A Place in the World

Finding the Meaning of Home

De: Frances Mayes

Narrado por: Cassandra Campbell

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A lyrical and evocative collection of personal stories from the author of Under the Tuscan Sun, in which the queen of wanderlust reflects on the comforts of home.

“Personal, warm, and lovely . . . a charming read. The book feels like a warm conversation with your most thoughtful, curious friend.”—Garden & Gun

LONGLISTED FOR THE PEN/DIAMONSTEIN-SPIELVOGEL AWARD • VERANDA BOOK CLUB PICK

“Where you are is who you are.”

Though Frances Mayes is known for her travels, she has always sought a sense of home wherever she goes. In this poetic testament to the power of place in our lives, Mayes reflects on the idea of home, from the earliest imprint of four walls to the startling discoveries of feeling the strange ease of homes abroad, friends’ homes, and even momentary homes that spark desires for other lives. From her travels across Italy to the American South, France, and Mexico, Mayes examines the connective tissue among them through the homes she’s inhabited.

A Place in the World explores Mayes’s passion for and obsession with houses and the objects that inhabit them—books, rich food, gardens, beloved friends, and transportive art. The indelible marks that each refuge has left on her and how each home influenced the next serve as the foundations of the book’s chapters.

Written in Mayes’s signature intimate style, A Place in the World captures the adventure of moving on while seeking comfort in the cornerstone closest to all of us—home.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Awesome.”—AARP

“Personal, warm, and lovely . . . a charming read.”—Garden & Gun

“A Place in the World is an homage of sorts to the South, where [Mayes] grew up. . . . The experience is both a homecoming and a reckoning with the past.”—The Washington Post

“Sparkling . . . There are so many lovely descriptions of Mayes’ houses in A Place in the World, but this is not a book about buildings . . . It’s about the concept of home, that intangible thing . . . It’s a whirlwind home tour and homage to friendship . . . A beautiful, thought-provoking read.”—BookPage, (starred review)

“Mayes delivers a soulful meditation on ‘what home means, how it hooks the past and pushes into the future’ in her spellbinding latest. She examines the question through an evocative tour of her homes. . . . This rich testament to the pleasures of wanderlust and permanence is a gift.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Vivid and heartfelt . . . [Mayes’] writing is infused with this rare communal quality. A Place in the World is certainly a charming and tasteful anthology of particular spaces, but it is so much more.”—Bookreporter

“Another lush account of family and place . . . The writing is characteristically intimate, as if she is sharing her thoughts and feelings with a dear friend, and she employs eloquent and detailed descriptions, creating a wonderful sense of place. A can’t-miss hit for Mayes fans.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Mayes, known for her wanderlust, stops and takes into consideration a place key in people’s lives. In her essays, [she] examines the concept of home and how people gravitate to the places and people that mean the most, even in a foreign landscape.”—Library Journal

The full, lush descriptions that made me feel I was right there with the author.

Cassandra Campbell is the perfect narrator for this book. Well-chosen! I listened while I had a required time-out instead of a vacation due to illness. A much needed break, and this book on Audible helped lift my spirits and feel as if I were right there with the author as she lovingly describes how anywhere in the world can feel like home. Food for thought. I will be listening to this again. Thank you!

What is Home

While ready this I became very reflective of childhood gatherings around food with relatives. It also brought back memories of my travels, friends with me on my travels and the great meals we shared. Stirred up GREAT memories.

The insight and expansion to Under Tuscan Sun

I really appreciated the historical dimension to this book. From far history of many of building, to authors history to recent reflection of pandemic. The importance of culture and community.

Frances has proven that you can go home again thru your memories .

Frances has proven to me you can go home again.. remembering a taste ,a smell, a vision,
or just remembering.. I have read all of the Frances Mayes books over the past many years.. I am 73 and enjoyed reading from the age of 12…. Her books have given me the most
insight and memories as well as days of wonderful escape.. Thank you Frances.

Slow start but worth it

Get past the first chapter and it’s great thereafter. Thought provoking. Shared experience of expats living overseas during Covid pandemic