April Summary and Analysis

Tony from London works in advertising and loves to flaunt the difficulty of his work and his very full Filofax. He fits the generalization that the Mayles have devised for every Englishman abroad: he comes into their home, has a cup of coffee (or glass of wine), and makes a call to the homeland. Tony doesn't ask, but rather assumes the aid of the Mayles in finding a property of his own in Provence.

There are certain complications and rituals involved with buying a home in France (besides all the paperwork), which mainly involve avoiding paying the full amount of heavy taxes on the purchase. Therefore, part of the lawyer's job is to leave the room when the money for the full amount is being exchanged. Another complication has to do with multiple ownerships. French law states that the children inherit...