From the moment I began to read this beautifully written book, it became my secret friend, drawing me into a world that I was dying to see. I put my work aside for two days and did nothing but read. This story sits apart from so many other books about "a new life somewhere" or "doing up a house abroad" for it is not just about that. Evocatively written and well researched, it weaves the day to day experiences of the author and his gentle partner together with folklore, plant lore, local characters, and a perfect dollop of history. Each morsel of information is fascinating and the little fairy tales give further insight into a rapidly disappearing part of rural Spain with its moorish and cathar associations. Reading this marvellous account gave me a deeper understanding of mountain life in Spain and also made me frightened for its future looming ominiously. What will happen in the years to come? If there was ever a book that begged a sequel, then this one is it.