(Read by Peter Ganim; Random House Audio; six CDs; seven hours and 30 minutes)
Celebrity chef Ripert chronicles an unhappy childhood and his early years in the food industry in a partial memoir that stops with his arrival in America in his early 20s. While repetitive (a full memoir might have been better than two installments), especially regarding his abusive stepfather, Ripert is candid and humorous about kitchen mishaps and those who helped him along the way. Narrator Ganim’s French accent is flawless.
Grade: B
