The Olive Tree: A Personal Journey Through Mediterranean Olive Groves

Synopsis

The Olive Route embodies the entire history of the Mediterranean and its diverse peoples. Carol Drinkwater's new quest in THE OLIVE TREE is to discover the significance of the olive, not only for the olive-growing communities of the western Mediterranean but for the rest of the world. Shocked by the consequences of climate change for her own olive farm in the South of France, such as the premature ripening of the olives, Carol seeks to discover the route the olive's cultivation took and the issues that need addressing in the twenty-first century. Her journey transports her from her olive farm in Provence, through Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Sardinia, Sicily and Italy before finally returning home. Gleaning knowledge from other olive growers wherever she goes, Carol realises that access to, and the best use of, water is a critical issue for our times. Despite being disheartened by the many setbacks on her momentous journey, such as encountering a terrorist bombing immediately on her arrival in Algeria, Carol finds a new connection with all the olive growers she has met and becomes determined to face the complicated problems of contemporary olive farming.A gripping narrative of Carol's intrepid and unusual travels around the countries of the western Mediterranean, THE OLIVE TREE is a beautifully written and dramatically vivid portrait of many twenty-first century countries in the aftermath of 9/11 as they come to terms with climate change.