In THE RIPENING SUN, Patricia Atkinson eloquently described the trials and pleasures of having uprooted her London city life to pursue the dream of owning a vineyard in France. Now she turns her hand to telling stories of life from the village of which she has become so much a part. Following the seasons and the integral notion of terroir - that the geographical and climactic nature of the land dictates what should be grown there - Patricia explores the manner in which people come together and friendships are formed over the celebration of life's simple pleasures. Whether it be discussions with her neighbour Gilles over whether or not eating frogs' legs is cruel; an evening spent at L'Imparfait, her friend's local restaurant; or a morning spent picking mushrooms with Juliana, each story poignantly evokes the warmth and tenderness of simple daily transactions. Patricia Atkinson succeeds in capturing a timelessness that is in danger of being lost in the country at large, but which still exists, as it has for centuries, in her world in France.
