Toujours Provence

After writing A Year in Provence , Mayle and his family have made themselves at home in the Midi, as these new tales reveal. The British author infuses his adventures with natural humor, whether the subject is larking with Provencal pals, an epicurean diner sur l'herbe , the tangy wine of the countryside, a concert by Pavarotti. Each account is pure enchantment. But Mayle exhibits anger too, particularly when reporting on the undetectable wretch who sets fires impossible to contain during the season of the mistral. Overall, however, the book features the satisfactions of life with good friends and fresh discoveries in that lovely part of France. Reading about them is the next best thing to being in the Midi, where almost ``every prospect pleases.'' (June)