This is Reg Egan’s second novel after his first ‘Lottie’. ‘Breakfast in Bourg’ is centred around Will, a successful Melbourne barrister who feels hollow in his success and is growing apart from his wife. Nathalie is married to a merchant banker in Paris but has left the city for life on her newly-acquired vineyard in the beautiful Bordeaux wine region of Bourg. When Will travels there after doing legal work in London, he meets Nathalie and starts work at her vineyard. Seduced by the lifestyle, region and Nathalie, Will takes a break from his own life. But how long can or will this idyllic sojourn last? It is a nice change to read a novel set in France after so many non-fiction books. Reg says in the preface that he admires and loves France – this sentiment certainly comes out in his book, as does the French love of wine and food.
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