Getting To Manana - Softcover

Innes, Miranda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0593051165 ISBN 13: 9780593051160

Publisher: Bantam Press, 2003

Synopsis

In 1996, former "Country Living" garden-editor, Miranda Innes decided to change her life completely. Tired of urban living, bored of her career, out of love with her long-standing partner, she and her son spied a romantic ruin in Andalusia amid its own olive groves, and made an offer. What happened next - selling her London house, and handing in her notice at the magazine - was going to be straightforward, or so she thought. She had not counted on the sudden emergence of a new man in her life, the plans of Arsenal football ground to purchase her back garden, a badly slipped disc and the logistics involved in moving a lifetime's possessions. Nor had she realised what a struggle re-building the house, room by room, or planting a garden in the hostile terrain of southern Spain would be. But helped by her new husband, Dan, and an assortment of eccentric locals, not least by the worldly wisdom of Juan the builder, she made it, and over the ensuing four years, the house and pool were built and the garden began to take shape. This is the story of how Miranda got to manana, of her love affair with Spain, and a countryside where "great jagged peaks range above little fields, white villages tumble like sugar cubes down the sides of hills, and white houses grow room by room in a puzzle of rectangles, topped by corrugated cinnamon-brown terracotta tiles moulded on a man's thigh". Illustrated throughout with line-drawings by Dan Pearce, "Getting to Manana" has high production values. With Miranda's gift for lyrical description of place and landscape, and her laugh-out-loud humour, this is a book to read and treasure.

About this title

About the Author

Former garden-editor of COUNTRY LIVING, and sister of Jocasta Innes, Miranda Innes lives in Spain with her husband, Dan Pearce, and an assortment of dogs and cats.

From the Back Cover

In January 1997, Miranda Innes's life did an unexpected somersault.

Tired of London, becalmed in her career, disenchanted with her long-standing partner, she took her younger son Spigs to Andalucia, found a romantic ruin and made an offer. All that remained for her to do was sell her house in London, rearrange her work and slip away to the sun.

At this point, Fate and Football intervened. She had not counted on the sudden emergence of a New Man in her life, the plans of Arsenal Football Club to demolish her house in order to expand their stadium, a badly slipped disc and the logistics involved in moving a lifetime's possessions. Nor had she realized what a struggle building a house or creating a garden in the hostile terrain of southern Spain would be.
Miranda and her partner, Dan felt they were returning to the Stone Age, as they battled with the recalcitrant earth and restored their ruin room by room under the kindly guidance of Juan, their builder, and an array of local eccentrics.

Getting to Manana is the lyrical and funny story of Miranda's double love affair with a man and with a countryside, a land where great jagged peaks of naked rock range above a patchwork of little fields, and white villages tumble like sugar cubes down the sides of hills. With wonderful line drawings, sensuous descriptions of the bad and the beautiful, and tips on how to create a few kitchen essentials - from herbal insect repellant to sun-dried tomatoes - this is a book to read and treasure.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bantam Press
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0593051165
• ISBN 13: 9780593051160
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336