Provence, 1970 is about a singular historic moment. In the winter of that year, more or less coincidentally, the iconic culinary figures James Beard, M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, Richard Olney, Simone Beck, and Judith Jones found themselves together in the South of France. They cooked and ate, talked and argued, about the future of food in America, the meaning of taste, and the limits of snobbery. Without quite realizing it, they were shaping today’s tastes and culture, the way we eat now. The conversations among this group were chronicled by M.F.K. Fisher in journals and letters—some of which were later discovered by Luke Barr, her great-nephew. In Provence, 1970, he captures this seminal season, set against a stunning backdrop in cinematic scope—complete with gossip, drama, and contemporary relevance.
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“If it hadn’t
happened, a screen writer might have conjured up the scenario: Provence, 1970.
Five luminaries of American cuisine share one month of company, cooking, meals,
and conversations in the south of France. Only later will it become fully
apparent that this convergence of M. F. K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard,
Richard Olney, and Simone Beck will affect each and, in turn, irrevocably
reshape our national food culture. In this exciting act of recapture, Luke Barr
uses his grandaunt M. F. K. Fisher’s journals and letters and other
documentation to invite us to feasts with this superlative crew. Editor’s
recommendation.”
—
Barnes&Noble.com, editorial review