What do you think?
Rate this book
Olive #6
Return to the Olive Farm
Life and love, olive groves and bee hives in Provence - further adventures in the bestselling Olive Farm series.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
43 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Carol Drinkwater
41 books436 followersCarol Drinkwater is an Anglo-Irish actress, author and filmmaker.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 2, 2021
A Charmed Life Revived
This is the last book in her series so far. Carol just returned from a long trip, 14 months or so, around the Mediterranean, which I hope she writes about. Her first action is to have a large party, and I am bored, but this doesn’t last long, and I am not sure if she even wrote about it. I could have skipped some pages by accident.
I have found in reading this series, that I do not like to hear about parties for her actress life. I love her stores of her farm life, her hiring people to do work and how it is coming along. I guess you can say that I am not a “girly-girl,” and yet, men love to go to parties or talk about their careers too. I would not have known this about myself if I had not lived on a farm my forties and found helped my husband renovate and remodel our farm house. I even loved cutting wood for our woodstove, etc.
I would have loved to have red about Carol’s decorating the house, even buying items for it, but she didn’t say much about those things. It is just that I loved decorating and shopping for the house. Still, it has been so much fun reading about her farm activities and the people she has hired, as well as their the lives of her hired workers.. Even phone call with people she is doing business with was interesting. g. But parties? No. I have been to a few in my life and have always headed for the food, not that I didn’t socialize. A party to me is to meet at a great restaurant and talk over food or meet with my book group and just talk, mostly not about the book we read but not for very long, which is why I named our book; group, “Books ‘n Gab.” You can only say so much about a book.
What did I enjoy most about this last book? Roofs needing to be repaired, for one thing. Then he desire to go organic and her talks with people she felt could help her, meeting resistance with them and they with her. I felt the same way as her on this issue. When I moved to Oklahoma, I was told that we could grow fruit trees. Then the fruit developed brown rot. I was told to use a fungicide. No way. I don’t even know if any of the trees try to produce anything anymore, but they blossom yearly. I have not checked on them. Just gave up.
Her issues with the wild boars is another thing. She doesn’t wish to kill them even though threy are ruining her land. Yet she would kill the flies that destroy her crops. I think she has picked up on Buddhist teachings, but a Buddhist will not even kill an insect. It, too, is a sentient being. When I was a Buddhist, I never adopted this teaching, well, I did to a point. If it is harmful, kill it, but only if it is causing harm. Well, that is not always true because I killed some black widow eggs that were at the monastery women’s bathroom when the monks failed to do it. They never knew that I had, and I wasn’t about the confess. I would have hired someone to kill the pigs. If I had a rifle and my neigbhbor fwas chasing my dog on our property, I would have shot and killed the dog. She just watched on and tried to stop the dog.
Then when she thought of moving, she went to look at a villa that was for sell, and I liked it much better than her own house, and there were not olive trees to worry about.
And the story went on and on, and I was sorry that it ended. That was a four book binge that I hope gets continued, but only if it is a happy story, not like “The Olive Harvest,” and if you feel the same, you can skip that book and not lose much.
This is the last book in her series so far. Carol just returned from a long trip, 14 months or so, around the Mediterranean, which I hope she writes about. Her first action is to have a large party, and I am bored, but this doesn’t last long, and I am not sure if she even wrote about it. I could have skipped some pages by accident.
I have found in reading this series, that I do not like to hear about parties for her actress life. I love her stores of her farm life, her hiring people to do work and how it is coming along. I guess you can say that I am not a “girly-girl,” and yet, men love to go to parties or talk about their careers too. I would not have known this about myself if I had not lived on a farm my forties and found helped my husband renovate and remodel our farm house. I even loved cutting wood for our woodstove, etc.
I would have loved to have red about Carol’s decorating the house, even buying items for it, but she didn’t say much about those things. It is just that I loved decorating and shopping for the house. Still, it has been so much fun reading about her farm activities and the people she has hired, as well as their the lives of her hired workers.. Even phone call with people she is doing business with was interesting. g. But parties? No. I have been to a few in my life and have always headed for the food, not that I didn’t socialize. A party to me is to meet at a great restaurant and talk over food or meet with my book group and just talk, mostly not about the book we read but not for very long, which is why I named our book; group, “Books ‘n Gab.” You can only say so much about a book.
What did I enjoy most about this last book? Roofs needing to be repaired, for one thing. Then he desire to go organic and her talks with people she felt could help her, meeting resistance with them and they with her. I felt the same way as her on this issue. When I moved to Oklahoma, I was told that we could grow fruit trees. Then the fruit developed brown rot. I was told to use a fungicide. No way. I don’t even know if any of the trees try to produce anything anymore, but they blossom yearly. I have not checked on them. Just gave up.
Her issues with the wild boars is another thing. She doesn’t wish to kill them even though threy are ruining her land. Yet she would kill the flies that destroy her crops. I think she has picked up on Buddhist teachings, but a Buddhist will not even kill an insect. It, too, is a sentient being. When I was a Buddhist, I never adopted this teaching, well, I did to a point. If it is harmful, kill it, but only if it is causing harm. Well, that is not always true because I killed some black widow eggs that were at the monastery women’s bathroom when the monks failed to do it. They never knew that I had, and I wasn’t about the confess. I would have hired someone to kill the pigs. If I had a rifle and my neigbhbor fwas chasing my dog on our property, I would have shot and killed the dog. She just watched on and tried to stop the dog.
Then when she thought of moving, she went to look at a villa that was for sell, and I liked it much better than her own house, and there were not olive trees to worry about.
And the story went on and on, and I was sorry that it ended. That was a four book binge that I hope gets continued, but only if it is a happy story, not like “The Olive Harvest,” and if you feel the same, you can skip that book and not lose much.
June 13, 2010
I have a secret to tell…. I have been renting an olive farm in Provence since 2001 when I first read Carol Drinkwater’s memoir The Olive Farm …. well, in my dreams, I have!! I know that there is a myriad of travel memoirs out there, all wanting to impart their story of how a crumbling old house was restored to grandeur, usually peppered with a few anecdotes about quirky locals – just to add extra ambiance, n’est-ce pas… however, this series is very special to me as the author really is passionate about her environment and on a larger scale “our” environment which is quite frankly under threat.
“Return to the Olive Farm” opens as Carol returns from a 16 month expedition around the Med in search of the origins of the ancient and mystical Olive tree. She had written two books about her Olive quest and her travels and it is now a delight to return to Appassionata, the Provencal farm she shares with her husband Michel and to renew acquaintance with Quashia, her gardener, who doesn’t quite see eye to eye with his boss when it comes to farming methods. I love the passion which Carol obviously has for olive farming and her lust for life and for discovering the natural world.
The main focus this time is on the possibility of having a truly organic olive grove and the many obstacles towards achieving such an admirable objective, given that France doesn’t have a particularly strong record in championing the organic way. It is definitely so much easier and less heartbreaking to take the mass pesticide/bumper crop route and you find yourself really rooting for Carol to succeed without all the usual chemical parphenalia. I am in awe of how she keeps on going despite constant setbacks but then that could be the stubborn Irish streak, I guess – speaking as a fellow Irish woman! There’s also a wonderfully vivid backdrop of supporting characters such as Madame, the fearsome Asbestos inspector, Michael Latz, the first Organic Mayor in France, Marley, Michel’s grandson, not forgetting the honey bees.
So what else makes this stand out from the rest of the heap? I think a lot of its attraction for me stems from the honesty of the writing, the attention to detail, the intensity of the writer’s relationship with the land, the willingness to take risks, the constant interest in what other local farmers do, the lack of fear when entering traditionally male-dominated arenas, the ability to deal with recalcitrant, inebriated builders with good humour and grace!! Above all you feel like you’re observing a very intimate moment in someone else’s life as they fall back in love with a place they’d left behind.
So, I would advise you, allez vite and get caught up with this series if you haven’t already done so and if you’ve already shared in life at Appassionata, then allez vite aussi, snuggle up and get reacquainted!
“Return to the Olive Farm” opens as Carol returns from a 16 month expedition around the Med in search of the origins of the ancient and mystical Olive tree. She had written two books about her Olive quest and her travels and it is now a delight to return to Appassionata, the Provencal farm she shares with her husband Michel and to renew acquaintance with Quashia, her gardener, who doesn’t quite see eye to eye with his boss when it comes to farming methods. I love the passion which Carol obviously has for olive farming and her lust for life and for discovering the natural world.
The main focus this time is on the possibility of having a truly organic olive grove and the many obstacles towards achieving such an admirable objective, given that France doesn’t have a particularly strong record in championing the organic way. It is definitely so much easier and less heartbreaking to take the mass pesticide/bumper crop route and you find yourself really rooting for Carol to succeed without all the usual chemical parphenalia. I am in awe of how she keeps on going despite constant setbacks but then that could be the stubborn Irish streak, I guess – speaking as a fellow Irish woman! There’s also a wonderfully vivid backdrop of supporting characters such as Madame, the fearsome Asbestos inspector, Michael Latz, the first Organic Mayor in France, Marley, Michel’s grandson, not forgetting the honey bees.
So what else makes this stand out from the rest of the heap? I think a lot of its attraction for me stems from the honesty of the writing, the attention to detail, the intensity of the writer’s relationship with the land, the willingness to take risks, the constant interest in what other local farmers do, the lack of fear when entering traditionally male-dominated arenas, the ability to deal with recalcitrant, inebriated builders with good humour and grace!! Above all you feel like you’re observing a very intimate moment in someone else’s life as they fall back in love with a place they’d left behind.
So, I would advise you, allez vite and get caught up with this series if you haven’t already done so and if you’ve already shared in life at Appassionata, then allez vite aussi, snuggle up and get reacquainted!
December 30, 2023
I didn't enjoy this last part of the Olive Farm autobiographies as much as the previous ones, but maybe that's because it was only available at the Massachusetts Inter Library Loan system on audio book, not as a hardcover book.
Because audio disks cannot be stopped and continued on the next day (they are at the beginning of the disk again when you turn on the TV the next day to listen to them), it took me much longer than usual (book reading) to finish listening to all 10 disks.
Each disk is more than an hour long and if you don't have an undisturbed hour, you have to start all over again.
Au contraire to DVD's audio disks have no chapters, so there is no such thing as fast forward or jumping from chapter to chapter.
December was an extremely busy month and there were many days when I didn't have one hour of spare time even though I'm retired.
However, listening to Carol Drinkwater's voice and her very passionate way of reading was a big bonus!
Because audio disks cannot be stopped and continued on the next day (they are at the beginning of the disk again when you turn on the TV the next day to listen to them), it took me much longer than usual (book reading) to finish listening to all 10 disks.
Each disk is more than an hour long and if you don't have an undisturbed hour, you have to start all over again.
Au contraire to DVD's audio disks have no chapters, so there is no such thing as fast forward or jumping from chapter to chapter.
December was an extremely busy month and there were many days when I didn't have one hour of spare time even though I'm retired.
However, listening to Carol Drinkwater's voice and her very passionate way of reading was a big bonus!
August 15, 2013
Another wonderful read from Carol. Full of the passion and love for her beloved 'Apassionata' and how perfect she wants it to be, like all of her other books in this series.
In an ideal world organic olive tree farming would be the way, but this has its ups and a lot of downs, but Carol shows us the way with her grit determination to find out more. Not all agree with the way forward but decisions have to be made for the best of The Olive Farm, despite all the negatives from 'Quashia' their faithful (but now having doubts) friend and worker. I'm so glad they got bees back to their gardens and surrounding land.
I feel like I have been on the journey with her. Thank you Carol for this exotic journey into Provence. Your descriptive writing and passion for the makes me feel like I visited there and sipped a glass of wine or two with you.
In an ideal world organic olive tree farming would be the way, but this has its ups and a lot of downs, but Carol shows us the way with her grit determination to find out more. Not all agree with the way forward but decisions have to be made for the best of The Olive Farm, despite all the negatives from 'Quashia' their faithful (but now having doubts) friend and worker. I'm so glad they got bees back to their gardens and surrounding land.
I feel like I have been on the journey with her. Thank you Carol for this exotic journey into Provence. Your descriptive writing and passion for the makes me feel like I visited there and sipped a glass of wine or two with you.
April 30, 2012
I've really enjoyed this last book in the Olive Farm series which brings it right up to date. it was lovely to meet the old and new characters in the author's life to read about her sturggle s with going organice. i found it really interesting and quite inspiring at times, such is her writing.
January 30, 2018
If this is the last of the Olive Farm series, it's ending with a bang! I think this is the best book so far. Ms. Drinkwater writes with an emotion that I didn't feel in the previous books, all of which I enjoyed. She lays herself bare in terms of her dedication to 'keeping the earth clean' even to the point of considering leaving Appassionata rather than continuing to spray against the fly that infests the olive harvest. She takes us through her struggle to find a solution to making the farm 'bio friendly.' AND .. struggle it is! The challenges that she and Michel have with the Portuguese workmen who are repairing their garage adds an element of humor, although it may not seem funny to them at the time. Having spent years with Carol as Helen on All Creatures Great & Small, this series presents 'the real Helen' as a determined, vastly intelligent and curious lady who digs into a challenge and just won't let go. I admire her and her writing and hope she continues this delightful and informative series.
June 24, 2022
This is the final book in Carol Drinkwater's tales of life in Provence, rebuilding a moldering chateau and reviving hundreds & hundreds of olive trees discovered beneath mounds of overgrowth. The previous three Olive Farm books were full of adventures--both delightful and disappointing--surrounding the farm repairs, the interesting cast of characters in the neighborhood, the town, the laborers and the entertaining and fascinating folks whom Carol and her husband Michel encountered on numerous day trips in the area. This book focuses more on Carol's determination to stop using pesticides on the olive trees and her research into organic "green" farming. I found it to be quite interesting and appealing but if you are looking for a lightweight read about life in rural Provence, this is probably not the book for you.
July 5, 2021
It was nice to return to the olive farm together with Carol, although I did not join her in her travels following the olive trail that preceded this book (and can be read about in a separate book). Her first three books I read when I was in France last year and this book transported me back there. It is a relaxing, slightly less adventurous story than I remembered from the previous books but ideal bedtime and preholiday reading. What I liked most about this fourth book is Carol’s quest for means to change into completely organic farming and the return of an important species of animals to the farm. If you worry about weeds in your own garden, it is also a recommended read.
January 22, 2019
Returning to the land!
The author reveals her inner ambition to become and organic olive farmer while at the same time letting the reader sit on her shoulders and experience a portion of her life. A must read which provides many insights into the world of chemical farming and the killing of the bees around the world. Some portions of the book are alarming and properly so as the author clearly points out the not so hidden dangers in today’s mass cultivation of food.
The author reveals her inner ambition to become and organic olive farmer while at the same time letting the reader sit on her shoulders and experience a portion of her life. A must read which provides many insights into the world of chemical farming and the killing of the bees around the world. Some portions of the book are alarming and properly so as the author clearly points out the not so hidden dangers in today’s mass cultivation of food.
November 24, 2022
Enjoyed
This is the last book that I have read in this series. The author is funny, has beautiful use of words and immeasurable energy and state of mind. Unfortunately, I found this book to be a bit too much like a school book. There was for me too much "science", dragging on and on about decisions that were needed to be made. All in all this series was a pleasure to read, but as I say this last one was difficult understand..
This is the last book that I have read in this series. The author is funny, has beautiful use of words and immeasurable energy and state of mind. Unfortunately, I found this book to be a bit too much like a school book. There was for me too much "science", dragging on and on about decisions that were needed to be made. All in all this series was a pleasure to read, but as I say this last one was difficult understand..
June 7, 2025
A good autobiographical story
Carol Drinkwater is to be admired for her dedication to organic farming, battling against the many obstacles that appear to be solvable with chemical concoctions.
I have learned a great deal of the geography and history of olive farming from reading Carol's Olive Farm series, and with the exception of two books reciting somewhat reckless travels, found them very enjoyable.
Carol Drinkwater is to be admired for her dedication to organic farming, battling against the many obstacles that appear to be solvable with chemical concoctions.
I have learned a great deal of the geography and history of olive farming from reading Carol's Olive Farm series, and with the exception of two books reciting somewhat reckless travels, found them very enjoyable.
August 20, 2020
A wonderful analysis of our role in life as humans in natures garden
The first time that I have read one of Carol's books and I was enchanted. Her efforts to overcome the effects of the olive fly made her aware of nature in all of its beauty
The first time that I have read one of Carol's books and I was enchanted. Her efforts to overcome the effects of the olive fly made her aware of nature in all of its beauty
July 18, 2017
Makes me want to be a bee keeper, Olive growing, fruit 👩🌾
Love Carole's work
Love Carole's work
August 10, 2018
Love reading Carol's books about her olive farm. Makes me want to visit! I admire her passion for going organic which was the main focus of this book.
March 19, 2020
I have enjoyed all of Carol's mom fiction books since the first. She writes so well about the places I will never get too. Please write more!
January 23, 2022
Who wouldn't want to return to Carol's olive farm ?! Some of the honeymoon is gone but its success and the hot Mediterranean sun still warms the patio and makes the pool glisten. Still fun.
October 16, 2025
this was a somewhat meandering book which ended with no kind of resolution. Disappointing really.
April 11, 2013
Een leven tussen de olijfbomen is inmiddels het vierde boek van Carol Drinkwater, een Britse actrice, over haar boerderij Appassionata in de Provence. Dit boek vertelt over haar strijd tegen de schadelijke bestrijdingsmiddelen en haar liefde voor de natuur.
Na een reis rond de Middellandse Zee rond het thema olijven keert Carol Drinkwater weer terug op haar boerderij in de Zuid- Franse Provence. Carol en haar man Michel, een Franse filmproducer, hebben het huis tien jaar geleden gekocht, toen ze net getrouwd waren. Het huis met de olijfgaard is in de loop der jaren een productieve boerderij geworden. Het was de bedoeling om hier kinderen te krijgen met haar man Michel, maar dat geluk valt haar niet ten deel. Ze is wel stiefmoeder van de twee dochters van Michel uit een eerder huwelijk, maar dat is toch niet hetzelfde. Ze moet een zinvol bestaan voor zichzelf opbouwen, wil ze er niet aan ten onder gaan. Wellicht is haar lange reis ook een zoektocht geweest naar zingeving. Dat wordt in een ander deel verteld.
De bijenkolonie, die op Carols boerderij overwintert, is door het gebruik van insecticiden flink uitgedund. Vrienden hadden al hun spaargeld hierin geïnvesteerd en willen er niet opnieuw aan beginnen. Carol gaat zich hierin verdiepen en met haar wordt je geïnformeerd hoe sterk bijen afhankelijk zijn van een schoon milieu. Carol en Michel gebruiken ook insecticiden bij de olijventeelt, omdat de olijfwilg last heeft van een vliegje, die zijn eitjes in de olijf legt. Dit wil zij veranderen: ze wil biologisch gaan boeren. Toch is dat heel moeilijk, omdat Michel en ook hun tuinman zich daartegen verzet. Carol zet samen met een groepje boeren uit de buurt vraagtekens bij de moderne oogstmethoden. Dan wordt er ook nog verbouwd op de boerderij om de hele familie te kunnen onderbrengen, want inmiddels hebben de dochters van Michel zelf ook kinderen gekregen. Dit wordt gedaan door een stel Portugezen en dat loopt niet van een leien dakje.
In Een leven tussen de olijfbomen beschrijft Carol Drinkwater de natuur en de sfeer heel mooi. Ze schrijft heel beeldend. Je leert ook haar tuinman Quaisha goed kennen, een man uit Algerije. Ik vond het een boeiend boek, omdat ze zo met hartstocht schrijft over haar belevenissen. Het boek kan ook zonder kennis van de voorgaande drie boeken 'De olijfgaard', ‘De olijventijd' en 'De olijvenoogst' worden gelezen. Ik ga vast de andere boeken ook lezen.
Hier kun je haar boerderij in de Provence zien: http://www.caroldrinkwater.com/
Als je meer wilt weten over de bijensterfte kun je hier meer lezen: http://www.bijensterfte.nl/sites/defa...
Na een reis rond de Middellandse Zee rond het thema olijven keert Carol Drinkwater weer terug op haar boerderij in de Zuid- Franse Provence. Carol en haar man Michel, een Franse filmproducer, hebben het huis tien jaar geleden gekocht, toen ze net getrouwd waren. Het huis met de olijfgaard is in de loop der jaren een productieve boerderij geworden. Het was de bedoeling om hier kinderen te krijgen met haar man Michel, maar dat geluk valt haar niet ten deel. Ze is wel stiefmoeder van de twee dochters van Michel uit een eerder huwelijk, maar dat is toch niet hetzelfde. Ze moet een zinvol bestaan voor zichzelf opbouwen, wil ze er niet aan ten onder gaan. Wellicht is haar lange reis ook een zoektocht geweest naar zingeving. Dat wordt in een ander deel verteld.
De bijenkolonie, die op Carols boerderij overwintert, is door het gebruik van insecticiden flink uitgedund. Vrienden hadden al hun spaargeld hierin geïnvesteerd en willen er niet opnieuw aan beginnen. Carol gaat zich hierin verdiepen en met haar wordt je geïnformeerd hoe sterk bijen afhankelijk zijn van een schoon milieu. Carol en Michel gebruiken ook insecticiden bij de olijventeelt, omdat de olijfwilg last heeft van een vliegje, die zijn eitjes in de olijf legt. Dit wil zij veranderen: ze wil biologisch gaan boeren. Toch is dat heel moeilijk, omdat Michel en ook hun tuinman zich daartegen verzet. Carol zet samen met een groepje boeren uit de buurt vraagtekens bij de moderne oogstmethoden. Dan wordt er ook nog verbouwd op de boerderij om de hele familie te kunnen onderbrengen, want inmiddels hebben de dochters van Michel zelf ook kinderen gekregen. Dit wordt gedaan door een stel Portugezen en dat loopt niet van een leien dakje.
In Een leven tussen de olijfbomen beschrijft Carol Drinkwater de natuur en de sfeer heel mooi. Ze schrijft heel beeldend. Je leert ook haar tuinman Quaisha goed kennen, een man uit Algerije. Ik vond het een boeiend boek, omdat ze zo met hartstocht schrijft over haar belevenissen. Het boek kan ook zonder kennis van de voorgaande drie boeken 'De olijfgaard', ‘De olijventijd' en 'De olijvenoogst' worden gelezen. Ik ga vast de andere boeken ook lezen.
Hier kun je haar boerderij in de Provence zien: http://www.caroldrinkwater.com/
Als je meer wilt weten over de bijensterfte kun je hier meer lezen: http://www.bijensterfte.nl/sites/defa...
February 8, 2013
As always, Carol Drinkwater has her own view on life and the way it should be. And as always, she writes life as it happens, without glossing over the tougher parts, with an honesty and imagery I have not found in any other author. Her road to farm her land organically is a hard one, and at the end of the book it was not complete or resolved. But reading her growing and developing philosophy on Nature and what she can and cannot control, I found very uplifting and refreshing. Through her challenges, she always manages to maintain a sense of wonder and appreciation for the Earth when she would have have reason to be discouraged.
Another fantastic book from her.
Another fantastic book from her.
September 26, 2012
I loved all of these books in her series. She writes poetically and these books are both a memoir and travelogue.
Start with:
1/ The Olive Farm (2001)
2/Olive Season (2003)
3/Olive Harvest (2005)
4/Return to the Olive Farm (2011)
Read these in order. They are about this actress's life and love in the south of France, just outside of Cannes where they bought an old Olive Farm. The adventures and difficulties they encountered were many, but they had rich experiences with the colouful characters they met.
She has written others that are not in this series, but on a similar subject.
Start with:
1/ The Olive Farm (2001)
2/Olive Season (2003)
3/Olive Harvest (2005)
4/Return to the Olive Farm (2011)
Read these in order. They are about this actress's life and love in the south of France, just outside of Cannes where they bought an old Olive Farm. The adventures and difficulties they encountered were many, but they had rich experiences with the colouful characters they met.
She has written others that are not in this series, but on a similar subject.
August 15, 2013
Carol Drinkwater is the actress who starred in the All Creatures Great and Small series. But in her real life, she runs an olive farm in France with her husband. This is the fifth or sixth one in the series, I've skipped some, in which they buy and renovate an old farmhouse and farm. Carol questions her usage of pesticides in this book and wavers over whether they should sell this farm and buy another at a higher altitude that doesn't need so much pesticides. It is as engaging and humorous as her other stories.
February 28, 2012
Wonderful and inspiring series and this book is as good as any that preceded it. It has been a while since I read an installment on the Olive Farm and I was immediately reminded of why I love this author: She really takes me to the south of France and I feel every breeze, I taste every drop of oil and hear every cicada in the still Provence night. I could return to the Olive Farm again and again and again.
July 19, 2015
Lost interest
I enjoyed the first two books in the series, read but was less enthralled by the travel memoirs, and didn't finish this one. I liked the stories of renovation, I guess, but don't care so much about the farming and I really don't like Carol Drink water herself very much, with privileged, earnest condescension oozing from her. In a less interesting story this character flaw is intolerable.
I enjoyed the first two books in the series, read but was less enthralled by the travel memoirs, and didn't finish this one. I liked the stories of renovation, I guess, but don't care so much about the farming and I really don't like Carol Drink water herself very much, with privileged, earnest condescension oozing from her. In a less interesting story this character flaw is intolerable.
May 1, 2013
bit sad... life full of challenges and hope and love... French bureaucracy so very challenging.. to get water, to grow more olive trees, to find help, to get help to show up... interesting to read about Arab/African/Muslimimmigrants integration into France; enjoy her bits of history about Provence found in both books
Read
October 3, 2015some of Carol,s beautiful story-telling ability demonstrated in earlier books in this series has deserted her here as she relates the results of her researches into her local plants, and her frustration with the problems associated with becoming an organic farmer and with French bureaucracy at some length, but I persevered and i and was rewarded by a finish that was a pleasant surprise.
February 15, 2012
A rather anxious glimpse into living in beautiful Provence. Beautiful use of language and lovely imagines created in my mind, which I enjoyed. I agree with the principles which create the anxiety, though this resulted in a not-so-easy read.
April 5, 2012
Enjoyed these books so much, learnt so much about other ways of life, the flora and fauna of the countries involved. Fascinating reading and such descriptive writing.
The author writes with passion and conviction, a cultural journey throughout
The author writes with passion and conviction, a cultural journey throughout
February 21, 2016
Absolutely loved this series, although this was not my personal fave of the group. The writing seemed disjointed and a bit helter-skelter in places. It was nice, though to catch up on what has been going on at Ms. Drinkwater's estate in the south of France.
November 5, 2011
loved this, especially the issues she had to deal with in trying to farm sustainably and with the least possible harm to the land and insect life around it
December 27, 2021
Not quite as good as all the others. But more raw emotion in the writing
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews