Perfume from Provence

In the early 1930s, 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. 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 was delightful but tiny, and at once plans were put in hand to extend it over the mountain terrace. Winifred Fortescue's witty and warm account of life with stonemasons, craftsmen, gardeners, and above all her total involvement with the everyday events of a Provencal village, made "Perfume From Provence" an instant bestseller.