BOOKS OF THE WEEK

You have recently moved to the South of France. Do you know that …

In the late 1800s, the South of France was primarily a winter destination. Wealthy and aristocratic northern Europeans used to flee the harsh months for the balmier climes of the regional capital, Nice. Being seen on the Riviera during the summer was a social faux pas.

But in the 1920s the Côte d'Azur became a popular summer haunt for a growing contingent of Americans, with celebrities such as Rudolph Valentino, Gertrude Stein and F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald all arriving to sprinkle their stardust. At the centre of this glittering scene was the monied, bohemian couple, Gerald and Susan Murphy, who even persuaded the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the Cap d' Antibes to open for the summer. Gerald Murphy later provided Fitzgerald with the inspiration for his character Dick Diver in Tender is the Night.
(Extract from The Independant Traveller's guide)

If you want to find out more we have these 2 books available in the library + a good selection of books on the area!