An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude | 
 enlarge | Author: Ann Vanderhoof
Publisher: Broadway
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $7.73
You Save: $7.22 (48%)
New (24) Collectible (1) from $8.44
Avg. Customer Rating:  40 reviews
Sales Rank: 23924
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0767914279
Dewey Decimal Number: 917
EAN: 9780767914277
ASIN: 0767914279
Publication Date: February 8, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: A very nice copy with normal reading wear and former owner's name on inside cover. Otherwise in great shape. Ships fast!
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Product Description
Under the Tuscan Sun meets the wide-open sea . . . An Embarrassment of Mangoes is a delicious chronicle of leaving the type-A lifestyle behind -- and discovering the seductive secrets of life in the Caribbean.
Who hasn’t fantasized about chucking the job, saying goodbye to the rat race, and escaping to some exotic destination in search of sun, sand, and a different way of life? Canadians Ann Vanderhoof and her husband, Steve did just that.
In the mid 1990s, they were driven, forty-something professionals who were desperate for a break from their deadline-dominated, career-defined lives. So they quit their jobs, rented out their house, moved onto a 42-foot sailboat called Receta (“recipe,” in Spanish), and set sail for the Caribbean on a two-year voyage of culinary and cultural discovery.
In lavish detail that will have you packing your swimsuit and dashing for the airport, Vanderhoof describes the sun-drenched landscapes, enchanting characters and mouthwatering tastes that season their new lifestyle. Come along for the ride and be seduced by Caribbean rhythms as she and Steve sip rum with their island neighbors, hike lush rain forests, pull their supper out of the sea, and adapt to life on “island time.”
Exchanging business clothes for bare feet, they drop anchor in 16 countries -- 47 individual islands -- where they explore secluded beaches and shop lively local markets. Along the way, Ann records the delectable dishes they encounter -- from cracked conch in the Bahamas to curried lobster in Grenada, from Dominican papaya salsa to classic West Indian rum punch -- and incorporates these enticing recipes into the text so that readers can participate in the adventure.
Almost as good as making the journey itself, An Embarrassment of Mangoes is an intimate account that conjures all the irresistible beauty and bounty from the Bahamas to Trinidad -- and just may compel you to make a rash decision that will land you in paradise.
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 35 more reviews...
 Fun in the Caribbean June 29, 2008
If you want a book by and about experts sailing the Caribbean this is not it.
This is the story about a hard working Toronto couple. His dream was taking time off to sail to and around the Caribbean. If she had a dream; long, scary sailing trips were not part of it. Still, shaking in her flip-flops, she helped him pursue this dream and did pretty darn well. They spent several years saving and preparing. Anne was the founder and editor of Cottage Life Magazine. Her husband, Steve, worked for her magazine.
When they finally leave I can feel Anne's fear. Maybe because my husband would like to do the same thing and I haven't ever been on a (moving) sailboat. They were very well prepared and organized, but there were still very scary times.
I liked that they were sincerely interested in getting to know the native people and the islands. They didn't treat the people as though they were there only for their convenience--they wanted to learn from them and build friendships. That is really the heart of the book.
Sprinkled throughout the book are tested recipes that are as authentic as Anne could make them. Quite a bonus.
I heartily recommend this book to anyone whether they dream of sailing or not.
I learned recently that Anne and her husband sailed down to the Caribbean again on their boat. I don't know if another book is coming, but I hope so.
 An Embarrassment of Mangos May 2, 2008
This book is interesting, well written and, according to my cousin Joe, is a 100% accurate description of what it is like sailing in these Carribean waters. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in travelers tales.
Travel to the Islands! April 27, 2008
Borrowed this book from the library and had to own it! The recipes and stories are amazing! This is a story we would all like to attempt! I would recommend to any island fans!!
An Embarrassment of Mangoes April 23, 2008
This is such a fun book -- travel log - receipes - adventures and sailing!
It makes you feel like to are on the journey with them, I only wish I could find more books by this author.
A Ballanced Account of the Cruising Lifestyle January 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Many dream of sailing off to points south, escaping the demands of urban life. In an Embarassment of Mangoes, Vanderhoof shows us it can be done as she chronicles her two year cruise from Toronto to Trinidad and back. Along the way she reminds us that cruising isn't a vacation it's a lifestyle, and as Vanderhoof describes it, a rich lifestyle.
Throughout the book Vanderhoof presents a balanced account of the joys, frustrations, fears, and tedium of life aboard a 40 foot sailboat. Along the way she provides glimpses of island culture and characters while examining her life as it slows down to island time, "jus' now." An added bonus are the regional recipes at the end of each chapter, be sure to try the Lobster Curry!
Engaging and easily read, Mangoes is a book about the why, not the how to go cruising. Excuse me, while I start packing!
Dave Lochner
NauticalReads
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