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Back Escape to the French Farmhouse Save as PDF
Chapters (79)
  1. COVER
  2. About the Author
  3. Also by Jo Thomas
  4. DEDICATION
  5. ONE
  6. TWO
  7. THREE
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. FORTY-FOUR
  49. FORTY-FIVE
  50. FORTY-SIX
  51. FORTY-SEVEN
  52. FORTY-EIGHT
  53. FORTY-NINE
  54. FIFTY
  55. FIFTY-ONE
  56. FIFTY-TWO
  57. FIFTY-THREE
  58. FIFTY-FOUR
  59. FIFTY-FIVE
  60. FIFTY-SIX
  61. FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. FIFTY-NINE
  64. SIXTY
  65. SIXTY-ONE
  66. SIXTY-TWO
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgements
  69. RECIPES
  70. Lavender shortbread
  71. Apricot jam sponge cake
  72. Lavender lamb
  73. READ MORE
  74. Prologue
  75. ONE
  76. TWO
  77. THREE
  78. FOUR
  79. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

Writing and producing a book is a team effort and I want to thank my fabulous new team at Transworld for their lovely welcome to me in my new home. To Francesca Best for coming to find me and Sally Williamson for taking over at the helm so seamlessly and helping make this book the best it could be. And in particular the fabulous Vicky Palmer for making it all happen. And, as always, my brilliant and lovely agent David Headley for his hard work, guidance, friendship and fun.

This book wouldn’t have been possible without my love affair for France, which started at a very young age. Annual holidays in the Renault 14 and camping throughout France were followed by summer holidays on parent-free PGL holidays canoeing the Ardèche gorge and camping in the chestnut forest. It is also the place I most associate with my Dad. I can picture him now, holding his face to the Provençal sunshine, back in his happy place despite the difficulties his illness brought. I can see him and Mum, him in his wheelchair, her showing him the wine list and holding up his glass for him to drink. No matter how bad that illness got, there were still pleasures to be found in life in Provence, in the sunshine amongst the lavender fields and with a good bottle of wine and a bowl of moules marinière. My biggest memories of these times were the meals we shared at La Garde-Freinet, at Rose’s pizza place which always holds a special place in our hearts, for the food and the wonderful warm welcome we always received, and to my final birthday meal with my Dad, sitting in a pop-up restaurant, on the beach, in a huge thunder storm, the sides of the tarpaulin flapping, enjoying every moment of the food, wine and company. Happy memories that stay with me. It was here my love affair with France really began and on leaving college I went to work just outside Saint-Tropez as a waitress. It was such an adventure and a time when I felt life could have taken different directions, but it seems it led me right back here, to Provence, in the pages of this story. Of course, then there were the many trips to the old watermill in Brittany, but that’s for another day! So, returning to Provence to write this book was an absolute joy.

Thank you to my wonderful travelling companion Katie Fforde for coming on the journey again, and to my Mum, for starting the journey and joining me on it too. Hope you enjoy this trip to the lavender fields of Provence, and if you get to go there yourselves, do take a trip to the wonderful Musée de la Lavande, the Lavender Museum in Provence …