Provence from A to Z

Can one tell the story of Provence in a single book? Mountains and vineyards, truffles and melons, traditions and legends, saints and beasts... Where to start, what to overlook? A serious author would surely focus on something specific and compose a solid opus. This does not apply to Peter Mayle. Any information is only trustworthy when obtained through personal experience, — believes the author. But it’s not just the search for a topic that drives him into wine cellars, olive farms, and frog festivals. “Along the way, I enjoy myself, I won’t argue,” admits Mayle. Guided mainly by his own curiosity and personal weaknesses, flitting like a “carefree little bird” from branch to branch, from one question to another, Mayle has collected quite an intriguing “collection of facts and tidbits” about Provence, a paradise on earth, which he writes about with unwavering love and humor.