Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France

By Peter Mayle

In his most delightful foray into the wonders of Provençal life, Peter Mayle returns to France and puts behind him cholesterol worries, shopping by phone, California wines, and other concerns that plagued him after too much time away.

In Encore Provence, Mayle gives us a glimpse into the secrets of the truffle trade, a parfumerie lesson on the delicacies of scent, an exploration of the genetic effects of 2,000 years of foie gras, and a small-town murder mystery that reads like the best fiction. Here, too, are Mayle's latest tips on where to find the best honey, cheese, or chambre d'hìte the region has to offer. Lyric, insightful, sparkling with detail, Encore Provence brings us a land where the smell of thyme in the fields or the glory of a leisurely lunch is no less than inspiring.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jul 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9780307522931

Peter Mayle

Peter Mayle (1939-2018) spent fifteen years in the advertising business before escaping in 1975 to write books, including his bestselling A Year in Provence and Toujours Provence. His work has been translated into seventeen languages and he has contributed to a variety of newspapers and magazines.

Reviews for Encore Provence

[murderbydeath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A victim of his own success, Mayle was imprudent enough to write A Year in Provence without changing names of neighbours and villages, bringing him what eventually became an unmanageable number of unannounced guests. After fleeing to the US for 4 years, they returned to France, choosing a new home and village but staying firmly in Provence. Encore Provence is the collection of essays from the years following his self-imposed exile and this time he was smart enough to change the names to protect the innocent (or privacy-inclined). I enjoyed the first two books, but I think I liked this one a bit better. I found more of the essays enjoyable and informative: rather than merely making me wish I lived in a gorgeous, centuries old - but recently updated - farmhouse in Provence, these essays also taught me a few things and gave me food for thought. Now I really want to go truffle hunting.

[jonimfisher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mayle’s descriptions of food and people resonate with joy of living and sardonic humor. Wonderful reading!

[kp9949 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read Mayle's first 2 books and loved them. This one was not as interesting to me. This was more of a how-to-guide on finding just the right things in Provence, i.e. honey, corkscrews, cheese, etc. Your enjoyment I think will depend on if you're going to be in the region and need assistance on what Mayle considers "best". I did like the book, but I did not love the book.

[harrod_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mayle is a wonderful storyteller. He makes the warmth of the region come alive.southern France is different from its northern brother and Mayle articulates it eith humor. A definite. Recommend