At Home In France

"As beguiling and delectable as France itself." *Mimi Sheraton "Ann Barry tells her tale directly and clearly, without cloying artifice or guile, so that it has the warmth, honesty, and force of a long letter from an old friend. She makes her reader a welcome house guest in her much-loved little cottage in the heart of France." *Susan Allen Toth Ann Barry was a single woman, working and living in New York, when she fell in love with a charming house in Carennac in southwestern France. Even though she knew it was the stuff of fantasy, even though she knew she would rarely be able to spend more than four weeks a year there, she was hooked. This spirited, captivating memoir traces Ms. Barry's adventures as she follows her dream of living in the French countryside: Her fascinating (and often humorous) excursions to Brittany and Provence, charmed nights spent at majestic chateaux and back-road inns, and quiet moments in cool Gothic churches become our own. And as the years go by, and "l' Americaine," as she is known, returns again and again to her real home, she becomes a recognizable fixture in the neighborhood. Ann Barry is a foreigner enchanted with an unpredictable world that seems constantly fresh and exciting. In this vivid memoir, she shares the colorful world that is her France. "AN INTELLIGENT MEMOIR." *The New Yorker "DELIGHTFUL . . . BARRY WRITES ENGAGINGLY. . . . [She] is very much at home in such fine company as M.F.K. Fisher's Two Towns in Provence, Robert Daley's Portraits of France, and Richard Goodman's French Dirt. *St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"As beguiling and delectable as France itself." *Mimi Sheraton "Ann Barry tells her tale directly and clearly, without cloying artifice or guile, so that it has the warmth, honesty, and force of a long letter from an old friend. She makes her reader a welcome house guest in her much-loved little cottage in the heart of France." *Susan Allen Toth Ann Barry was a single woman, working and living in New York, when she fell in love with a charming house in Carennac in southwestern France. Even though she knew it was the stuff of fantasy, even though she knew she would rarely be able to spend more than four weeks a year there, she was hooked. This spirited, captivating memoir traces Ms. Barry's adventures as she follows her dream of living in the French countryside: Her fascinating (and often humorous) excursions to Brittany and Provence, charmed nights spent at majestic chateaux and back-road inns, and quiet moments in cool Gothic churches become our own. And as the years go by, and "l' Americaine," as she is known, returns again and again to her real home, she becomes a recognizable fixture in the neighborhood. Ann Barry is a foreigner enchanted with an unpredictable world that seems constantly fresh and exciting. In this vivid memoir, she shares the colorful world that is her France. "AN INTELLIGENT MEMOIR." *The New Yorker "DELIGHTFUL . . . BARRY WRITES ENGAGINGLY. . . . [She] is very much at home in such fine company as M.F.K. Fisher's Two Towns in Provence, Robert Daley's Portraits of France, and Richard Goodman's French Dirt. *St. Louis Post-Dispatch

After World War II, France embarked on a project of modernization, which included the development of the modern mass home. At Home in Postwar France examines key groups of actors — state officials, architects, sociologists and tastemakers — arguing that modernizers looked to the home as a site for social engineering and nation-building; designers and advocates of the modern home contributed to the democratization of French society; and the French home of the Trente Glorieuses, as it was built and inhabited, was a hybrid product of architects’, planners’, and residents’ understandings of modernity. This volume identifies the “right to comfort” as an invention of the postwar period and suggests that the modern mass home played a vital role in shaping new expectations for well-being and happiness.

What is it that makes daily life in France so delightful? And how can you create this charm in your own home? Author Cheryl MacLachlan spent years living, dining and conversing with families throughout France, where she uncovered the many small details that lend warmth, style and personality to the French home. In Bringing It Home--France, she explores the seemingly minor but so important elements that go into composing the French lifestyle: how a bed is made, for example, how dinner is served, how a sense of family warmth is achieved in the living room. She further explains how these elements can enrich any home anywhere, using simple techniques and easily available resources. Bringing It Home--France leads the reader room by room through the house, then on to the garden and the marketplace to cover the full range of life and style in la belle France. Learn the French approach to interior decoration; discover invaluable tips for everything from entertaining to housekeeping; and enjoy brief, witty guides to the best of French furniture, crafts, foods and wines. More than 200 gorgeous full-color photographs by Ivan Terestchenko bring you right into a number of remarkable homes, in both France and the United States. For all those who appreciate the houses, the food, the style, the savoir faire of life in France--here's a thoroughly inviting guide to bringing it all home. Discover the real secrets of French style as Cheryl MacLachlan reveals how to add the warmth and beauty of France to your own home, using simple techniques and readily available resources. With more than 200 beautiful color photographs and countless creative tips, Bringing It Home--France captures the charmsof decorating, entertaining and living with the feeling of France--anywhere in the world.

Collection of 175 recipes for Provençal dishes, inspired by Wells' farmhouse in Provence.