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

No matter where you live, or how gloomy it may be outside, Patricia Wells will brighten your kitchen with the sunny flavors of France's bountiful south with The Provence Cookbook. A French-food expert and longtime Provence resident, Patricia offers readers an intimate guide to the culinary treasures of this sun-drenched landscape and dishes that will transport you and your guests with every flavorful bite. The Provence Cookbook's 175 enticing recipes reflect Patricia's long and close ties with the farmers and purveyors who provide her and her neighbors in Provence with a kaleidoscope of high-quality foods. Their year-round bounty is the inspiration for these exciting, healthful Mediterranean-French dishes,which Patricia shares with home cooks everywhere. Over the past twenty years, it is Patricia who has often been the student, learning Provencal ways and regional recipes directly from the locals. With The Provence Cookbook, her readers benefit from this rich inheritance, as she passes along such recipes as My Vegetable Man's Asparagus Flan, or Maussane Potter's Spaghetti. Along side authentic and flavorful dishes for every course from hors d'oeuvre to dessert, as wellas pantry staples, The Provence Cookbook features eighty-eight of Patricia's artful black-and-white photographs of Provence's farmers, shopkeepers, and delightful products. More than a cookbook, this is also a complete guide and handbook to Provencal dining, with vendor profiles, restaurant and food shop recommendations and contact information, and twelve tempting menus -- delight in An August Dinner at Sunset or perhaps A Winter Truffle Feast. Whether you are a home cook, a traveler, or an armchair adventurer, enjoy Provence as the locals do, with Patricia Wells and The Provence Cookbook as your guides.

A serendipitous, fender-bending encounter between the author, a distinguished landscape architect, and a wealthy Frenchman in Provence leads to the strangest, funniest horticultural odyssey in recent memory. The rich, eccentric Frenchman has just finished renovating, with great care and attention, a beautiful house in Provence. But the elegant courtyard looks very empty. “Find me the oldest olive tree in existence,” he challenges the author, “and bring it back to take pride of place in my garden.” The author’s travels take him to the olive groves of France, the farms of Greece and Spain, and many backyards of Italy. Along the way, he encounters a 3,000-year-old tree, a farmer who won’t sell his tree unless he can sell the farm that surrounds it, mafiosi skullduggery in the plant world, unscrupulous dealers, divided families, local weddings, farcical disasters, and a village that believes a drop of rain that has touched the leaves of the Angel Tree will cure any illness or sadness.

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.

The acclaimed actress and author recounts her new life on a French olive farm, in this collection of three “good-humored and well-written” memoirs (The Washington Post). 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.

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