January Summary and Analysis

Peter Mayle, the author, and his wife purchase a 200-year-old farmhouse in the remote countryside of Provence, France. They are familiar with the area, having traveled to Provence annually from their previous home in England to spend a few weeks each year vacationing in this sunny land of southern France. They, along with their two dogs, move into their new home in time to celebrate the New Year.

The author and his wife, Monsieur and Madame Mayle, begin their year in Provence on New Year's Eve. The opening scene is appropriate for the entire novel because it concerns food - the greatest passion of the French. They go to the village of Lacoste, drawn by the news of a six-course meal being served at a restaurant called Le Simiane.

The Mayles have found and purchased - rather impulsively - a home...