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Olive seriesSeries

This series delves into the idyllic life of rural escapism, where the pursuit of fulfillment intertwines with the beauty of nature. Follow the journeys of individuals transforming neglected properties into flourishing farms, all while learning to embrace local traditions and communities. Embark on a narrative rich with resilience, discovery, and the chase for dreams set against the enchanting landscapes of the South of France, where new beginnings blossom.

The Olive Route
The Illustrated Olive Farm
The Olive Tree
The Olive Farm
The Olive Harvest
The Olive Season

Recommended Reading Order

  1. 1

    The Olive Farm

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

    • 336 pages
    • 12 hours of reading
    3.9(3729)Add rating

    The narrative follows Carol Drinkwater and her fiancé, Michel, as they purchase an abandoned olive farm in Provence, immersing themselves in the region's beauty and complexities. Their journey transforms a neglected plot into a flourishing farm, while they navigate local personalities and bureaucracies. Set against the backdrop of the glamorous French Riviera, the story captures the couple's quest for a fulfilling life, blending themes of resilience, nature, and the pursuit of dreams in the enchanting countryside of southern France.

    The Olive Farm
  2. 2

    The Olive Season

    • 352 pages
    • 13 hours of reading
    3.9(47)Add rating

    Carol Drinkwater's bestselling book, THE OLIVE FARM, told the lyrical tale of her real-life romance with partner Michel and an abandoned Provencal olive farm which they fell in love with and bought - a double love story, recounting with wit, warmth and alluring detail the couple's attempts to bring their dreams to life. THE OLIVE SEASON begins with their realisation 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 AOC 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. Now, as the harvest season approaches, dramatic tensions cast dark shadows over the olive farm. With the magnificent humanity and texture of an Impressionist painting, The Olive Season entices readers into Carol and Michel's vibrant Mediterranean world.

    The Olive Season
  3. 3

    The Olive Harvest

    • 352 pages
    • 13 hours of reading
    3.9(706)Add rating

    'The stars shimmer like spilled handfuls of glitter. The day is beginning to rise with a faint mist. As I turn my head, ghostly halos, auras of light, appear and disappear and I cannot tell if it is caused by my lightheadedness or is a freak of nature. The silence is truly awesome. Not a bird, not a whisper of wind, not a breath of life. Only the two of us, a most implausible pair, standing shoulder to shoulder gazing upon an awakening heaven'. Returning to their home after an extended absence Carol and her husband Michel are looking forward to summer together on the farm. A shocking blow leaves Carol alone. The future is uncertain. THE OLIVE HARVEST takes us beyond the perimeters of her olive groves to where hunters, poets, bee-keepers, boars and gypsies abide. In search of the language of troubadours, the dark and sometimes barbarous heart of Provence is revealed. Nature and the generosity of the South of France's harvests offer a path to joy and an abundant resolution.

    The Olive Harvest
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  7. 7

    The Illustrated Olive Farm

    A Newly Written, Illustrated Companion to Her Bestselling Trilogy

    • 240 pages
    • 9 hours of reading

    A sumptuously illustrated companion to the bestselling Olive Farm trilogy. Carol Drinkwater, whose three books— The Olive Farm , The Olive Season , and The Olive Harvest —sold more than a quarter of a million copies in the UK alone, has produced an entirely new volume documenting life on Appassionata, the farm she shares with her husband Michel. Many of the well-loved locations and a large cast of engaging characters make an appearance, and the local customs, hidden beaches, fairs, culinary pleasures, and off-the-beaten track charms of Provence all receive lovingly detailed attention. Carol’s passion and joy will enchant armchair travelers and fans of her earlier works.    

    The Illustrated Olive Farm