“A lovely balance of memoir, travelogue and olive-growing how-to . . . Some of her adventures are quite funny.” —Publishers Weekly
In this memoir, the author of The Olive Farm returns to the ten-acre property for which she and her fiancé scraped together their savings to buy—just back from their wedding on a tiny Polynesian island, loaded down with luggage and a large hand-painted didgeridoo. As Carol and Michel settle in as husband and wife, they experience the glamor of southern France at dinner parties in the company of aristocrats and at the world-renowned Cannes film festival, as well as the dirt-caked, sun-baked life of farmers—especially after their gardener heads to Algiers to arrange his youngest son’s wedding.
For Carol, though, what matters most is that her longtime dream of motherhood finally promises to come true—and over the course of The Olive Season, she shares the story of her hopes and fears as she anticipates another kind of growth and nurturing. Alternately entertaining and emotionally poignant, this memoir is a rich portrait of love, longing, and the constant uncertainties of the cycle of life.
An acclaimed author and filmmaker, Anglo-Irish actress Carol Drinkwater is most familiar to audiences for her award-winning portrayal of Helen Herriot in the BBC series All Creatures Great and Small.
After discovering olive trees on the grounds of her property in the south of France, Carol and her husband, Michel, became producers of top-quality olive oil. Carol’s books recounting her experiences on her farm, the Olive Farm series, have become international bestsellers and inspired a multi-part documentary series entitled The Olive Route. Carol was invited to work with UNESCO to help fund an Olive Heritage Trail around the Mediterranean with the dual goals of creating peace in the region and honoring the ancient heritage of the olive tree.