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Olive #4
The Olive Route: A Personal Journey to the Heart of the Mediterranean
Fourth volume in the bestselling olive series by writer and actress Carol Drinkwater Since Carol Drinkwater moved to an olive farm in France she has developed a passion for the olive tree and the culture that has grown up around it. From the eastern shores of the shimmering Mediterranean to its western coast this fruit is farmed. Its silvery-green branches have inspired painters and poets, but who first pressed its 'bitter berry' and transformed it into liquid gold? In quest of its secrets and traditions, Carol embarked on a solo adventure round the Mediterranean basin. Transporting readers across the olive's ancient paths, celebrating its venerable past, tracking trade routes, unearthing unlikely stories, encountering peoples of today and bygone times, Carol comes full circle, back to her farm in the sun-baked Provençal hills.
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First published January 1, 2003
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About the author
Carol Drinkwater
41 books437 followersCarol Drinkwater is an Anglo-Irish actress, author and filmmaker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 24, 2025
The companion to 'The Olive Tree’. In 'The Olive Route' Carol explores the Eastern Mediterranean in search of the history of the olive tree.
This involves travel to places most of us won’t have been to and will probably never go, such as Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Israel, as well as to the less unstable countries of Malta, Greece and Turkey.
Once again it is a wonderful book. She writes with such flair about the various cultures, the history and her experiences. You really feel like you are there with her.
In the Islamic countries, she is often frustrated and angry at the treatment of women. Both there and in Greece and Turkey, it is the women, not the men, who do the hard graft in the olive groves.
In Israel, Israeli settlers bulldoze down the olive groves of Palestinians in the West Bank to destroy their livelihood and force them to leave, and the Palestinians are kept behind barbed wire and concrete walls, often built in way which separates them from their farms. This the author observed back in 2006 when she wrote the book and has continued ever since. Carol joins a group of Jewish people who meet up with Palestinians to plant new trees in an act of peace and solidarity, even though the authorities will uproot them.
Carol has also written various novels, and I intend trying one of those too.
It appears from her website she is working with Unesco to establish an olive heritage route around the Mediterranean. Now 77, she is showing no signs of slowing down.
This involves travel to places most of us won’t have been to and will probably never go, such as Syria, Lebanon, Libya, and Israel, as well as to the less unstable countries of Malta, Greece and Turkey.
Once again it is a wonderful book. She writes with such flair about the various cultures, the history and her experiences. You really feel like you are there with her.
In the Islamic countries, she is often frustrated and angry at the treatment of women. Both there and in Greece and Turkey, it is the women, not the men, who do the hard graft in the olive groves.
In Israel, Israeli settlers bulldoze down the olive groves of Palestinians in the West Bank to destroy their livelihood and force them to leave, and the Palestinians are kept behind barbed wire and concrete walls, often built in way which separates them from their farms. This the author observed back in 2006 when she wrote the book and has continued ever since. Carol joins a group of Jewish people who meet up with Palestinians to plant new trees in an act of peace and solidarity, even though the authorities will uproot them.
Carol has also written various novels, and I intend trying one of those too.
It appears from her website she is working with Unesco to establish an olive heritage route around the Mediterranean. Now 77, she is showing no signs of slowing down.
January 22, 2014
I wanted to like this book, and I tried. I went back to it again and again in between reading other books, trying to warm myself to Drinkwater's style and the story she was trying to tell. I was, in part, fascinated by her visit to the three-thousand-year-old olive grove, I liked the people that she met, and I wanted to see her reveal the answers in her quest to unravel the mystery of the olive tree. But I couldn't, in the end, travel that road with her.
What struck me quickly was her insistence on forcing long narratives or or exposition into dialogue. I'm not sure why she felt that placing quotation marks around paragraphs of text--as if she, or anyone else, actually speaks like that unless giving a lecture to a classroom full of students--added to the text. It felt insincere or careless; I didn't know which. Even more out of place was when she related a story about a taxi driver who, by his own admission, could only "speech leetle Engleesh." Suddenly, his quoted speech turned completely fluent. It sounded more like her voice rather than the voice of the cab driver.
Drinkwater's travel, rather than brave or daring as she wanted it to seem, dangerous and ill-planned. I didn't admire her, a single woman, traveling alone and sometimes without a definite idea about where she would stay or how she would get to place to place, in parts of the world with little infrastructure and a reputation for conservatism, particularly towards women. Her travel felt arrogant and naive, as if, being a westerner, she could go where she wanted and behave how she pleased without experiencing repercussions.
What struck me quickly was her insistence on forcing long narratives or or exposition into dialogue. I'm not sure why she felt that placing quotation marks around paragraphs of text--as if she, or anyone else, actually speaks like that unless giving a lecture to a classroom full of students--added to the text. It felt insincere or careless; I didn't know which. Even more out of place was when she related a story about a taxi driver who, by his own admission, could only "speech leetle Engleesh." Suddenly, his quoted speech turned completely fluent. It sounded more like her voice rather than the voice of the cab driver.
Drinkwater's travel, rather than brave or daring as she wanted it to seem, dangerous and ill-planned. I didn't admire her, a single woman, traveling alone and sometimes without a definite idea about where she would stay or how she would get to place to place, in parts of the world with little infrastructure and a reputation for conservatism, particularly towards women. Her travel felt arrogant and naive, as if, being a westerner, she could go where she wanted and behave how she pleased without experiencing repercussions.
January 5, 2026
In the hands of a journalist, or a nonfiction pro, this would have been a great read. As it is, it has moments of stunning imagery, clearly the result of painstaking observations, and staggering naïveté. (No, you really shouldn’t consider it your right to wander off in the dark in Libya.) You can’t discuss the history of the olive tree in the Middle East without wading into geopolitics, but the book’s attempts to parse the last forty years of Palestinian-Israeli relations fall well short of any meaningful analysis. The book’s characterizations of non-Anglo peoples via a myriad of tired food descriptions (“chocolate,” “hazelnut,” etc.) come across as tone-deaf and hair-raisingly out of touch. I did like the bits of olive-oil-production/-engineering history. Hoping the series rights itself in the remaining books.
November 28, 2013
This booked proved to be fascinating for two very distinct reasons. As a foodie who lived in Spain for over twenty years I came to love and value olive oil; when I first moved to Spain I used to loathe the smell, now I can't eat fried eggs if they are not cooked in it! I found the historical detection and discovery of ancient trees fascinating.
Furthermore, quite unintentionally the author has provided unexpected background and insight to countries affected by the Arab Spring and the current conflict in Syria as it covers the couple of years preceding these events and she captures the tensions that were already there.
I especially enjoyed the chapters on Greece and Turkey having visited both places and after reading the chapters on Tunisia and Malta have added both places on my want to visit list.
Although, I found some of her descriptions quite poetic, I found the overall narrative style a bit heavy going at times but nevertheless I loved this book.
Furthermore, quite unintentionally the author has provided unexpected background and insight to countries affected by the Arab Spring and the current conflict in Syria as it covers the couple of years preceding these events and she captures the tensions that were already there.
I especially enjoyed the chapters on Greece and Turkey having visited both places and after reading the chapters on Tunisia and Malta have added both places on my want to visit list.
Although, I found some of her descriptions quite poetic, I found the overall narrative style a bit heavy going at times but nevertheless I loved this book.
July 21, 2014
I always look for interesting travelogues from which to glean impressions about the world as well as fuel for teaching. While not the best, the author provides some interesting glimpses of nations from pre-Arab Spring Tunisia, Libya and Syria as well as Turkey and Greece. One of the most compelling images comes from her visit the the Bechealeh olive grove in Lebanon. These trees, purported to be 6000 years old, are among a small, yet, fascinating array of organisms whose sheer antiquity inspires awe and humility. More disturbing images come during her visit to the disturbing realities and bitter ironies of modern Israel where walls, barbed wire and bitter rivalries divide people in ways that are repressive and will only perpetuate the cycle of violence.
July 9, 2015
A terrific story of travel through the eastern Mediterranean in search of information and stories pertaining to the history of olive farming. Got bogged down a bit in Libya, and some might find the anti-Israeli tone in her Palestinean experiences tough to take, but a good read overall.
December 19, 2009
It took me ages to read this book. I'd loved Carol's books about her Olive Farm but couldn't really get into this. I couldn't understand why she was travelling alone and in the chapter about Libya it got quite scary. Interesting stories about the countries & olive farming.
January 7, 2014
I listened to this book on a CD narrated by the author. This marvelous book is adventure, travelogue, and history made all the more enjoyable by the author's passion for her subject.
June 2, 2021
I wanted to love this and a part of me does because it covers so many countries and cities that I want to visit, having studied the ancient world - very jealous she went to Syria for example. I also love the cover of my edition lol. But I'm giving it two stars as I found there were grammar and punctuation errors - DISASTER - as well as regular strange, unrealistic dialogue. I also found the chronology confusing - it wasn't always clear how many days had passed, or when one day ended and another started, which took me out of the moment as I tried to puzzle out what was happening. Also her presumption as a white Westerner to judge Islam and other cultures particularly in relation to her idea of feminism - if there'd been an informed and dedicated discussion that would have been interesting, even if I'd disagreed with her opinion, but instead it was sentences here and there that seemed mean-spirited and uncompromising, bordering on racist at times. There were some charming individual moments e.g. in Cyprus and Crete, some healthy doses of realism in e.g. Libya and Israel (though I don't really approve of her travel to the former - what was she thinking !!!) but overall not a fan of her writing style. But still...pretty cover......
January 16, 2022
Carol Drinkwater has a real passion for olives and olive trees. And her drive to discover the history of the trees is fascinating. She travels through Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Malta, Tunisia, Libya, Greece, Crete and Israel. Many of these countries are not ideal for a woman travelling on her own. And there were many occasions where she did regret not having a traveling partner, it would have made life much easier for her. But she's nothing if not stubborn.
If you love travel, history and food, this is a great book. It was interesting to see these countries through the lens of the olive tree lover. Some countries I would like to visit and some I wouldn't. I hadn't realised that there were olive trees which are thousands of years old.
Ironically, while I was reading a book on someone trying to preserve the olive tree, the lady behind us cut down a magnificent healthy olive tree. I was bereft. These trees will grow for thousands of years and yet we don't value them or revere them as they do in Europe. Shame.
If you love travel, history and food, this is a great book. It was interesting to see these countries through the lens of the olive tree lover. Some countries I would like to visit and some I wouldn't. I hadn't realised that there were olive trees which are thousands of years old.
Ironically, while I was reading a book on someone trying to preserve the olive tree, the lady behind us cut down a magnificent healthy olive tree. I was bereft. These trees will grow for thousands of years and yet we don't value them or revere them as they do in Europe. Shame.
October 17, 2022
Apparently this is a series of books and I am reading them out of order. I already read Book #5 THE OLIVE TREE and now this one is THE OLIVE ROUTE which is apparently book #4. In Book #5 she talked about seeing the oldest olive tree alive in Lebanon previously at 6000 years. So this is the book where she actually sees it and it seems a little anticlimatic but perhaps that is because I am out of order. These books are Ms Drinkwater's personal travel stories of her journey around the Mediterranean in search of the history of olive trees. It is interesting enough as a travel journal with the information about the olive trees. Some places were obviously nicer to visit than others. She was a single woman travelling in countries that are heavily Muslim and frown on that. In Israel she tried to walk the middle line between Palestinians and Israelis but generally pointed out the sad truth that is that area. Greece, Malta and Crete were interesting. She meets some interesting people too. I am going to read one more book in the series and then probably move on.
January 8, 2025
I have really enjoyed this book by Carol drink water, I have previously read the other books in the series and I could not wait to start this one and it's not disappointed me.
Carols star writing is comfortable, interesting and indulgent on the history of The Olive and the culture that have grown up around it.
Her cell adventure around the Mediterranean basin has been one of passion as she meets different people who are growing olives and hearing the different tales and history of The Olive plant and how it is grown in those areas has been so interesting and colourful.
This has been a book that has you feeling like you have delved deep down into the past with Carol, and you've joined her on the path from the east shores of the Mediterranean to the West Coast where The Olive is farmed.
I think the the part of the book that I have most enjoyed is Carol's enthusiasm and general interest in hearing the stories as she makes her journey from France.
Carols star writing is comfortable, interesting and indulgent on the history of The Olive and the culture that have grown up around it.
Her cell adventure around the Mediterranean basin has been one of passion as she meets different people who are growing olives and hearing the different tales and history of The Olive plant and how it is grown in those areas has been so interesting and colourful.
This has been a book that has you feeling like you have delved deep down into the past with Carol, and you've joined her on the path from the east shores of the Mediterranean to the West Coast where The Olive is farmed.
I think the the part of the book that I have most enjoyed is Carol's enthusiasm and general interest in hearing the stories as she makes her journey from France.
November 5, 2019
An impressive history of the countries bordering the Mediterranean with particular regard to the origins of the olive tree and its cultivation over a few thousand years,
An impressive history of countries bordering the Mediterranean with particular regard to the origins of the olive tree and it's cultivation for many thousand years. Carol is an accomplished writer and fast becoming a historian. Great read, especially if you have lived and travelled in the region (and if you love olives ...)
An impressive history of countries bordering the Mediterranean with particular regard to the origins of the olive tree and it's cultivation for many thousand years. Carol is an accomplished writer and fast becoming a historian. Great read, especially if you have lived and travelled in the region (and if you love olives ...)
August 18, 2024
An interesting, but not a quick or easy read. A fascinating journey through the Mediterranean geography as well as political and biblical history. The book would have been greatly helped by a map for each country visited showing the location of the cities referred to, and what other names they have been known by in the past. Although it was interesting, and informative, I’m not sure what the point of the book was - it would be nice to have a conclusion at the end or a summary of what the author discovered.
February 21, 2021
A more didactic journey this time in Carol Drinkwater's memoirs of her olive farm, as she leaves it behind in search of a better understanding of the olive roots around the Mediterranean. It's an inspiring and brave journey - her passion for knowledge takes her as a solitary female traveller around Lebanon, Syria and Tunisia immedately prior to the Arab Spring uprisings well-off the normal tourist routes.
Once again the author's flare for description brings every even and place alive.
Once again the author's flare for description brings every even and place alive.
January 23, 2022
I found the Olive Route to be fascinating. Its a personal memoir of Drinkwater's solo tour through all the olive growing regions around the Meditteranean Sea. Weather, people and politics become the backdrops for her adventures. She learns about olive horticulture, yes, surely. But she teaches each of us a little more about the interesting history of the Med and the lucky people who call it home. Her passion for olives and olive trees is so beautiful and share this with her. Brava, Carol.
April 28, 2024
This was a very interesting read, learning about the history of the olive tree. I have acquired a love for Olives and Olive trees from Carol’s enthusiasm. Her dedication to learning about olives and travelling alone to so many places was amazing to read. Don’t worry this is not a history book but a personal story of the olive trees history through Carol’s eyes.
I would give this book a 3.5 but unfortunately GoodReads only lets you rate full numbers not halves.
I would give this book a 3.5 but unfortunately GoodReads only lets you rate full numbers not halves.
May 20, 2025
One person's opinion of the history of olive oil
Not a novel, and not a pleasant read, this is the story of an expedition around the Mediterranean coast. Carol was very used in the preceding book when her husband lived apart from her for a while, and yet she has chosen to do the same to him. Her actions seem reckless, but she manages to survive numerous dangerous situations.
And why does she use a vocabulary that is beyond a reasonably well educated reader?
Not a novel, and not a pleasant read, this is the story of an expedition around the Mediterranean coast. Carol was very used in the preceding book when her husband lived apart from her for a while, and yet she has chosen to do the same to him. Her actions seem reckless, but she manages to survive numerous dangerous situations.
And why does she use a vocabulary that is beyond a reasonably well educated reader?
October 12, 2018
Surprisingly wonderful learning experience
At the beginning I was so put off by the flowery descriptions that I almost stopped reading this book. Soon I found myself as I was traveling along with the author. She managed to take me along an unforgettable experience. I am truly looking forward to reading her other books. The facts are just amazing! A must read.
At the beginning I was so put off by the flowery descriptions that I almost stopped reading this book. Soon I found myself as I was traveling along with the author. She managed to take me along an unforgettable experience. I am truly looking forward to reading her other books. The facts are just amazing! A must read.
October 22, 2019
An interesting book to dip into with some lovely descriptions, but a hard slog to read straight through.
August 2, 2021
Found this book very boring and wasn’t my thing at all. Quite repetitive and you didnt get drawn in easily
January 6, 2022
Sad ending
So sad to end on such an anti-Semitic point...sorry the author was so taken by the olives and missed the fact that terrorists are terrorists!
So sad to end on such an anti-Semitic point...sorry the author was so taken by the olives and missed the fact that terrorists are terrorists!
July 21, 2022
Fascinating journey of discovery. I had travelled in some of her stops. I like the way Carol is able to share her thoughts and feelings. This gives dimension to the book.
November 17, 2022
Another charity shop find, I really enjoyed this book. She writes well and paints pictures with words.
May 18, 2024
A wonderful journey of olive trees across time through countries of the Mediterranean, I have only dreamed about.
February 6, 2017
I just could not get into this book. Too much dteail and ao different from her other books.
September 3, 2013
My favorite books of Ms. Drinkwater's are those when she is home in France, writing about life at Appassionata. That being said, I also intensely enjoyed her account of traveling throughout the Mediterranean in search of the route of the olive tree. This book got a little scary in some places, like Libya and Israel, but I've always appreciated Ms. Drinkwater's ability to not gloss over rough patches in her life, memories, or travels, and this book was no exception. It was the balanced kind of story telling I've grown to love from Ms. Drinkwater: both beautiful and sad, full of wonder and terrifying at the same time.
October 26, 2013
Bought because it was a kindle bargain. Plenty of good stuff here--I especially loved the descriptions of the Turkish coast--but I kept wanting to shake the author. She was clearly traveling with a privileged notion that as long as she was a fellow olive farmer she'd be safe and welcomed everywhere she went. Instead, she sometimes put her hosts to great inconvenience and some risk to keep her safe in places like Syria and Libya. Plus she obviously thought that if she had a good heart she could raise her olives without sprays, to the great distress of the real farmers who were caring for her crop and saw it all destroyed. So read it for the travel, not for the narrator.
March 15, 2012
Really fascinating, such a wealth of detail, though its called the Olive route and thats predominantly what the book is about, Carol Drinkwater tracing the history of the tree through ancient civilisations and culture upto the present day there is also a lot of background detail of history and current affairs in each country she visits. Well told and in my opinion so far the ONLY book in the series that at a push could b read as a stand alone as it does not deal so much with her home life in the South of France and is told more in the style of a travelogue.
April 23, 2012
I did enjoy this travel book about the origins of the olive tree. Its different to the other books becauseits not just about the author and her daily life on her olive farm. It was great to re-visit places I've been to, and seeing them through some-one elses eyes gave me a different perspective on situations. I definitely want to read her other book 'The olive Tree', which continues her travels in other parts of the Med.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews