A Basketful of Snowflakes: One Mallorcan Spring

Snowball Oranges #4

by Peter Kerr

This is the fourth book in the award-winning 'Snowball Oranges' series of humorous travelogues set in 1980s Mallorca. It's the peak of the orange-harvesting season at the Kerr's little farm in the Tramuntana Mountains, and the intrepid Scots family are trying to relax into their new life on this sunny Spanish island. But it's also crunch time, because, after the excitement and euphoria of a roller coaster first year, hard facts now have to be faced. Will all the work they've put into improving the neglected orchards provide them with a decent living, or will their dream turn into a nightmare? Will Peter's new-found aptitude for manananess be the last straw for the long-suffering Ellie, and will elder son Sandy return to Scotland, while young Charlie is seduced by Mallorca's super-rich yachting set? As the entrancing 'snowfall' of almond blossom heralds the arrival of spring, the Kerrs' sense of humour remains irrepressible through thick and thin - as well it may! Full of life and colour, hilarious and revealing, and set against a backdrop of the breathtaking beauty of Mallorca.

Genres: Travel, Spain, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

Peter Kerr, the award-winning Scottish author of the 'Snowball Oranges' pentad of humorous Mallorcan travelogues, is a former jazz musician, record producer and farmer. He has also written a range of fiction titles, including the 'Bob Burns Investigates' trilogy of humour-spiked mysteries and 'Song of the Eight Winds', a historical novel set in 13th century Spain. 'Thistle Soup' is a set-in-Scotland prequel to 'Snowball Oranges', while 'Don't Call Me Clyde!' is a memoir of his life as a young jazz musician in early-60s London. A comedy-laced caper called 'The Other Monarch of the Glen' is set in the Scottish Highlands and was published in December 2017, while 'Goblin Hall', a humour-peppered fantasy adventure for a family readership, was published in April 2020. July 2021 saw the release of 'Jen - A Border Collie's Tale', the heart-warming life story of an old farm dog, narrated by Jen herself. 'Author - Don't Make Me Laugh', an amusing though frank and revealing account of the long road to becoming a published author at sixty, was published in November 2024. Peter, an accomplished artist, also illustrates his own books. His reputation as an entertaining and amusing speaker has resulted in regular appearances at book festivals and similar literary events throughout the UK and abroad.

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. I really enjoyed the parts where the author writes about the characters he encounters as the humorous way he depicts these encounters not only brings them to life but also makes you laugh out loud at the sitation. Sadly, although beautifully written, the long rambling descriptions of villages, countryside and journeys through them just waffled on for too long and left me scanning through, sometimes for a couple of pages, to get to the next interesting bit.
Also, there is no need to remind the reader about an earlier interaction in the book, they are not that short of thinking.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Potboiler...I had exactly the same réaction as @Jan

[多余人-Lishnye Lyudi · Rating 3 out of 5]

向往的生活……

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seemed to drag a bit compared to the others although I did enjoy it and the family's adventures on their farm.

Back Cover Blurb:
It's the peak of orange harvesting season at the Kerrs' little farm in the entrancing Tramuntana Mountains of Mallorca, and the family are trying to relax into their new life on the sunny Spanish island.
But it's also crunch time and, after an eventful first year, hard facts have to be faced. Will all the work they've invested provide them with a decent living, or will their dream turn into a nightmare? Will Peter's new-found aptitude for manananess delay their home improvement projects indefinitely, or will long-suffering Ellie get her new swimming pool? Will Sandy return to Scotland, while young Charlie is seduced by Mallorca's super-rich yachting set?
Despite encounters with wry customs officers and wily tradesmen, the Kerrs' sense of humour remains irrepressible. And amid the 'snowfall' of almond blossom as the balmy spring season progresses, they are helped by an eccentric collection of friends and neighbours - none more colourful than Jock Burns, whose Hispano-Scots fiesta proves the highlight of the Mallorcan social calendar.