“I’m interested in the idea and fact of home.
I’m going to places where I have dreamed of living
and will try to settle down in each, read the literature,
look at the gardens, shop for what’s in season,
try to feel at home.”
Thus Frances Mayes introduces the idea behind her book, A Year in the World
Mayes weaves her passions for reading, eating, colors, friendship, architecture, gardening, and people-watching into her narratives. She doesn’t drench the reader in wretched enthusiasm: if an experience is bad, she says so. I reveled in her descriptions, particularly her choice of words to describe colors.
The void I noticed in this book was the absence of passionate worship. As a “doubter with strong spiritual interests” she is certainly interested in the role of many religions. Had I spent time in each of those locations I would have cherished times of worship with like-minded believers.
Mayes lush narrative invites lingering silences, pondering thoughts. I’m going to string a necklace of her sparkling short sentences.
Breakfast is such a key to the culture.
We’ve gone quiet with disappointment.
The language uses many sounds that previously
I have heard only from the washing machine.
There’s choreography to traffic flow.
Often the thoughts tumble like coins in a dryer,
circling, banging, going nowhere.
The art of departure I may never master.
I have lived in places where art and beauty buoy everyday life.
The people fold themselves into their houses
the way they fold themselves away in their clothing.
Cheese would be reason enough for a trip to France.
How to translate sunlight into words?
We are drowsy as bees in the heat.
We brake for bakeries.
A Living Pencil 
I love travel books! I love those sentences you included in your review — going to see if I can find a copy of the book to get now!
Cheese would be reason enough for a trip to France.Amen, Carol.Let’s go together, shall we?Love,Di
It’s fun to vacation vicariously with an author like this. I couldn’t help but notice how many of the quotes had to do with laundry: the washer, the dryer, and folding. I guess we just naturally seek to hinge the unfamiliar with the familiar, and it works!
I agree with your comment on the “void”. I can’t read a book or listen to new music anymore without pondering, does this person love God or not? And if not, what a waste of beautiful creativity.Great quotes, especially the one regarding tumbling thoughts.
@LauraLLD – If you love travel books, Laura, you’d love this one. She notices the things I would like to notice and between the literary and culinary references, I’m enthralled.@ACircleofQuiet – Di, you don’t have to ask twice!!@PoiemaPortfolio – Poiema, I hadn’t noticed the laundry connections. Thanks for pointing that out.@DCHammers – Yes. I care about the culture and the food and the literature and the architecture, but all within the context of those things being part of our worship.
Oooh, does this ever look good! I always though if I could do life over again, I’d like to live in a different culture every two years, long enough to enjoy it, get to know it, start to feel comfortable in the language, make friends. Thanks for the review!Phyllis @ windyridgebooks.wordpress.com