The Olive Route

The author of acclaimed memoirs about life on a French olive farm explores the larger history and culture of the Mediterranean delicacy.

Carol Drinkwater has a passion for olive trees and the fruit they bear—“bitter berries” that are transformed into savory delights and pressed into precious oil. Already intimately familiar with the fruit thanks to her olive farm in the South of France, she decided to travel throughout the Mediterranean basin—from Marseille to Malta, Israel to Tunisia—in a quest to learn about their ancient history, their spread throughout the world, and the tastes and traditions they represent.

A culinary travelogue and a celebration of a humble, healthful food that inspires devotion among so many, The Olive Route is filled with unusual characters and fascinating anecdotes from “a storyteller of great economy and deftness” (The Telegraph).

“Drinkwater has a sharp eye for character, and the people who populate The Olive Route will not disappoint her fans.” —The Independent