Manana, Manana: One Mallorcan Summer [Hardcover]

Peter Kerr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

Having battled and succumbed to the mañana pace of rural Majorca in his best-selling Snowball Oranges: A Winter's Tale on a Spanish Isle, spring sees Peter Kerr and family relaxing into a supposedly simpler way of life, growing oranges on their little valley farm, Ca's Mayoral.
However, even after their tragicomic initiation, Spain has not yet finished with them. Embarrassing subtleties of the language, brushes with the local police, the unfortunate outcome of a drinking session . . . there are surprises aplenty to test the resolve, stamina and, perhaps more importantly, the sense of humor of this venturesome (the author would say 'foolhardy') émigré family.
Their eccentric and colorful new friends are always on hand to help out--for better or worse--and add spice to this engaging account of tranquilo life. Here is the charm of Majorca: where you seldom do today what can be put off 'til mañana.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kerr's memoir begins where Snowball Oranges: A Winter's Tale on a Spanish Isle left off. Spring is approaching; the neighboring rooster, General Franco, is crowing earlier and louder; and the author, a Scottish farmer who, with his family, has left his homeland to grow fruit in Mallorca, is up to greet the gorgeous island dawn. Thus begins this series of vignettes about the difficulties and satisfactions of trying to slow down and learn the ways of a charming but often mystifying Mediterranean isle. As Kerr and his family try to adjust their Scottish farming experience to the Mallorcan climate, they are on a steep learning curve, both cultural and agricultural. Offered advice and assistance from all kinds of charming, irritating and eccentric locals and expatriates, many of whom assume that the Kerrs, like most transplants to Mallorca, have money to burn, the family manages, eventually, to learn how to make a living with their fruit trees and enjoy local customs on their own terms. Whether they are confronted with demonic folklore in a local restaurant, navigating the politics of dealing with the police after a devastating burglary or standing up for themselves as they practice diplomacy with their sometimes difficult neighbors, the family remains lighthearted and resilient. More a series of episodes than a continuous narrative, the book lacks dramatic drive. But Kerr's writing is mildly humorous and evokes a spirit of place that will appeal to both armchair travelers and vacationers who'd like to know the best eating establishments on the island, as well as anyone considering emigrating to a foreign land.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Kerr, a Scottish transplant to Mallorca, continues the diverting story of his family's adjustment to tranquil island life that he began in Snowball Oranges (2002). Their first summer on the island brings more adventures and more customs to learn, along with the hard physical labor of semimechanized farming. Kerr manages well enough with Spanish, although the local dialect is still a mystery to him, while his wife's pronunciation leads to comic confusion of food items with male body parts. For all the history and beauty of the landscape and the wonderful growing conditions, the true treasure of the island is its people, whose warmth and generosity are tempered with shrewdness and humor that keep those trying to fit in both amused and confused. A break-in and theft and continuing "negotiations" with the previous owner keep the Kerrs grounded as they prove, to their neighbors' surprise, that they are real farmers, not wealthy dilettantes, building what they hope will be a real life. Danise Hoover
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press; 1st edition (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585746371
• ISBN-13: 978-1585746378
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,748,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #81 in Books > Travel > Europe > Spain > Balearic Islands

More About the Author

Peter Kerr, the best-selling Scottish author, was born in Lossiemouth, Morayshire, in 1940. His award-winning 'Snowball Oranges' series of five Mallorcan-based books have sold in large numbers worldwide and have been translated into eleven languages. They recount the often hilarious adventures experienced by Peter and his family while running a small orange farm on the Spanish Mediterranean island during the 1980s.

'Thistle Soup' is a prequel to these books and is a humorous though sometimes poignant account of his boyhood in the county of East Lothian, 'The Garden of Scotland', where he eventually followed in his farming grandfather's footsteps.

Peter now concentrates on writing fiction. His first novel, 'The Mallorca Connection', was a rare mix of suspense and comedy and has been followed to date by four other equally quirky yarns, with Scottish and international settings.

In the 1960s, Peter was a professional jazz musician - the clarinettist-leader of Scotland's premier jazzband, 'The Clyde Valley Stompers', with whom he recorded the hit version of 'Peter and the Wolf' for Beatles producer George Martin.

From 1970 onwards, Peter combined farming beef and barley in East Lothian with freelance record production, hitting the jackpot with the biggest-selling instrumental single of all time, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards 'Amazing Grace'.

Peter, now a full-time author, is married with two sons and lives in East Lothian. He is currently writing a historical novel set in 13th century Mallorca.

Website: www.peter-kerr.co.uk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Trite, August 6, 2007

By 

E. Heintz "I Work For Books" (Portland, Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Manana Manana: One Mallorcan Summer (Paperback)

I was initially excited to receive this book and complete another armchair adventure. However, I was deceived. This book was rather trite and cliche and I didn't even finish it. It was a typical "we pronounced the words wrong and offended a lot of people" type of travel essay. I want to learn about the ambiance of a place; not how another westerner embarrassed his/herself in a foreign country by not respecting the people, their culture or language.

4.0 out of 5 stars Mallorca encore, December 30, 2011

By 

LSL (Ojai California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Manana Manana: One Mallorcan Summer (Paperback)

If you enjoyed his first book you will enjoy this one too...I did. A good read about expat life on Mallorca. Well written and entertaining.

4.0 out of 5 stars Travelers of Spain, June 7, 2007

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Traveler "travel buff" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Manana Manana: One Mallorcan Summer (Paperback)

I thought that this was a good book. I put myself in the places that I read about. I think that Mallorca would be a wonderful place to visit and meet all of the colorful personalities.