Annie and Peter Mayle decide, in their own words, to take the plunge: they quit their jobs as a tax investigator and an advertising executive and move to Provence in the south of France.
Now into their second month in Provence, the Mayles continue to learn about local customs and culture. They track down Columbani the plumber and electrician and agree on an upgrade to the kitchen.
Peter enters the mysterious world of truffles when his friend Harry calls from England and asks him to find two kilos of the stuff. He first approaches his neighbor Amédée who sends him off in the right direction.
It's April and the weather has turned nice but the Mayles still have their uninvited house guest, the boorish Tony. Annie puts her foot down and says it's either Tony or her.
May rolls around and the Mayles get two pieces of bad news. The first is that Tony, their visitor who overstayed his visit, has bought Rivière's property.
Annie gets a letter from an old friend asking if she and Peter would like to write an article on Provence for her magazine. They soon realize that they need an angle or a human interest story to make their article more interesting.
It's July and Peter mixes up their visitors schedules. The result is that they suddenly find themselves with a houseful of guests. They are an interesting lot: one fancies himself a handyman an sets about repairing anything in sight while his wife can't help bu calculate the cost of every meal; another is a lush whose wife is constantly ill; while a third couple are quintessential tourists who expect to be escorted everywhere.
The heat of August proves to a bit much but in the village on a Sunday afternoon, the Mayles learn there is to be the annual goat race. They get a hot tip and decide to take a bit of a flutter.
With the arrival of September, Peter's attention is now focused on his vineyard and the upcoming harvest. He has an agreement with Amedee Clement where he will do all of the work and Peter, as the owner, will get one third of the product.
The Mayle's kitchen remains unfinished and Zanetti the carpenter hasn't returned for a month. It finally dawns on him that the man has probably been snatched by Madame Hermonville but all they end up with is an invitation to a party for her visiting Parisian friends.
Annie has been giving English lesson to the local school children twice a week so is distressed when she reads in the local newspaper that the school may be forced to shut its doors.
December arrives and the Mayles are now approaching their first anniversary in Provence. Annie however is fed up at the never finished work in their house.
WINTER: The Mayles bid adieu to gloomy London and begin their new life in a cozy farmhouse in the Lubéron Valley.
SPRING: With the glorious spring comes a parade of visitors lured by the extravagant meals and the generous Mayles.
SUMMER: Summer is slow and savory, marked by leisurely games of boules French bowling in the town square.
FALL: The year in Provence ends with crisp days and a cellar full of wine produced right on the Mayle grounds.