Under the Tuscan Sun

Now in paperback, the #1 "San Francisco Chronicle" bestseller that is an enchanting and lyrical look at the life, the traditions, and the cuisine of Tuscany, in the spirit of Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence." Frances Mayes entered a wondrous new world when she began restoring an abandoned villa in the spectacular Tuscan countryside. There were unexpected treasures at every turn: faded frescos beneath the whitewash in her dining room, a vineyard under wildly overgrown brambles in the garden, and, in the nearby hill towns, vibrant markets and delightful people. In "Under the Tuscan Sun," she brings the lyrical voice of a poet, the eye of a seasoned traveler, and the discerning palate of a cook and food writer to invite readers to explore the pleasures of Italian life and to feast at her table.

Frances Mayes grew up in Fitzgerald, Georgia, and now lives in San Francisco and Cortona, Italy. She has published five books of poetry, most recently Ex Voto. Her poems and autobiographical essays have been published in Atlantic Monthly, Manoa, New England Review, North American Review, Poetry, American Poetry Review, Gettysburg Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Southern Review, and American Scholar, and many other literary magazines. She is also the author of The Discovery of Poetry, a popular college textbook. She has written frequently for The New York Times, House Beautiful, and Food and Wine. She teaches creative writing at San Francisco State University.