THE LONG HOT SUMMER

by MARY MOODY

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New softcover book, published 2005, 292 pages.

A French heatwave and a marriage meltdown

In the European summer of 2003 a deadly heat wave strikes France. To Mary Moody, living in her rural village in the south-west of France, it seems that the weather is merely imitating the stifling heat of her own relationships. Her marriage, already under strain from the freedoms of her new life in France and the revelation of an affair, now reaches breaking point.

At the heart of The Long Hot Summer lie Mary's two conflicting passions: for her newfound independence; and for the love of her husband and family in Australia. Confrontation and heartache are inevitable, yet both sides of her life are still capable of producing enormous joy and excitement. Can new needs exist alongside old loves?

Mary Moody's two previous books, Au Revoir and Last Tango in Toulouse have become national bestsellers and made her one of the best-known and best-loved writers in Australia. With all the warmth and candour we've come to expect, The Long Hot Summer explores the minefield of relationships and changing desires, set against the beautiful backdrop of rural France.

About the author

Mary Moody is an adventurer, author, documentary producer, director, television presenter, gardener, photographer, publisher and editor. She is also a wife, mother of four and grandmother of eight. Moody began her career as a journalist and feature writer in 1968 at the Australian Women’s Weekly. She then worked as a journalist and columnist on a variety of newspapers and magazines. In the late 1970s she discovered her passion for gardening, which led to a 10-year presenting role on ABC TV’s Gardening Australia. She has written over 35 books on her pet hobby and established a plant nursery which she runs with her husband and son.
In 2000, she spent six months living along in a small village in France where she wrote a best-selling book about her experiences, Au Revoir. Mary now divides her year between farming geese near Bathurst in New South Wales, and her house in southern France. She returns to France annually to conduct cultural, culinary and walking tours and has since written two more best-sellers, Last Tango in Toulouse and The Long Hot Summer. Her most recent book is The Long Table - My Love Affair with Food.
A true adventurer, Mary also leads annual botanical treks in the Himalayas, Northern India, Nepal and Bhutan.

The Long Hot Summer by Mary Moody