Product Description

In Jamie Ivey's sequel to the delightful Extremely Pale Rose he finds out whether it is possible to run a successful rose bar in France. French friends think it's a crazy idea. The customers will be largely men; rose is seen as a woman's drink; rose is a seasonal drink and Jamie's trade will vanish come September - and most bars make their money from food, and rose isn't supposed to accompany food. And yet, France seems to be on the brink of a rose revolution. Red and white wine sales are stagnant but rose sales are booming. If Jamie can find a small bar in a pretty square and chalk up a daily selection of different roses, then a rose bar could be a great success. What he needs to do is find the right bar. After a little persuasion, bars in Uzes, Aix en Provence and Nimes agree to help Jamie sell some rose, and by working in these bars, Jamie discovers what the French attitude to rose really is. Are gnarled old men discarding their pastis and sipping pale rose? Is it just a myth that the French don't drink rose with food? Are the young the real reason for booming sales? Jamie set off at the beginning of June to visit some of the vignerons he met in the first book on his way south. He has bought a bar hidden in the hills of the Luberon, and will do it up over the winter months. He will then try to sell enough rose during the summer to tide him over to the spring. For all who enjoyed Extremely Pale Rose, and envied Jamie and Tanya Ivey's researches, La Vie En Rose is the perfect second glass.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #147548 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Daily Mail
"appealing"

About the Author
Formerly a lawyer in London, Jamie Ivey elected to quit commuting and office life for a quest in France instead.

Customer Reviews

great follow up - terrific read
I adored La Vie En Rose - Jamie Ivey's wonderful follow-up to the hugely enjoyable and well written Extremely Pale Rose. Ivey has lost none of his observational wit as he tries to set up a bar in Aix en Provence with his gorgeous wife. I laughed all the way to the bottom of my wine-glass as they battle and charm, in equal measure, the local eccentrics who in turn both dispel and corroborate the myths and truths that surround the French love of wine. This is an uplifting and gripping account of Brits abroad who soak up local colour and overcome hilarious obstacles as they seek to make a success of their new lives in France. All washed down, of course, with copious gallons of wine. Delightful. More, please, Mr Ivey!

Another glass please!!!
After reading Extremely Pale Rose, I was really looking forward to the release of La Vie en Rose. I was not disappointed. Picking up the book was like meeting up with some old friends that you hadn't seen for some time.

Jamie has a great writing style and the adventures had me laughing out loud. The book immediately transports the reader back to a summer in France and, as with the first book had me longing for a holiday to Provence.

I am looking forward to the release of Rose en Marche later this year.

Bring on next summer!!
The trick of travel writing it seems is to transport the reader to the context of the book and to evoke memories and inspire dreams of places that carry you away from the humdrum of daily life. Jamie Ivey's book not only captures the essence of Provence, but also strips back some of the glamour that one experiences on a lazy summer holiday. In so doing, he highlights that the South of France is not just a world of dazzling sun, fine food and cooling wine (not to mention the local characters), but it is also a real world, where normal people experience the same highs and lows as the rest of us. All in all, a very enojyable read that has inspired us to return to timeless Provence next summer to enjoy the usual pleasures but perhaps with an open eye as to the real beauty of the place. Looking forward to more like this!