Book Review--A Year in Provence

A Humorous Memoir Detailing Life in the French Countryside

Dec 13, 2008

Peter Mayle gives an honest and humorous account of the food, people, and life in the Provencal countryside.

Many people dream of leaving their everyday-life filled with work, bills, and responsibilities behind and moving to a new country to explore one of their favorite tourist destinations with all the sun, relaxation and culture that they don’t get at home. Few ever actually make the difficult transition.

Peter Mayle and his wife are two British expatriates who made the leap to move their life to Provence, France: “We had been here often before as tourists, desperate for our annual ration of two or three weeks of true heat and sharp light. Always when we left, with peeling noses and regret, we promised ourselves that one day we would live here.” Mayle shares many of their experiences in a humorous and revealing look at A Year in Provence.

Detailed Accounts of Life in the French Countryside

With a chapter for each month of the year, Mayle details their new life in the French countryside with delightful descriptions of their interesting neighbors, the delicious food and drink they enjoy daily, and the joys and difficulties of restoring a French townhouse and owning a vineyard in one of the world’s most famous wine regions.

His observations include how to take part in the unique French greeting ritual: “To be engulfed by a Provençal welcome, as thorough and searching as being frisked by airport security guards was, at first, a startling experience,” and how to deal with the constant stream of visitors from home. And, of course, his experience in dealing with French builders, plumbers, painters, masons, and other contractors is invaluable to anyone hoping to make a similar change. No book about France would be complete without some time devoted to French cuisine and wine; this book reveals food markets, restaurants, and seasonal specialties from a local’s perspective.

Made for TV Movie

Mayle’s ability to combine humor, detailed descriptions, and insight into Provençal life allows readers to step into the French countryside, taste the numerous delicacies and robust wine, converse with a perceptive yet unusual French farmer, and just relax. This adventure is ideal for anyone who enjoys France, food, and travel. The honesty in the writing should be appreciated: “It had been a self-absorbed year, confined mostly to the house and the valley, fascinating us in its daily detail, sometimes frustrating, often uncomfortable, but never dull or disappointing.” That is A Year in Provence.

Mayle has gone on to write several follow-up books describing further adventures and explorations in France and A Year in Provence was also a made-for-TV movie.

Book Information

The copyright of the article Book Review--A Year in Provence in Travel Books is owned by Jennifer L. Price. Permission to republish Book Review--A Year in Provence in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.