A Year in the World - by Frances Mayes (Paperback)

About the Book

The author, who unforgettably captured the experience of starting a new life in Tuscany in her bestselling travel memoirs, expands her horizons to immerse herself--and her readers--in the sights, aromas, and treasures of 12 new special places.

Book Synopsis

A CLASSIC FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF UNDER MAGNOLIA

A Year in the World is vintage Frances Mayes--a celebration of the allure of travel, of serendipitous pleasures found in unlikely locales, of memory woven into the present, and of a joyous sense of quest. With her beloved Tuscany as a home base, Mayes travels to Spain, Portugal, France, the British Isles, and to the Mediterranean world of Turkey, Greece, the South of Italy, and North Africa. Weaving together personal perceptions and informed commentary on art, architecture, history, landscape, and social and culinary traditions, Mayes brings the immediacy of life in her temporary homes to readers. An illuminating and passionate book that will be savored by all who loved Under the Tuscan Sun, A Year in the World is travel writing at its peak.

Review Quotes

"Those who want to find parts of themselves they didn't know existed, take risks, have an adventure . . . and discover another culture altogether, with its different rhythms, tastes, smells, and ways of being human--those readers will find in Mayes a kindly, eager, tough-spirited guide."
--Houston Chronicle

"Mayes is a master at capturing a solid sense of place through her lush, poetic narratives."
--Orlando Sentinel

"It's easy to understand why Mayes has become a kind of cult figure for seekers of The Good Life. She not only inspires us to seize the moment, sip the wine, and smell the roses, she also makes us feel it is quite possible to transform our lives, just as she did."
--Lexington Herald-Leader

"Mayes displays a gift for conveying everyday life through her writing . . . and presents a simpler, less frantic version of how to live one's life."
--USA Today

"Frances Mayes is, before all else, a wonderful writer." --Chicago Tribune

"Armchair travel is rarely this astute and fun."
--Scripps-Howard News Service

"Nobody is better than Frances Mayes at giving the sharp sensory details that take you immediately into a place: colors, sounds, smells, tastes...Her writing captures the whole experience...This is travel writing of high quality, focused on beauty."
--Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Befitting her gifts as a poet, Mayes's prose shines with evocative imagery, bringing life to every subject she encounters across her peripatetic year."
-Booklist

About the Author

Frances Mayes is the author of the now-classic Under the Tuscan Sun, which was a New York Times bestseller for more than two and a half years and became a Touchstone movie starring Diane Lane. Other international bestsellers include: Bella Tuscany, Everyday in Tuscany, A Year in the World, and three illustrated books: In Tuscany, Bringing Tuscany Home, and The Tuscan Sun Cookbook. She is also the author of two novels, Swan and Women in Sunlight. She has written six books of poetry and The Discovery of Poetry. The most recent books are See You in the Piazza and Always Italy. Her books have been translated into more than fifty languages.