When Drinkwater and her fianc get the opportunity to purchase an abandoned olive farm in the South of France, they find the region's splendor impossible to resist. The couple embarks on an adventure that brings them in contact with the charming countryside of Provence, its querulous personalities, petty bureaucracies, and extraordinary wildlife.

This memoir of buying and transforming an abandoned olive farm “describes life in the South of France with lush, voluptuous appreciation” (Publishers Weekly). 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. “Good-humored and well-written.” —The Washington Post “A fantasy come true, as it will be for many of the readers who yearn to experience the magic of southern France.” —The Austin Chronicle

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. “A storyteller of great economy and deftness.” —The Telegraph

“A lovely balance of memoir, travelogue and olive-growing how-to . . . Some of her adventures are quite funny.” —Publishers Weekly 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.

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 . . . Praise for the Olive Farm series “Vibrant, intoxicating and heartwarming.” —Sunday Express “Spellbinding . . . a must for anyone who dreams of moving to a kinder climate and starting a new life.” —Choice

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 honey bees 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 . . . Praise for the Olive Farm series “Vibrant, intoxicating and heartwarming.” —Sunday Express “Spellbinding . . . a must for anyone who dreams of moving to a kinder climate and starting a new life.” —Choice

Winner of the James Beard Award Until one stops to notice, an olive is only a lowly lump at the bottom of a martini. But not only does a history of olives traverse climates and cultures, it also reveals fascinating differences in processing, production, and personalities. Aficionados of the noble little fruit expect miracles from it as a matter of course. In 1986, Mort Rosenblum bought a small farm in Provence and acquired 150 neglected olive trees that were old when the Sun King ruled France. He brought them back to life and became obsessed with olives, their cultivation, and their role in international commerce.