Special Books Selected by Olive Picking

Living the Dream

If you love olive oil and maybe you have been on an olive picking holiday the chances are that one day you will find yourself wondering what it would be like to sell up and move to a simpler life with your own olives or vines to tend. Well others have done just that and these books share their experiences.

The Ripening Sun: One Woman and the Creation of a Vineyard by Patricia Atkinson

This inspiring book by Patricia Atkinson shows how determination alone can get you through an awful lot in life. It was never her idea to buy a vineyard in rural France, but she ends up taking on her husbands dream and through sheer determination ends up producing award winning wine. Set in the Bergerac region of France this book is beautifully written. Patricia has to master the intricacies of both winemaking and the French language with the help of her neighbours.

In its review The Spectator commented: "should be required reading for anyone enjoying the vineyard dream ... an impressive human story".

La Belle Saison: Living Off the Land in Rural France by Patricia Atkinson

This second of two beautifully written and evocative books by Patricia Atkinson describes how she has been drawn into daily life in south western France with its rhythms that move with the seasons.

The first mushrooms, tomatoes warm to the touch, a roast farm chicken with truffles stuffed under the skin ...

"For every thing there is a season, and a time for every matter ..." (Ecclesiastes) this book shows how the seasons and their changes shape rural life.

Extra Virgin: amongst the olive groves of liguria by Annie Hawes

A short spell working in Italy with her sister results in Annie buying a tiny, tumble-down stone house set in olive groves high above the Mediterranean - well with a house costing less than a second hand car how could she resist. This is her story of how she made a life in Liguria and what the local residents made of these 'Foreign Females' with their strange English ways!

"Annie Hawes is warm, funny, idiosyncratic and a dedicated people watcher" The Observer

Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart

The title is enough to make you want to buy this book! In it you find out what makes Chris Stewart, the one time drummer from Genesis decide to spend his life in Las Alpujarra, south of Grenada in Spain.

"A funny, observant and personal account of what a man can learn, and what there is to appreciate in life. Marvellous." The Sunday Tribune.

A Parrot in the Pepper Tree by Chris Stewart

If you enjoyed Driving Over Lemons this is continues his story three years on. Still learning about Spanish life and now, thanks to his daughter, Spanish schooling as well ... A Parrot in the Pepper Tree

"this is as funny and charming as the first book" Sunday Telegraph

The Almond Blossom Appreciation Society by Chris Stewart

As it says on the back cover 'the good life abroad just keeps getting better' for Chris Stewart. This is the last (so far) in his series of books about life in Las Alpujarras with his wife and now teenage daughter Chloe ... The Almond Blossom Appreciation Soci...

The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love and Olive Oil by Carol Drinkwater

This book tells the tale of Carol Drinkwater's real-life romance both with her partner Michel and the abandoned Provençal olive farm which they bought and restored.

"Beautifully written with a great sense of humour it captures perfectly the dreamy atmosphere of the South of France and its people" Woman and Home

The Olive Season by Carol Drinkwater

Amour, a new life and olives too ... The Olive Season

With work drawing Michel away from Provence Carol often finds herself working on the farm alone but despite this finds the time to learn more about the olives that surround her - discovering their ancient history.

The Olive Harvest by Carol Drinkwater

A memoir of love, old trees and olive oil ... The Olive Harvest

This book continues the story started in The Olive Farm. This is real life so there aren't fairytale endings, instead a moving story of Carol's life in the Provence she still loves.

No Going Back - Journey to Mother's Garden by Martin Kirby

This is the story of a new life far removed from the English rat race. Martin Kirby and his family find new challenges creating an organic farm in Northern Spain. It isn't an easy option and this book makes inspiring reading as they learn about running a farm and learning Catalan - but when you are surrounded by a patchwork of olives and vines, figs growing by your house and constant sun it all seems very tempting.

If you'd like the chance to stay and work at Mother's Garden just click here to discover how.

The Dolce Vita Diaries by Cathy Rogers and Jason Gibb

This book written by the founders of nudo-italia tells of how they left behind successful TV careers to become olive farmers in Le Marche, Italy. Needing to find a way to make a living they came up with the idea of their olive tree adoption scheme. Find out what happens next.