Olive

This memoir of buying and transforming an abandoned olive farm. Presented with an opportunity to purchase a ten-acre property near Cannes, actress Carol Drinkwater and her film-producer fiancé, Michel, decide to take the plunge. It will take all their savings just for the down payment, but the beauty of the surrounding countryside and the promise of a new adventure seem worth the risk. As they work to clear the weeds and rehabilitate the abandoned farm, they meet Provence's quirky locals, puzzle through France's legal bureaucracy, explore the nearby Mediterranean islands, and encounter the region's wildlife. This colorful memoir from the Sunday Times—bestselling author recounts one couple's remarkable journey from being inspired but inexperienced new landowners to realizing their dream of a fulfilling, peaceful life on their own little plot of paradise.

In this memoir, the author of “The Olive Farm” returns to the ten-acre property for which she and her fiancé scraped together their savings to buy, just back from their wedding on a tiny Polynesian island, loaded down with luggage and a large hand-painted didgeridoo. As Carol and Michel settle in as husband and wife, they experience the glamor of southern France at dinner parties in the company of aristocrats and at the world-renowned Cannes film festival, as well as the dirt-caked, sun-baked life of farmers, especially after their gardener heads to Algiers to arrange his youngest son's wedding. For Carol, though, what matters most is that her longtime dream of motherhood finally promises to come true, and over the course of “The Olive Season”, she shares the story of her hopes and fears as she anticipates another kind of growth and nurturing. Alternately entertaining and emotionally poignant, this memoir is a rich portrait of love, longing, and the constant uncertainties of the cycle of life.

The story of life on a French olive farm continues with this moving memoir of hard work, hard luck, and waiting for the return of happiness. Carol Drinkwater and her husband, Michel, arrive at their villa in Provence in anticipation of another glorious summer. Unfortunately, they find the farm unkempt and suffering from lack of rainfall. When their gardener, Monsieur Quashia, finally shows up, he cheerfully explains the shed-building project he's working on as a surprise for them, a surprise that will send their expenses skyrocketing. But there are bigger problems to come than wild boars tearing through fences and other everyday challenges of farming. After a terrifying accident in Monte Carlo and a hospital stay, Michel is barely functional, and Carol soon realizes she must fend for herself. Burdened with problems from a financial reversal to the threat of nearby wildfires, she will experience firsthand the uncertainties that have plagued farmers since the dawn of agriculture, and hold on to hope that in the end, nature will provide.

The author of acclaimed memoirs about life on a French olive farm explores the larger history and culture of the Mediterranean delicacy. Carol Drinkwater has a passion for olive trees and the fruit they bear-"bitter berries" that are transformed into savory delights and pressed into precious oil. Already intimately familiar with the fruit thanks to her olive farm in the South of France, she decided to travel throughout the Mediterranean basin-from Marseille to Malta, Israel to Tunisia-in a quest to learn about their ancient history, their spread throughout the world, and the tastes and traditions they represent. A culinary travelogue and a celebration of a humble, healthful food that inspires devotion among so many, The Olive Route is filled with unusual characters and fascinating anecdotes from "a storyteller of great economy and deftness" (The Telegraph).

An olive farmer journeys through Spain, Italy, and North Africa to find the future of agriculture in an age of chemicals and climate challenges. Carol Drinkwater's beloved olive farm in the South of France was suffering badly from destructive pests and premature ripening. In a hunt for answers, she decided to set out on her own for a fact-finding tour of Spain, Italy, Morocco, and Algeria. In The Olive Tree, Carol recounts not only the agricultural education she gained during her travels, but the dangers she faced as terrorist bombs rocked one of her destinations and a group of beekeepers helped shepherd her through dangerous territory. Through it all, she confronts issues faced by farmers and non-farmers alike in today's world, from climate change to diminishing water reserves to the excessive use of chemicals. Ultimately, she will return to her land in Provence with a new appreciation for the urgency of these problems-and with an ingenious vision for the future shared with her by a brilliant group of olive growers...

At a small farm in Provence, a woman tries to do her part to save the bees, and the planet, in this stirring, entertaining memoir. After a long research trip, Carol Drinkwater is back home with her husband, Michel, on their olive farm in the south of France. She's overjoyed, but also has something serious on her mind: the ecological threats to their own farm, and countless others. The die-off of honeybees has reached crisis levels globally, and Carol is concerned about the state of their hives. Some farmers and scientists believe urgent change is needed to address agricultural techniques that are destroying the planet. But when Carol joins their chorus, it may put their beloved farm in jeopardy. It's time for a true commitment, but running an organic farm, the couple soon discovers, is not as simple as it sounds.

The acclaimed actress and author recounts her new life on a French olive farm, in this collection of three memoirs. The Olive Farm After falling in love with Provence, actress Carol Drinkwater and her film-producer fiancé, Michel, decide to purchase an abandoned farm near Cannes. Inspired but inexperienced, they begin fixing up the ten-acre property as they meet quirky locals, puzzle through France's legal bureaucracy, and explore nearby Mediterranean islands. The Olive Season As newlyweds Carol and Michel settle into marriage, they experience the glamor of southern France with its aristocratic dinner parties and the world-renowned Cannes film festival, as well as the dirt-caked, sunbaked life of farmers. Carol also shares her hopes and fears as she anticipates motherhood in this alternately entertaining and emotionally poignant memoir. The Olive Harvest When Carol and Michel return to Provence, they face a season of great difficulty. The farm is suffering from drought, and wild boars have been destroying the fences. But there are bigger problems to come when an accident in Monte Carlo leaves Michel barely functional. As he recuperates, Carol must face challenges of all kinds, and hope that in the end, nature will provide.