Book Review: Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten
Ina Garten is the epitome of a domestic goddess, the original coastal grandmother, and, if I may, a spiritual patron saint of The Second Act
Ina Garten is the epitome of a domestic goddess, the original coastal grandmother, and, if I may, a spiritual patron saint of The Second Act—or at least, of my soul. This woman knows cozy. Her chocolate cake recipe is still one of the best I’ve made (Ina’s secret ingredient is coffee). Yet, despite her iconic status, I didn’t know much about her personal life until I listened to her audiobook. It amazed me to learn that she wrote her first cookbook at 52—after selling her Hamptons store, Barefoot Contessa, at 50, thinking her career was over. In her words, “It hadn’t even started yet.”
I already liked Ina, but now I appreciate her even more—not just for her recipes, but for her resilience and perspective on life. Learning about her early days with Jeffrey, especially their camping trips across Europe, felt like pure comfort—like chicken soup for the soul. Let’s dive into some of my favorite (and some WTF…) moments from the memoir.
On looking past barriers and chasing your wildest dreams:
Ina and Jeffrey’s love story is as heartwarming as you’d expect. Their first encounter while Jeffrey was in college (and Ina was sixteen) is adorable—he spotted her outside the Dartmouth library while she was visiting her brother. They then wrote letters to one another (swoon!) and the rest is history. Eventually, they got married, and in their early days, one of their wildest dreams was to visit Paris. So, naturally, they made it happen—with a four-month European camping trip in 1971. They bought camping equipment and literally set up camp around Paris, living on just a few dollars per day. Can you imagine?!
This was one of those moments in the book that really reinforced something for me: what Ina wants, Ina gets. Not in a bad way—she’s just a woman who knows exactly what she likes and will make it happen, even if it means eating Brie on a crusty baguette under an orange tent in Paris.
On working through hardships (and Ina and Jeffrey’s surprising separation):
“We all need only one person to believe in us, and for me, that person is Jeffrey.”
This quote hit me hard. Ina had a rough childhood with parents who didn’t celebrate her achievements and a father who broke out into frightening (and often physical) fits of rage. Can you even imagine your own father saying, “No one will ever love you”? My heart broke for Ina multiple times while reading this book. I was glad to learn that through therapy and time, her relationship with her father somewhat recovered (he acknowledged and apologized for his behavior), but the scars and trauma from that childhood are clearly buried deep.
Given all of this, it’s no surprise that Jeffrey became such a pivotal figure in In Garten’s life—he was the first person who truly believed in her. But despite all the public hoopla about their perfect marriage, their partnership wasn’t without its rough patches. Ina was brutally honest about a period in the 1970s when she asked for a temporary separation from Jeffrey. While she was busy running Barefoot Contessa in the Hamptons, Jeffrey was working back in Washington, D.C., and the strain was real.
Not only that, but Jeffrey wanted it both ways—a wife with a career who also managed the household cleaning and cooking when she got home. “There was a sense that he was the parent, and I was the child,” she writes. “Then, when I started working, our roles shifted, and we became ‘man’ and ‘wife.’” But, true to form, Jeffrey remained devoted while Ina found her footing, and they eventually worked things out. And as fans know, their bond only grew stronger from there.
Finding career clarity comes from 1) making lots of mistakes, and 2) deeply knowing yourself.
One of my favorite parts of the memoir was Ina’s exploration of her career confusion in her thirties (and beyond!). Like many of us, she didn’t know what she wanted to do. She tried on different hats (including a one-day gig in the back office of a strip club—yes, really) before finally figuring it out. Her realizations, though, are relatable:
“I realized that security in a job makes me anxious. I knew I could get promoted, but that’s not what I wanted.”
“I wanted a structure that I created—small problems I could wrap my arms around, like renovating a house or hosting a dinner party.”
“I’m a terrible employee because I hate being told what to do.”
“I wanted to use my own hands. Make my own results. I needed to be my own boss, to make my own decisions, and to see where they would take me. Maybe real estate? Or cooking?”
She wanted to be her own boss. Eventually, she spotted a tiny ad in the newspaper that would change everything.
*Not verbatim quotes as I listened on audio and transcribed these
On finding what really makes you tick—and keep going.
Despite working in nuclear energy policy in Washington, D.C., and with no food industry experience, Ina bought Barefoot Contessa for $20,000, thanks to that little newspaper ad. She dove in headfirst, driving to vendors to pick up supplies and baking every week (even being held up at gunpoint on one scary occasion!).
It seems she finally found the “small problems” she could handle—like figuring out how to make cookies that sell. “You bake cookies, you sell cookies, and if the cookies don’t sell, you make something else that customers will love and that WILL sell,” she writes. “It’s a business problem to solve, and it involved chocolate chip cookies.” Ina’s willingness to adapt and solve problems helped make Barefoot Contessa a success.
I admit that I really loved reading this part of the book about the early days of the Barefoot Contessa store. Ina was on the ground solving small problems that were actually very big—like how to properly display rotisserie chicken so that it will sell (the answer was to put it on not-so-precious checkered picnic baskets), how to get teens to work well together (the answer—maybe?—was to host epic summer staff parties, like an Olympics-themed party), and how to lure more customers into the store (ensure fresh baking scents are wafting out the door at all times).
On luxuriating in life’s simple pleasures!
It’s clear that Ina excels at enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Whether it’s her strolling through the markets of France with Jeffrey, savoring the best apple tart she’s ever had at a friend’s home, or baking fresh croissants with music playing in their Paris apartment, she paints an idyllic picture of a cozy, joyful life.
This, to me, is where the book really shines—Ina’s deep appreciation for the little moments. My favorite chapters of the book were the European tour with Jeffrey—where they had to keep things simple out of necessity—and the chapter about her beautiful life in Paris, much later in her career.
On setting a high bar for quality:
Ina’s first time filming her cooking show (with Martha Stewart’s production team, no less) was a figurative and literal shit show (no really…there were explosive porta potties involved). She did not jive with the style of storytelling, the 50+ crewmembers who were squeezed into her home and kitchen, and the long days of filming. This led her to eventually sign with a different production team, build her own studio barn, and do things her way.
This is one of those moments in the book that highlights Ina’s need for control—and her obsession with quality. And as someone who’s a bit of a creative control freak myself, I get it! It’s a double-edged sword: having a high bar for quality can make it difficult to make forward progress, but it’s also what makes a great product…great.
For instance, I loved Ina’s note on how she tested whether a recipe was worth keeping for the Barefoot Contessa store/cookbook or not: “Would a customer get out of bed, put on their clothes, get into a car, drive to town, find a parking space, and walk to the store to buy this dish? That was a hard test to pass, and I wanted only those recipes in the store and the book.” It’s an incredible testament to her creative vision and high standards. It also showcases, I think, a certain kind of respect for her customers and her audience.
The latter half of Ina Garten’s memoir may delve into Old Rich People Problems (like stressing over Paris apartment renovations—lol), but Ina’s resilience, adaptability, and appreciation for life’s simple joys are what left me charmed. After finishing the book, I immediately flipped on her newest show, Be My Guest with Ina Garten. Because, honestly, Ina still has me hooked. And I’m gonna need to bake that banana crunch muffin recipe very soon.
Have you read Ina Garten’s memoir yet? Let’s discuss!
read this and immediately placed the order for the book! thanks for sharing.
I was on the fence but I'm going to put the hold on the audiobook at my library now!