NOW A MAJOR NEW TV SERIES: CAROL DRINKWATER'S SECRET PROVENCE

The first in Carol Drinkwater's bestselling series set on a Provencal olive farm.

'She writes so well you can almost smell the sun-baked countryside' BELLA

'Spellbinding' CHOICE

'Vibrant, intoxicating and heart-warming' SUNDAY EXPRESS

'All my life, I have dreamed of acquiring a crumbling, shabby-chic house overlooking the sea. In my mind's eye, I have pictured a corner of paradise where friends can gather to swim, relax, debate, eat fresh fruits picked directly from the garden and great steaming plates of food served from an al fresco kitchen and dished up on to a candlelit table the length of a railway sleeper...'

When Carol Drinkwater and her partner Michel have the opportunity to buy 10 acres of disused olive farm in Provence, the idea seems absurd. After all, they don't have a lot of money, and they've only been together a little while.

THE OLIVE FARM is the story of the highs and lows of purchasing the farm and life in Provence: the local customs and cuisine; the threats of fire and adoption of a menagerie of animals; the potential financial ruin and the thrill of harvesting their own olives - especially when they are discovered to produce the finest extra-virgin olive oil...

About the Author
Best known for her role as Helen Herriot in BBC Television's ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL (for which she was awarded THE VARIETY CLUB TELEVISION PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR AWARD), Carol Drinkwater has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as both an actress and writer. During her acting career she has worked in film, television and theatre. Her credits include working with Laurence Olivier at the National Theatre and Stanley Kubrick on A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. Carol is the author of six bestselling memoirs: THE OLIVE FARM, THE OLIVE SEASON, THE OLIVE HARVEST, THE OLIVE ROUTE, THE OLIVE TREE and RETURN TO THE OLICE FARM. Carol worked with UNESCO on a lavish documentary film series inspired by her two most recent books, THE OLIVE ROUTE and THE OLIVE TREE. The series is both travel and history based and will follow an Olive Heritage Trail around the Mediterranean Basin. The aim is to celebrate the cultural heritage of this sacred tree. The first transmissions will be in Canada in February and in Germany in April 2013.

Reviews
The new leader of the pack * THE TIMES *
She writes so well you can almost smell the sun-baked countryside * BELLA *
Beautifully written with a great sense of humour, it captures perfectly the dreamy atmosphere of the South of France and its people * WOMAN & HOME *
A spellbinding memoir * CHOICE *
One cannot resist Drinkwater's courage and joie de vivre, nor the enormous appetite and enthusiasm for her subject * DAILY MAIL *
Drinkwater is a rare writer who tackles other people brilliantly...Vibrant, intoxicating and heart-warming * SUNDAY EXPRESS *
I love Carol Drinkwater's Olive Farm series about her life in Provence. I read them on the beach, thinking how wonderful a summer in France would be -- Jane Brown * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *



Book Information
ISBN 9781399601825
Author Carol Drinkwater
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 260g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 24mm