Olive Books

When Carol Drinkwater and her fianc&eacute, Michel, are given the opportunity to purchase ten acres of an abandoned olive farm in the South of France, they find the region's splendor impossible to resist. Using their entire savings as a down payment, the couple embark on an adventure that brings them in contact with the charming countryside of Provence, its querulous personalities, petty bureaucracies, and extraordinary wildlife. From the glamour of Cannes and the Isles of L&eacuterins to the charm of her own small plot of land-which she transforms from overgrown weeds into a thriving farm-Drinkwater triumphantly relates how she realized her dream of a peaceful, meaningful life.

"I scan the terraces, planted with row upon row of ancient olive trees. It is April, late spring. Here in the hills behind the Cote d'Azur the olive groves are delicately blossomed, with their tiny, white-forked flowers. Beyond them, perched halfway up the slope of the hill, our belle epoque villa comes into view. Abounding in balustrade terraces, nestling among cedars and palms, facing out at a south-westerly angle, overlooking the bay of Cannes towards the sun-kissed Mediterranean, there it is, Appassionata, awaiting us..." THE OLIVE FARM told how Carol Drinkwater and partner Michel fell in love with and bought an abandoned Provencal olive farm. Now, in THE OLIVE SEASON, Carol is pregnant and their ever-loyal gardener is leaving to oversee the marriage of his son. Often unassisted, and with new challenges to face, Carol takes on the bulk of the farm work alone. Water is, as ever, a costly problem, and she goes in search of a diviner who promises almost magical results. But, as the harvest season approaches, dramatic events cast dark shadows of their olive farm.

THE OLIVE FARM and THE OLIVE SEASON are television actress Carol Drinkwater's lyrical accounts of a new life in France; about her house Appassionata and the trials and tribulations of acquiring an olive farm, restoring it, farming the olives, overcoming the heartaches of taking on a 'new' French family and understanding slowly the workings and lifestyle of a vivacious Provencal community. THE OLIVE FARM and THE OLIVE SEASON open the door on a bustling Mediterranean world using Carol Drinkwater's old abandoned villa as the gateway to it. The books explore the local landscape, the various al fresco jazz festivals, the colourful carnival in Nice, the local cuisine, meals around an oval wooden table, the cycle of olive farming and pressing, local wines, Carol's bizarre friendship with a toothless Arab gardener, hours whiled away in magnificent hammock lugged all the way from northern Brazil because its colours were an exact match for the slatted wooden shutters, and Picasso's museum at Antibes.

"The stars shimmer like spilled handfuls of glitter. The day is beginning to rise with a faint mist. As I turn my head, ghostly halos, auras of light, appear and disappear ...The silence is truly awesome. Not a bird, not a whisper of wind, not a breath of life. Only the two of us, a most implausible pair, standing shoulder to shoulder gazing upon an awakening heaven" Returning to their home after an extended absence Carol and her husband Michel are looking forward to summer together on the farm. A shocking blow leaves Carol alone and the future is uncertain. Feeling isolated and with no olives to harvest, Carol ventures beyond the farm to explore other aspects of Provencal life - from hunting to bee-keeping, the ancient language to the ever-present demands of family and friends. And ultimately, Provence's generous diversity - and Carol's own persistence in sharing it with those she loves - paves a path to joy.

A sumptuously illustrated companion to the bestselling Olive Farm trilogy. Carol Drinkwater, whose three books— The Olive Farm , The Olive Season , and The Olive Harvest —sold more than a quarter of a million copies in the UK alone, has produced an entirely new volume documenting life on Appassionata, the farm she shares with her husband Michel. Many of the well-loved locations and a large cast of engaging characters make an appearance, and the local customs, hidden beaches, fairs, culinary pleasures, and off-the-beaten track charms of Provence all receive lovingly detailed attention. Carol’s passion and joy will enchant armchair travelers and fans of her earlier works.

Fourth volume in the bestselling olive series by writer and actress Carol Drinkwater Since Carol Drinkwater moved to an olive farm in France she has developed a passion for the olive tree and the culture that has grown up around it. From the eastern shores of the shimmering Mediterranean to its western coast this fruit is farmed. Its silvery-green branches have inspired painters and poets, but who first pressed its 'bitter berry' and transformed it into liquid gold? In quest of its secrets and traditions, Carol embarked on a solo adventure round the Mediterranean basin. Transporting readers across the olive's ancient paths, celebrating its venerable past, tracking trade routes, unearthing unlikely stories, encountering peoples of today and bygone times, Carol comes full circle, back to her farm in the sun-baked Provençal hills.

Troubled by challenges her own South of France farm is experiencing—attack by a virulent pest and the premature ripening of the trees' fruits—Carol realizes new approaches to farming are becoming essential. Traditional customs have been set aside while the use of excessive chemicals is putting crop harvests at risk. Changing patterns within the world's climate demand urgent action. Carol's quest takes her south through Spain, Morocco, Algeria, and Italy before she finally returns to her farm. As a woman traveling alone, she is frequently vulnerable and never more so than in Algeria where, on her arrival, terrorist bombs devastate the capital. Determined not to give up, Carol accepts the support of a network of beekeepers who parcel her across troubled territories. Through her travels Carol confronts some of the critical issues of our time—land-care and the harsh realities of diminishing water reserves—and ends her momentous journey in the company of olive growers whose vision for the future is remarkable and ingenious. This is a gripping narrative of an intrepid and unusual journey around the western shores of the 21st-century Mediterranean.

After sixteen months of travelling round the Mediterranean in search of the ancient secrets of the olive tree, Carol returns to her beloved olive farm in the south of France, to her husband Michel and his burgeoning family. However, the homecoming celebrations are overshadowed by disturbing discoveries. The plight of the honey bee has become an international crisis and Carol is faced with unsettling news about the hives on her own olive farm. While the multinational companies are pushing for 'bigger, better, bumper' crops, a small band of farmers and ecologists are calling for a halt to many of the modern farming malpractices that are endangering the planet. Carol is amongst them. But it puts her own farm, her idyll, under threat. At what point do you turn your back on all that you believe in and all that you have been fighting for? This is the story of how Carol and Michel struggle with some difficult choices, and how they decide to deal with the unavoidable disappointments and inevitable responsibilities that come with running an organic farm.