In the early 1930's Winifred Fortescue and her husband, Sir John Fortescue, left England and settled in Provence, in a small stone house amid olive groves, on the border of Grasse. Their exodus had been caused partly by ill health, but was mostly for financial reasons, as it was in the period between the wars when it was cheaper to live in France than in England.
Almost at once they were bewitched, by the scenery, by their garden - an incredible terraced landscape of vines, wild flowers, roses and lavender - and above all by the charming, infuriating, warm-hearted and wily Provencals. The house - called the Domaine - was delightful but tiny, and at once plans were put in hand to extend it over the mountain terraces. Winifred Fortescue's witty and warm account of life with stonemasons, builders, craftsmen, gardeners, and above all her total involvement with the everyday events of a Provencal village, made "Perfume from Provence' an instant bestseller that went into several editions and became a famous and compulsive book for everyone who has ever loved France, most especially Provence.
Illustrated with drawings by E.H. Shepard.
