The Olive Sisters

by Amanda Hampson

When Adrienne's marketing company goes down, her lifestyle does too. She retreats from the city to the beautiful, abandoned olive grove once owned by her Italian grandparents. A 'tree change' isn't what Adrienne has in mind, however, and life in the country delivers some surprises as she confronts the past and learns the secrets of the Olive Sisters . . . Old loves, new loves, warm toast and rich traditions are all part of the delicious blend of this absorbing story.

Genres: Fiction, Drama

300 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2005

About the author

Melbourne-based author, Amanda Hampson has been writing professionally for more than 30 years and is the award-winning author of nine novels: The Olive Sisters, Two for the Road, The French Perfumer, The Yellow Villa, Sixty Summers, Lovebirds, The Tea Ladies, The Cryptic Clue and The Deadly Dispute.

A runaway bestseller, The Tea Ladies won the 2024 Danger Awards for Best Crime Fiction and was Shortlisted for 2024 Davitt Awards Best Adult Crime & 2024 Ned Kelly Awards Best Fiction.

Reviews

[Dorothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a light-hearted read. I think the historical part of the plot has pretensions to be literary but it doesn't quite get there.

There are two story threads in this book. One is Adrienne, the modern-day businesswoman whose company has gone bust, so she's taken refuge at her dead father's olive farm. I liked her portrayal - her voice was clear, her observations were nicely tart, and her character was believable and real. The essence of the plot is, will she choose to return to corporate life in Sydney, or will she find fulfilment in country living? No prizes for guessing which one she picks.

The other is the story of Adrienne's father, Jack, and his relationship with the two sisters from the farm - Isabelle (who becomes his wife) and Rosanna. Although it's told largely from Jack's point of view, I never felt I got inside his head or heard his voice. In fact, all the characters in this tale from Adrienne's past felt like cardboard, and their motivations made little sense to me. And I could see the "twist" coming a mile off. Overall, I would've preferred it if the author had made Adrienne have more adventures in the present day and dispense with most of the historical stuff - I would have enjoyed the book a lot more.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it! Struggled to put it down.

[Carolyn Field · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable and easy read. I loved how the author alternated each challenger with the past and present whilst seamlessly stitching the whole story together. Who doesn’t love a good wholesome tree change and happily ever after story?

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I love this book! This is the second Amanda Hampson book I have read this week. A very moving story of family and how relationships between family members can become so complicated and strained through deception and how this can follow through the generations. I very much recommend this story.

[Judy Bucciarelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good summer reading. Not a classic, but a good read. It's a little predictable, but I enjoyed it.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, easy read that makes me want to take off to a farm in the country!

[Natalie Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A nice read, the kind I’d recommend to my mum.

[Ashleigh McCabe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the storyline but it would have been better in the hands of a different writer

[Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the gentle, undulating flow of many Italian or Spanish stories, The Olive Sisters also walks the well-worn path of bittersweet romance and wistful hark-back to the past that seem to be the hallmark of Mediterranean fiction. You might think that this story might therefore be a re-hash of some trashy Italian love-story, or a pedestrian carbon copy of a thousand stories before it. Not so.

Italian and Spanish fiction is one of my favourite genres just because it does conjure the image of a life a world apart; the clean-swept cobbled streets, the rustle of the olive leaves in the grove, the hub-bub of wildly gesticulating Italians ardently discoursing, or making love, or making an impassioned stand to the local administration. Okay, maybe not a life a whole world apart, but you have to give the Italians marks for style.

Amanda Hampson's story is simplicity itself, and I suppose there are some parallels to be drawn between its plot and many others. ‘Urbanite mother inherits rickety old farm of forefathers and is reluctantly dumped there with a view to selling it but discovers secret family past that make her face up to her heritage and her humanity’. Not very original, but many of these fictions aren't; perhaps because they are written about everyday miracles - the everyday revelations that we all experience, which is what make these stories so accessible.

The book made me laugh out loud in places, which is hard to make me do, though it’s hardly laugh-a-minute material. And the end made me shed a little tear, embarrassingly, on the bus, just before I reached work. I was rumbled by a man getting off. Ummm, yes, something in my eye... cough cough.

Maybe some people would find it twee, and it’s not going to win any great prizes for literature, but if you are looking for some easy reading, and a simple but touching story, then this could fill a few cosy hours in your week.

[Louise M · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Olive Sisters by Amanda Hampson is a cosy novel that travels a dual timeline through the lives of a family of farmers. It's all a bit far-fetched. Adrienne, the heroine, is a dill. Supposedly, she was a wealthy business woman in Sydney. She loses most of her assets through the bad management of an executive in her company. Consequently, she goes to live on a farm which has been in her family for generations. We learn about the grandparents who established the farm, and particularly Franco the grandfather. Jack, a mining engineer, is enraptured by Isabelle, Franco's older daughter, and marries her. Adrienne is their child. Following the downturn in her lifestyle, Adrienne magically learns how a farm works and never seems to run out of money or have to deal with equipment failures. Water and electricity are not a problem. Rain? No, the roof never leaks. No possums, rats, foxes, or mice around the house. Everything grows and nobody gets dirty, cold, or tired. Various people in the nearby town are introduced and play roles in saving both Adrienne and the farm with its thriving olive trees. There are several good points in this novel. The difficulties of migrant families in farming communities are made plain. The power of rural women is highlighted. The shallowness of city life is compared with the integrity of the farming life. Would I recommend this novel? It is a lazy, cosy read but it failed to engage me enough.

[Aunty Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adrienne is almost fifty and everything has fallen to pieces. Escaping bankruptcy by the skin of her teeth with her business down the tubes, she retreats to her family’s old property in rural Australia. This is not only her last financial asset, as the book progresses it becomes a place of emotional growth and safety as well. Whilst she’s there, deciding where her life goes from here, Adrienne gradually delves into the stories of her grandparents and, more particularly, her parents. The discoveries she makes are remarkable!

This book started slowly for me, with both Adrienne and her grown daughter, Lauren, coming across as a bit spoiled, a little entitled, and in my opinion very unlikeable. Told in dual timelines, from her parents in their younger days and Adrienne in the present, the stories unfold, secrets are revealed, and gradually the tales weave together to an interesting conclusion. A slow burner (from my perspective) but quite a pleasant read.

[Catsalive · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my 2nd reading of this excellent book, the first was almost 15 years ago. I enjoyed it in different ways, & didn't mind jumping between the timelines as much. The descriptions of the house were very poignant & reminded me of a place or two that I lived as a child.

There are a few irritations & I don't know if they are the same as my last reading. I'm aware that family relationships are mysterious & difficult at times, but I fail to see why Adrienne wasn't told about her birth before practically everyone was dead, & I appreciate that she can't have been a great mother - where would she have learnt it from - but Lauren certainly was a selfish little cow. Joe sounds a lovely guy, though. One thing I definitely remember from before is... what is the point of the horseriding interlude? Sigh!

https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/...

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great easy read by Amanda Hampton, The Olive Trees, touches on Italian life in Australia in a small town from the 1950s. It follows Adrienne who loses her business and is left bereft, finding her way to an old farm house, which has belonged to her family. She discovers her story and the challenges she must face to resume a life that she wants to pursue. A great story following the importance of family, love and connection.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

After Adrienne's business collapses, she moves from Sydney to the country, where her grandparents planted an olive grove. The book swings between Adrienne (who I found rather annoying and unlikeable) and when her parents Jack and Isabella were courting years before.
A good light read, a tad predictable at times, not as good as her later novels.

[Amanda Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a half Italian growing up in Australia myself, I could totally relate to the characters in this book. It is the first time in a long time a book has made me feel something like home and even shed a tear. Beautifully told.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it As someone with an Italian heritage who is second generation Italian ... this book was written with such honesty and beauty. I loved it and I cried ... I relished it and savored it quickly reading every page as one would eating warm crusty sourdough bread dipped in olive oil.

[disassociated · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars) beautifully written with lush setting descriptions that make the reader feel they are present. Certainly an absorbing story with a few interesting twists/surprises, but I have to admit I was expecting some bigger turn of events.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Italian family saga set in Australia from the arrival in the 1950s to date.
Racism is ever present....and today the 'new' migrants (paused for covid) sadly confront the ignorance of a few.
“L’ignoranza fa rima con l’intolleranza”
And with a happy ending.

[Urška Žonta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zelo drugačna zgodba od klasičnuh o dveh sestrah s precej zanimivim ozadjem, ki ga sama nisem pričakovala.
Predvsem pa pomembno sporočilo, na katerega, ob včasih nemogočem tempu življenja, velikokrat pozabimo. Kaj v življenju zares šteje?

[Penny O'shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a real fan of Amanda Hampson and this book did not disappoint. I absolutely lapped it up, enjoying both of the storylines and the various characters. I was totally engaged from start to finish - a very satisfying read.

[Johann Rossouw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olive Sisters

A delightful read - I really liked the way the orchards and veggie garden, as well as the homestead were described - I could actually see the pictures.
The storyline was captivating as well.

Thanx Amanda Hampson!

[Sreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story in a great setting but did not really grab me, tempted to not finish it at times but quite glad I persevered.

[Goldie Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good easy and enjoyable read by Amanda Hampton that follows Adrianna on her trip from the life to a far more idyllic country life among her grandfather's olive grove

[Alison Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read

[Corrinne Jacobi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read which transports you to the past and back to the present. A message of being true to yourself for you and not others . The road is sometimes a hard journey but worth it.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really lovely read.

[GWEN WATSON]

Enjoyable light read

[lotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3 1/2)

[Virginia Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amanda Hampson is very quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. What a beautiful story.

[Jenny Rushforth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book….