Be Ready When the Luck Happens - Ina Garten

Be Ready When the Luck Happens

By Ina Garten

  • Release Date: 2024-10-01
  • Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 364 Ratings

Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten—aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon—shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table.

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Time, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Town & Country


Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose.
 
From a difficult childhood to meeting the love of her life, Jeffrey, and marrying him while still in college, from a boring bureaucratic job in Washington, D.C., to answering an ad for a specialty food store in the Hamptons, from the owner of one Barefoot Contessa shop to author of bestselling cookbooks and celebrated television host, Ina has blazed her own trail and, in the meantime, taught millions of people how to cook and entertain. Now, she invites them to come closer to experience her story in vivid detail and to share the important life lessons she learned along the way: do what you love because if you love it you’ll be really good at it, swing for the fences, and always Be Ready When the Luck Happens.

Reviews

  • Disappointing

    3
    By Atthebeachnow
    I like and follow Ina Garten so was looking forward to reading her memoir. Just finished it and have to say: was really disappointed and almost didn’t even finish it. It starts out interesting when she unpacks her childhood, which was sad and lonely. But from the time she meets her future husband of 56 years on, her life seems like one serendipitous “go into an outhouse and come out wearing a new suit” - everything comes up roses for her. Her endeavors involve vast amounts of capital that belie a life of privilege simply not relatable to most people. She alludes to the feminist changes that have happened for women in her lifetime, but still caters to her husband, renovating her luxurious apartment in Paris down to having his toothbrush and clothes ready and waiting for him the first time he comes to see her freshly renovated home - he wasn’t expected to be involved whatsoever - just show up. In the second half of the book, it’s just a compilation of name-dropping celebrity anecdotes and isn’t my life/business success amazing. Her feigned modesty that “I always thought it was just luck but I’ve been told it’s hard work, too” rings false. Bottomline: this book left a bad taste in my mouth, unlike most of her recipes.
  • Wonderful read!

    5
    By msjanedwards
    I’ve been an avid fan of Ina Garten for many years and have every cookbook she’s written. It came as no surprise to me that she would write a memoir that was equally as colorful and enjoyable. It was so interesting learning about her early life and her start in the culinary world. Her love affair with her darling husband, Jeffrey, is one for the ages. I read this book in two sittings - I simply could not put it down!
  • Ina

    5
    By 1961dab
    Great read! Be ready when luck happens.
  • Love Ina’s memoir

    5
    By MC Charm
    I loved knowing more about the life of Ina, a great lady and a beautiful story about hard work and real love
  • Boring boring boring

    1
    By redhead2115
    I couldn’t get through the first 100 pages! I was hoping for a Ruth Reichl type of story and writing but was sadly disappointed. Don’t waste your money.
  • Amazing

    5
    By MVF116
    Amazing woman . . .amazing story!
  • Be Ready When the Luck Happens

    5
    By jcertl
    A lovely story that inspires a surprising self reflection on taking risk and diving into what you love to achieve, through joy and creativity. Ina is kind and generous in her storytelling. This is a book that feels good to read. Like a recipe that’s fun to cook. Enjoy
  • The Ina Garten you never knew

    5
    By Brd crazy
    This book was like talking to an old friend. Her writing is warm and fresh. From her lonely childhood to her loving relationship with Jeffrey her life has been amazing.
  • More than I expected

    5
    By zzlloodh
    Hard work and a little bit of luck. This book was fantastic and a great peak into Ina’s life. What always looked picture perfect has a whole different perspective to it now. True love, focus, pivots in careers, trying new things and listening to your gut are the lessons I took away from this fascinating woman. We love you Ina! ❤️
  • Awesome and Insightful

    5
    By Pinfollower
    Insightful , awesome and amazing! I never knew the Ina and Jeffrey Garten behind the scenes and they are just as fascinating to learn about and learn from ! Thank you Ina!

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