Embarassment of Mangoes [Paperback]

Ann Vanderhoof (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 3, 2005

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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ann Vanderhoof is an award-winning writer and editor. She lives with her husband, Steve Manley, in Toronto, with their yacht Receta berthed nearby on Lake Ontario.

Product Details

• Paperback: 329 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (January 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553815555
• ISBN-13: 978-0553815559
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #504,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Caribbean Treat!, March 2, 2009

By 

Donna Smith (Hot Springs, AR USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Embarassment of Mangoes (Paperback)

My husband would love for me to sail off with him but I have no desire to go on vacation and do that much work (and I'm a chicken)! However I feel like I've lived this vacation somewhat after reading this terrific book. The vision of the calm ocean at night with the stars overhead were so serene and beautiful, I felt like I was there. Then again, the storms were scary enough to bring me back to reality!

Having visited some of the low country areas of SC and GA, I could smell and feel the ocean while I was reading those parts......I just loved it.

This book didn't change my mind about sailing, but it did make me yearn to visit some of these areas and it CERTAINLY made me hungry for the food! I've actually made two of the recipes and they were very, very good. The recipes are almost as good as the story.

I felt like the author when the book was ending......I didn't want the voyage to be over. Fortunately, I can easily resolve my issue: I'm reading it again!

Thanks Ann for sharing your experience.

5.0 out of 5 stars living the dream, November 5, 2007

By 

Kim Dyer (Holt, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Embarassment of Mangoes (Paperback)

If you have ever spent a snowy morning staring at the white sand beach and palm trees on your calendar, this is the kind of book you are looking for. The writing allows you to go along on the adventure of sailing the Caribbean for a year.

5.0 out of 5 stars Reckless Abandon, April 29, 2007

By 

R. Holsinger "rholsing96" (Midwest) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Embarassment of Mangoes (Paperback)

Enchanting book of reckless abandon and escape that we all long for. Interspersed in the book are some really great recipes. Well worth the read.