen pals when Julia responded to an article Bernard DeVoto wrote about his search for a good knife. Avis answered Julia's letter and the two hit if off and became "soul mates". Through their letters, we witness the creation of Julia's culinary masterpiece, "Mastering The Art of French Cooking". The letters are, I find, remarkably interesting in that they note such matters as the weather, what their contemporaries served at their dinner parties, and current political topics.
I have always been a Julia Child fan, but I now find myself completely mesmerized by Avis DeVoto. Avis was married to Bernard DeVoto, the Pulitzer Prize winning author but she was much more than "just" his wife - she was a book reviewer (mysteries), a writer and editor. This book has thoroughly whetted my appetite to learn more about Avis. Alas, I have searched the internet looking for more information about her to no avail.
Seeing as this book is (Amazon) ranked #10 in Literature & Fiction - Letters & Correspondence; #33 in Cookbooks, Foods & Wine - French; and #38 in Cookbooks, Food & Wine - History, I certainly hope someone decides to write a biography on Avis.
