A Year in Provence

I liked this book more than I thought I was going to. It was given to me by my mother's best friend, Linda, who is a librarian in New Orleans. Being a librarian, she is an authority on all things book-related and I am glad I finally made time to read her recommendation. A Year in Provence is the story of a British couple's first year in the south of France, where they made years of dreams come true by purchasing an old farmhouse, learning French, and moving in. The author, Peter Mayle, wrote a few other books after this one recounting even more of their life there, but I've heard that this one is the best. (This book was published in the 80's, so everyone else I know had already read it when I brought it up at a recent dinner party. I felt very behind the times.)

The only thing I didn't think I would like about this book is the description of life of the wealthy foreigners who move into a quaint town and have purely commercial interactions with the locals, from buying bread to having their entire house remodeled. I think the author does a good job, however, of describing their life, the culture and people of Provence, and even frustrations with workmen without sounding like a spoiled brat. It's clear that he is living his dream, and it was nice to live it with him for a while, if only on the page.