The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love and Olive Oil (Paperback)

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• This item: The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love and Olive Oil by Carol Drinkwater

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• The Olive Season: Amour, a New Life and Olives Too by Carol Drinkwater

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• The Olive Harvest: A Memoir of Love, Life and Olives in the South of France by Carol Drinkwater

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The Olive Season: Amour, a New Life and Olives Too by Carol Drinkwater 3.3 out of 5 stars (21)  £5.99

The Olive Harvest: A Memoir of Love, Life and Olives in the South of France by Carol Drinkwater 2.9 out of 5 stars (8)  £5.99

The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love and Olive Oil by Carol Drinkwater 4.8 out of 5 stars (8)  £5.99

The Olive Route: A Personal Journey to the Heart of the Mediterranean by Carol Drinkwater 3.7 out of 5 stars (11)  £5.10

The Olive Tree: A Personal Journey Through Mediterranean Olive Groves by Carol Drinkwater 3.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £4.79

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Review
Ever since Peter Mayle extrolled the delights of starting a new life in Provence there has been an insatiable hunger for similar tales. Carol Drinkwater, an actress and writer, doesn't disappoint. The story of Carol and Michel, her new partner, and their discovery and restoration of Apassionata, a ruined olive farm overlooking the Bay of Cannes, is told with a relish for the romanitc, sensuous detail of taste and sound. She describes their first few weeks in the villa, with no water, no electricity, peeling damp walls, leaking roof, a wild, overgrown garden and the constant fear that their budget would never allow them to undertake vital work, with honesty and humour - never denying the strain of such difficult living conditions (compounded by the addition of Michel's two 13-year-old daughters). Above all, neither she nor Michel seems ever to have lost the vision of their perfect home and a reader can only be in awe of the courage and reckless optimism of their venture. As the months pass it is a sheer pleasure to witness the painstaking reawakening of the house and land. This is an inspirational tale - very dangerous to take on holiday! (Kirkus UK)

The memoirs of actress and author Drinkwater ("Molly on the Run", 1996), best known for her role as Helen Herriot in the 1980s TV series "All Creatures Great and Small". Although the author plays down the importance of her life as an actress, it was through acting that she met her husband, Michel, a film producer. Leaving behind the tinsel of Cannes, the two wandered the back roads of southern France and found an abandoned villa attached to ten acres of old olive trees. The bucolic setting and the vision of themselves as custodians of the land led them to purchase the villa in one fell swoop, but real day-to-day life on the farm proved resistant to their romantic visions. The house hadn't been lived in for years; simply establishing water and electricity service turned out to be a major job. Refurbishing an old swimming pool was an even more expensive (some might say prodigal) effort. In spite of her successful acting career, and her husband's ongoing film projects, financial woes soon presented themselves-at least until money flowed in from one of the author's residuals checks or Michel signed a new contract. Eventually the problems were solved and the grove was producing the finest olive oil in the region, mainly because of the Drinkwaters' hard work, but even more because of their ability to hire the right people to help out-such as Rene (who knew just about everything there was to know about olives) and Quashia (an itinerant Algerian with a tragic past). In the end, not surprisingly, the story seems rather like a movie. Peter Mayle fans who haven't yet had enough of "Provence "knockoffs will enjoy Drinkwater's genteel tale, as well as James Herriot groupies. (Kirkus Reviews)

Product Description
This is television actress Carol Drinkwater's lyrical account 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 book opens the door on a bustling Mediterranean world using Carol Drinkwater's old abandoned villa as the gateway to it. It explores 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 a 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. It is a celebration of Appassionata and its wonderful olive-groved, sun-drenched world and its unlikely cast of characters.

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25 Reviews 5 star:  (14) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:  (5) 2 star:  (2) 1 star:  (2)           Average Customer Review 4.0 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   6 of 6 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars A telling tale of a new life in the south of France, 26 Dec 2001 By A Customer I enjoyed this book in a a way I wasn't expecting to. True it's been done many many times before but here we have an author who is not afraid to admit her weaknesses as well as her strengths. Although it is written in a completely different way to Lisa St Aubin de Teran's Valley in Italy it reminded me of this book. Both authors share the same amount of modesty and do not acknowledge the bravery required in taking on such derelict houses!! They are both passionate about their challenges and they both make a huge effort in getting to know the local people and their separate cultures. On a personal level I learnt a lot about the history of the area and although I do not know that part of France I am now eager to join the masses and make a first visit. It sounds absolutely glorious, and I now know about some of the drawbacks. I found it very satisfying to learn more about Corsica, an area I do know and love and also a little more about Italian history. I became involved with the story and I am hoping that Ms Drinkwater will write a sequel as I really would like to know what happened next!! I hope that it will be forthcoming and that there will be good news about The Olive Farm. After all the tragedies I really do wish everyone, and that includes the animals,well and sincerely hope that the ending will be happy!! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a little escapism from the dark Winter evenings of Britain, and who doesn't want to be taxed too much intellectually. Be warned, however it might become compulsive reading! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   7 of 8 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A SENSATIONAL SEQUEL, 6 Sep 2003 By  David Graham "Would that I could write as Ms.... (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I first became a fan of Ms. Drinkwater when she appeared in "All Creatures Great and Small." Then, in a film with Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman, she did a scathing star turn. That she is able to write as well, so very well indeed - was a revelation, for 'The Olive Farm' made me immediately want to pack my bags and fly to see the verdant countryside she described, I never believed for a moment that a sequel could be so much more engrossing and personal, but 'The Olive Season' is filled with the stories of visitors to the farm, together with the difficulties of bringing the olives to fruit, but it is her baring her soul in dealing with the trauma of a personal tragedy that tears ones heart out that makes this book stand out. She must be a fighter for she went on with her life and her farm, and in the end one knows she will come out on top. A joy to read and to re-read. s thi Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   28 of 35 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A celebration of the senses and the human spirit, a triumph., 10 Jun 2001 By A Customer I have just finished reading this book and I loved it. Carol drinkwater tells the story of how a whirlwind romance leads her to invest everything in a derelict olive farm in the South of France. If you want to escape from the ordinary, this wonderful true story will take you to the warmth, the colour and magic of Provence. The Author also makes it interesting by including lots of information on the region, history and anecdotes about famous people who lived there such as Picasso, and the history of the olive tree itself. This story comes from the heart and the reader lives through the ups and many downs that the author and her partner suffer. By the end, I wanted to pack and move into Appassionata, the name of the villa, complete with pool that they restore. The book is a celebration of the senses, of love, kindness and the human spirit. A triumph. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 25 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating tale of living in Provence Carol Drinkwater weaves this wonderful tale of her blossoming life in Provence with Michel, the subject of her burgeoning romance. Read more Published 18 months ago by Aphrodite 3.0 out of 5 stars Recommended read but not as good as I thought Well, I was born and bred in France (and live in the UK) and I just went olive picking last November (which triggered in me the desire of buying an olive farm), so this book... Read more Published on 24 Jan 2005 by saffiebelle 2.0 out of 5 stars The Sugar Farm It's been said before but it needs to be said again: I'm sorry, Miss Drinkwater, but I just don't find you plausible. Read more Published on 10 Aug 2004 by gb 3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as I had hoped... I rather like the escapism and evocation of places I wish I had the money and courage to sell up and move to. I therefore enjoy reading books of this genre. Read more Published on 25 Jun 2004 by R. A. Lipscombe 5.0 out of 5 stars amazing book I highly recomend this book, she describes the frenchs way of life very well and it is a nice bedtime reading book, and a very relaxing book. Overall an amazing book Published on 12 April 2004 5.0 out of 5 stars slicker than olive oil! Wow! What a book. I could not put it down from start to finish. It had all the emotions whirring.......I giggled, laughed aloud and cried...all in one reading. Read more Published on 12 Jan 2004 1.0 out of 5 stars Awful I read this whilst on holiday in the south of France, very near to where Carol and Michael purchased their villa where the book is set. Read more Published on 29 Jul 2003 5.0 out of 5 stars A treat of a book I suggest you buy this...take it away to some hot sunny spot in the Med...lie on a sunbed and enjoy!! I did...best book I ever read of this genre. Published on 30 Jun 2003 by K. Burley 4.0 out of 5 stars The Olive Farm - sumptuous This wonderful story told by Carol Drinkwater gives such a delicious, evocative and descriptive account of life in Provence that it makes me want to take the plunge and move to my... Read more Published on 3 April 2003 5.0 out of 5 stars The Olive Farm by Carol Drinkwater This is one of the best books I have ever read. True escapism for afficionados of warmer climes! If you love food and wine combined with warm places and friendly people, this... Read more Published on 30 Jun 2002 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 25 customer reviews...

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