Though Frances Mayes is known for her wanderlust, she has always sought a sense of home wherever she goes. In this poetic testament to the power of place in our lives, Mayes reflects on the idea of home, from the earliest imprint of four walls to the startling discoveries of feeling the strange ease of homes abroad, friends' homes and even momentary homes that spark desires for other lives. From her travels across Italy - Tuscany, of course, but also Venice and Capri - to the American South, France and Mexico, Mayes examines the connective tissue among them through the homes she's inhabited.

A Place in the World explores Mayes's passion for and obsessions with houses and the things that inhabit them - old books, rich food, beloved friends, transportive art. The indelible marks each refuge has left on her and how each home influenced the next serve as the foundations of its chapters.

Written in Mayes's signature intimate style, A Place in the World captures the adventure of moving on while seeking comfort in the cornerstone closest to all of us - home.