After her successful debut memoir, LUNCH IN PARIS, Elizabeth Bard continues the journey that began in New York, led to Paris and eventually to the village of Cereste in the French countryside. It's the kind of adventure that makes you long for a fantasy of your own.

PICNIC IN PROVENCE picks up the story of Gwendal and Elizabeth following their romantic meeting and subsequent marriage in Paris. As a farewell to the stage of their life that does not include children, they plan a romantic trip to Provence. In Cereste, they are enchanted by discovering the home of Rene Char, a famous poet and French Resistance leader. Learning that the house is about to be sold, they decide to buy it and agree that it would be a wonderful place to raise their soon-to-arrive child. As Bard says, “We felt something of our future in those walls. Cereste was the answer to a question we didn't even know we'd been asking.”

Thankfully, Bard is not one to go into excruciating detail, so, once the decision to move is made, the feat is accomplished in less than a month. Soon the couple begins to find their place among the villagers. Neighbors welcome them with various goodies and foreshadow relationships of warmth and promise to come.

"Each chapter of PICNIC IN PROVENCE gives the reader a glimpse into the author's perspective on everything from leftovers to child rearing, and from French vs. American culture to the secrets of dieting. And each chapter is followed by tantalizing recipes to accompany the topic."

As with successful comedians, the best writers see the world through a special set of eyes. They observe things that others do not. They offer perspectives that mere humans simply do not think about. Each chapter of PICNIC IN PROVENCE gives the reader a glimpse into the author's perspective on everything from leftovers to child rearing, and from French vs. American culture to the secrets of dieting. And each chapter is followed by tantalizing recipes to accompany the topic.

Bard warms to each new aspect of French life with a charm that is often missing when Americans are faced with change. For example, she discovers that, “The French state has a judge who is responsible for approving the name of every child born in France, to keep parents from burdening their children with stupid (Caca Rhubarbe) or offensive (Hitler) names. In the States, of course, the First Amendment guarantees our right to be as stupid or offensive as we like.” Then she observes, “I try to be philosophical. Some days I succeed, some days I don't. Who knew when I moved here that I'd willingly trade my civil liberties for a decent slice of pate.”

Bard's mother, on the other hand, “maladapts” to her daughter's new lifestyle and insists on bringing a little bit of home whenever she visits, like Peeps and apricot Jell-O. Though mother and daughter are close, there always will be differences of opinion. When mom looks at the playground at her grandson's daycare, she sees the small metal prongs on the edge of the sandbox instead of the fun he is having with his babysitter. Bard comments, “Maybe it's the fact that one in three hundred U.S. Citizens is a lawyer, but where the rest of the world sees fun, Americans see liability.” This is not to imply that the author holds an ex-pat attitude that denigrates everything American. She merely observes the differences without making judgments. So refreshing and appreciated.

And did I mention the wonderful recipes? You'll find everything from Anchovy and Caramelized Onion Flatbread to Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Goat Cheese! And, contrary to my fear of French cuisine, many of these are fun and relatively simple.