A Year in the World
Frances Mayes
2006
417 pages
Let me first start with a confession. I never read Under the Tuscan Sun. Or any of Mayes’ other books. But the title of this book grabbed me, so I decided to give her a try.
I love her writing style. Beautifully descriptive. But…
- I don’t know how they get away with calling it “A Year in the World.” A “year in mostly Europe, with detours to Turkey and Morocco” is more like it. And it’s not even a year. It’s trips here and there over a few years. Picky, picky. But I like truth in a title.
- This may be jealousy speaking, but everything is just a bit too lovely. Yes, she has a few things she doesn’t like, but overall the book reads like a pleasant dream. Not that I want bad things to happen, but really, stop talking about your house in Cortona, Italy and your house in the Bay Area, California.
- At the end, I was left with the feeling that this book was written to cash in on her name and fame.
Having said all that, I still liked the writing style and reading about the places Mayes and her husband visited.
This is book #5 in the Armchair Traveler Challenge. Next up is Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight.
