Alex Prud’homme, Julia Child’s grandnephew, will present an illustrated talk on his two recent books at 4 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Essex Library.

"The French Chef In America: Julia Child’s Second Act" recounts the story of Julia Child's years as a TV personality and beloved cookbook author and describes the myriad ways in which she shaped how we eat today. Child was in her 60s when she turned away from classical cooking and began to use recipes from around the world. It was then that she began to write in the first person instead of as The French Chef.

"France Is A Feast" documents how Julia Child first discovered French cooking and the French way of life via the intimate and compelling photographs taken by her husband, Paul Child, in France in 1948-1954.

Journalist and non-fiction author Prud’homme began his writing career in 1988 after joining New York magazine as a fact-checker. He wrote many short articles there, and freelanced on the side, producing stories like “Slave,” a New Yorker piece about an irascible soup maven (later made famous by Seinfeld’s “Soup Nazi”).  In the 1990s, he moved to BusinessMonth, where he profiled business leaders, to Time, where he covered national affairs, and to People, where he wrote crime stories. His articles have also appeared in The New York Times and Vanity Fair.

This event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is suggested. For more information or to register, call the Essex Library at (860) 767-1560. The Essex Library is located at 33 West Ave., Essex.