An Embarrassment Of Mangoes

(Paperback)

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Description

A fantastic voyage through the Caribbean to discover what really matters in life Who hasn't fantasized about leaving their job, saying goodbye to the rat race and escaping to some exotic destination in search of sun, sand, and a different way of life Ann Vanderhoof and her husband did just that. In the mid 1990s, the author and her husband were driven, forty-something professionals who were desperate for a break from their harried, deadline-dominated lives. So they left their jobs, rented out their house, moved onto a 42-foot yacht called Receta ('recipe' in Spanish) and set sail from their home in Canada for the Caribbean. AN EMBARRASSMENT OF MANGOES is Ann Vanderhoof's intimate account of this two-year midlife interlude during which she and her husband travelled more than 7,000 nautical miles, dropped anchor in 16 countries (and 47 individual islands), and adapted to a new life on 'island time'. Exchanging suits for bare feet, they leave the stresses of their old life behind and become caught up in a world that is simultaneously simpler and more exuberant. They sip rum with their neighbours and dance through the streets during Carnival, explore secluded beaches, learn to pull their dinner from the sea and create delectable dishes in their tiny galley kitchen. Interspersed with irresistible recipes, from cracked conch in the Bahamas, curried lobster in Grenada, spicy island gingerbread to West Indian rum punch, AN EMBARRASSMENT OF MANGOES is the enticing story of discovering not just vibrant new cultures and cuisines, but what really matters.

Reviews

'Full of humour and insight...travel writing at its best' * WASHINGTON TIMES *
'Beautifully written...A detailed travelogue and an intimate portrait of self-discovery, this is a refreshing, soulful journey' * BOOKLIST *
'Essential reading...A savoury and delicious book' * LIBRARY JOURNAL *

Author Bio

Ann Vanderhoof is a writer and magazine and book editor whose work has appeared in publications in the United States and Canada. She was the founding editor of the award-winning Canadian magazine Cottage Life and is also the senior editor of Ports Cruising Guides, a series of guidebooks for boaters. She lives in Toronto.