Olive Farm : A Memoir of Life, Love, and Olive Oil in the South of France

by Drinkwater, Carol (Author)

• ISBN13: 9780142001301
• ISBN10: 0142001309
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-07-01
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)

Summary

When Carol Drinkwater and her fiancé, 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 Lérins 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. "A fantasy come true, as it will be for many of the readers who yearn to experience the magic of southern France." (Austin Chronicle) "Good-humored and well written." (The Washington Post Book World) "Following [Drinkwater's] engaging story is like driving the hairpin turns that climb the hills above the French Riviera: the views are breathtaking, the blind curves frightening, and the safe arrival to the top a joyous relief." (Library Journal)

Author Biography

Carol Drinkwater is a critically acclaimed actress. Among her numerous stage and screen performances, she is probably best known for her portrayal of Helen Herriot in the BBC adaptation of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small.

Table of Contents

Preface	11	(8)
With Passion	19	(21)
Water Music	40	(24)
Holiday Boars and Henri	64	(31)
Treasure Islands	95	(22)
The Purchase	117	(32)
A Melon and Leather Boots	149	(31)
Our Desert Prince	180	(25)
Fire!	205	(22)
Tracking the Olive	227	(19)
Pressing the Olive	246	(21)
Dark Days	267	(20)
Loss	287	(23)
Return	310