Product Description

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 ma?ana, 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 Ma?ana is a book to read and treasure.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12696 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

From the Publisher
An English woman’s life in southern Spain; of learning a new language, building a beautiful house and garden, and falling in love – all over again.

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.

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.

Customer Reviews

Ole!
This is the first time I've been moved to actually write one of these reviews which is hopefully some testament to how much I enjoyed this book.
In contrast to some of the more insipid titles out there, Getting to Manana is a highly amusing and very personal account of the author's real-life move to Andalucia from North London.
In addition to her natural flair for comic writing, Innes does well to make the reader feel a part of the action. Many of the situations and her reactions to them will strike a chord with all readers whether they dream of retreating to a faraway idyll or not.

House with a View
Miranda Innes found that the house she wanted was named Casa Miranda, which means House with a View. This serendipitous coincidence confirmed and justified her decision to buy a ruined farmhouse in the hills above Malaga. Her account of settling in Spain is highly personal, with a welter of family detail and her own frustrations and hopes, but she leavens all the problems with style, humour, enthusiasm, and a lucky facility with similes. The inclusion of her own, her sons' and her new man's personal issues make this tale on the familiar theme of exchanging the urban jungle for a place in the sun just that little bit different. Miranda's story is dominated less by endless fracas with the builders, or lyrical waxings on the Spanish way of life, than with coping with the everyday vicissitudes of a woman's life. The flow of words ramble entertainingly in all directions, but never lose sight of the goals of telling a good story. You could almost be reading a Joanna Trollope novel, but this is about real people with real problems and dreams and how the two can be worked out alongside each other.

Each chapter finishes with a mouth-watering recipe, contributed by various members of her family and friends. The area she has chosen to live in is idyllic; marvellous landscape, ancient roots, beautiful flowers (and Miranda Innes knows her plants), good neighbours whether Spanish, British, or, in one case, an eccentric Italian/Slovakian couple, and the wonderful over-riding sunshine which makes difficulties just so much more bearable.

Miranda Innes planned this book as a catharsis and transition from the world of deadlines and office politics into a more relaxed approach to writing and thereby, life itself. Despite the pressures of rebuilding the cortijo, the vagaries of partner and sons, she emerges resolute and whole, and in doing so, provides a highly satisfying book for any woman with dreams of escaping their own rat-race and finding, if not Nirvana, a Spanish version of it. The book is as delicious as the tempting Mediterranean dishes she describes.

Besotted!!
We all have dreams of doing this and that. But do we do them...or just dream about them? Here is a dream from the heart that Miranda Innes can share with us all. Miranda's dream...but more than a dream. It is her inspiration, determination, trials and tribulations...getting there.. to a new life of experiences. I have truly enjoyed reading this book and I'm sure you will too. Adios Amigo!!