Mrs. Oakley is an American who has lived in Provence
for many years and knows its history, folk-lore, its people, country and towns, as only an enthusiastic foreigner can. In The Heart of Provence (Appleton-Century, 15s.) she describes, and Mr. Thornton Oakley illustrates, a motor tour covering practically all the places and scenes of interest to the average tourist. Starting from Saint Tropez, they take us through IIyeres, Toulon, Marseilles, Aix and Arles to Camargue. Thence through Tarascon and Avignon to Nimes, making many detours so as to take in as many places as possible. Any- body wishing to see Provence by car could not do better than follow in their tracks, taking this book with them. The tourist wilt find here all those snippets of information without which he would be unhappy, though it does not pretend to be a guide-book in the strict sense of the word. Baedeker will still be necessary. Without suggesting that Mr. and Mrs. Oakley are inaccurate, the reader should be warned that he may not find everything in Provence as perfect as it is described. The author and illustrator have combined the observations of many tours, and, of course, made the best possible composite picture. They have worked with exuber- ance : a pretty girl in a cork factory becomes a " dusky princess of toil " ; colour is always " riotous," and romance ' high." But that, after all, is how holiday-makers like it.
Previous page
