Olive

For many, Carol Drinkwater will be forever remembered for her part as the wholesome Helen Herriot in the television series 'All Creatures Great and Small'. But since being a successful actress in England, she has spent the past thirteen years in France with her husband Michel. This is the story of her new life, of 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 slowly coming to understand the workings and life of a vivacious Provencal community - opening the door to vibrant Mediterranean world...

Carol Drinkwater's bestselling book, The Olive Farm, told the lyrical tale of her real-life romance with partner Michel and the abandoned Provencal olive farm which they fell in love with and bought. The Olive Season begins with their realization of another dream, a tropical island wedding: Returning to France, they find ever-reliable Arab gardener Quashia is leaving to marry off his youngest son. It is a bad blow. To gain the coveted AGC rating, Carol needs to plant a further 250 olive trees. Now, pregnant and often unassisted, she will have to do the bulk of the farm work. She struggles to find a water diviner to check for sources on the property. Then there is the matter of locating an elusive beekeeper who she hopes will place hives on the land in exchange for honey. And the harvest season is fast approaching...

"Returning to their home after an extended absence, Carol and her husband Michel are looking forward to summer together on the farm. Then a shocking blow leaves Carol alone and the future looks uncertain. The Olive Harvest takes us beyond the perimeters o"

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 search 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 sunbaked Provencal hills.

The Olive Tree charts Carol Drinkwater's colourful and often dangerous journey in search of the routes that olive cultivation has taken over the centuries. Set during a springtime Mediterranean that is evocative and perennial, it is above all a tale of our time. Troubled by challenges her own South of France farm is experiencing - attack by a virulent pest, the premature ripening of the trees' fruits - Carol realises new approaches to farming are becoming essential. Traditional customs have been set aside while the use of excessive chemicals is putting the harvests of her crops (and others) at risk. Changing patterns within the world's climate demand urgent action. Carol's quest takes her south through Spain - now the home of more olive trees than anywhere else on earth - Morocco, Algeria and Italy before she finally returns to her farm. As a woman travelling alone, she is frequently vulnerable and never more so than in Algeria where, on her arrival, terrorist bombs are exploding, devastating the capital. Determined not to give up, Carol accepts the support of a network of beekeepers who guide her across troubled territories. Through her travels and vivid, sometimes unlikely encounters, 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.

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. 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...