Encore Provence: Summary and book reviews of Encore Provence by Peter Mayle, plus links to an excerpt from Encore Provence and a biography of Peter Mayle.

After trying--what folly!--to live in other places, Peter Mayle is back in his beloved Provence. He celebrates his homecoming by sharing with us a whole new feast of adventures, discoveries, hilarities, and culinary treats, liberally seasoned with a joyous mix of Gallic characters. The pauses for refreshment include an unforgettable meal in a converted gas station, a rendezvous with the very best bouillabaisse, and visits to eventful weekly markets. But there is life after lunch, and we also discover a school for noses in Haute Provence, a gardener who grows black tomatoes, the secret of the oversexed butcher, a celebration of Alowine (Halloween) Provence-style, and the genetic effects of two thousand years of fois gras. There is a memorable tour of Marseille, a comprehensive lesson on olive oil, a search for the perfect cork-screw, and invaluable recommendations for splendid local cheeses, wines, honey, bread, country restaurants, and off-the-beaten-track places to stay. Never has Peter Mayle written with more unabashed pleasure about his heaven on earth.

Media Reviews

New York Time Book Review Delightful, amusing, and appealing.   People Magazine Mayle is the antidote to an over-wired age and its dot-commandoes....The ground may be a bit well-worn, but c'est la vie.   Kirkus Reviews Mayle's continuing love affair with Provence takes him back to familiar themes but continues to yield fresh insights. . .   Kirkus Reviews Mayle's continuing love affair with Provence takes him back to familiar themes but continues to yield fresh insights. . .   Publishers Weekly [T]he British author's fans will be pleased that he decided to return to his adopted homeland, for his writing is as charming and witty as ever.   Publishers Weekly [T]he British author's fans will be pleased that he decided to return to his adopted homeland, for his writing is as charming and witty as ever.

Recent Reader Reviews

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