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...

CAROL DRINKWATER'S "The Olive Farm told the lyrical tale of her real-life romance with partner Michel and an abandoned Provencal olive farm that they fell in love with and brought--a double love story, recounting with wit, warmth, and alluring detail the couple's attempts to bring their dreams to life. "The Olive Season is Carol Drinkwater's much-anticipated follow-up to "The Olive Farm, and begins with a vivid account of her exotic Polynesian wedding to Michel and the couple's return to the south of France as husband and wife, where they find much hope--and work--to greet them. With a farm consisting of fifty trees producing some of the world's finest olive oil, no longer is the challenge one of restoring the farm but in charting its development and growth. France's rigorous agricultural standards are responsible not only for some of the world's best produce but also for one of its most infuriating bureaucracies. In order to obtain the coveted AOC rating, Carol and Michel are forced to both expand their farm and to negotiate a Byzantine world of forms, officials, and inspections, including the surveying of their land by a water diviner, who, via a power akin to extrasensory perception, can point out the existence of underground water sources on their property. Further complicating matters is the fact that Carol has become pregnant with the couple's first child and has just accepted a demanding acting role. As the harvest season approaches, dramatic events cast shadows over the olive form. With all the warmth and vibrancy of the Mediterranean sun, Carol Drinkwater tells her passionate, moving, and utterly uplifting story.

NOW A MAJOR NEW TV SERIES: CAROL DRINKWATER'S SECRET PROVENCE The third in the bestselling story which began with THE OLIVE FARM - from the author of THE FORGOTTEN SUMMER 'Captures perfectly the dreamy atmosphere of the South of France and its people' WOMAN AND HOME 'Vibrant, intoxicating and heart-warming' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'The stars shimmer like spilled handfuls of glitter. The day is beginning to rise with a faint mist. As I turn my head, ghostly halos, auras of light, appear and disappear ... The silence is truly awesome. Not a bird, not a whisper of wind, not a breath of life. Only the two of us, a most implausible pair, standing shoulder to shoulder gazing upon an awakening heaven' Returning to their home after an extended absence Carol and her husband Michel are looking forward to summer together on the farm. A shocking blow leaves Carol alone and the future is uncertain. Feeling isolated and with no olives to harvest, Carol ventures beyond the farm to explore other aspects of Provencal life - from hunting to bee-keeping, the ancient language to the ever-present demands of family and friends. And ultimately, Provence's generous diversity - and Carol's own persistence in sharing it with those she loves - paves a path to joy.

Troubled by challenges her own South of France farm is experiencing--attack by a virulent pest and the premature ripening of the trees' fruits--Carol realizes new approaches to farming are becoming essential. Traditional customs have been set aside while the use of excessive chemicals is putting crop harvests at risk. Changing patterns within the world's climate demand urgent action. Carol's quest takes her south through Spain, Morocco, Algeria, and Italy before she finally returns to her farm. As a woman traveling alone, she is frequently vulnerable and never more so than in Algeria where, on her arrival, terrorist bombs devastate the capital. Determined not to give up, Carol accepts the support of a network of beekeepers who parcel her across troubled territories. Through her travels Carol confronts some of the critical issues of our time--land-care and the harsh realities of diminishing water reserves--and ends her momentous journey in the company of olive growers whose vision for the future is remarkable and ingenious. This is a gripping narrative of an intrepid and unusual journey around the western shores of the 21st-century Mediterranean.

Be swept away with this breathtaking and beautifully written wartime romance set deep in the French Alps, from the bestselling author behind Channel 5's Carol Drinkwater's Secret Provence 'A moving story of love and friendship' KATE MOSSE 'Each sentence shimmers' MY WEEKLY 'A virtual hug of a tale' JOANNE HARRIS 'Exciting, evocative' DAILY MAIL 'Emotional and moving' FIONA VALPY 'A beautiful book' WOMAN & HOME, Historical Novels of the Year ________ France, 1943. Forced to flee war ravaged Poland, Sara and her parents are offered refuge in a beautiful but dilapidated house in the French Alps. It seems the perfect hideaway, despite haunting traces of the previous occupants who left in haste. But shadows soon fall over Sara's blissful summer, and her blossoming romance with local villager Alain. As the Nazis close in, the family is forced to make a harrowing choice that could drive them apart forever, while Sara's own bid for freedom risks several lives . . . Will her family make it through the summer together? And can she hold onto the love she has found with Alain? By turns poignant and atmospheric, this is the compelling new novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Carol Drinkwater about the power of first love and courage in our darkest hours. ________ 'Romantic, evocative, and pulse racingly dramatic' WENDY HOLDEN 'A moving story of love, friendship and bravery that simply races along' WOMAN'S WEEKLY 'A terrific story . . . skilfully written and heart-rending' MIRIAM MARGOLYES 'I love Carol Drinkwater's writing . . . So evocative of the south of France - you can almost smell the maquis . . . Engrossing' Reader Review 'Carol skilfully draws us in to the beautiful Alpes Maritimes region of France to tell the story of Sara . . . the writing is evocative and Sara's story is both moving and inspiring' Sheila O'Flanagan, bestselling author of The Women Who Ran Away 'Great storyline, great characters. A thoroughly enjoyable read' Reader Review 'I enjoyed it very much . . . it's her best' Elizabeth Buchan, author of The Museum of Broken Promises 'A wonderful, enjoyable novel with courage and survival at its heart' Elizabeth Chadwick, author of The Wild Hunt series 'One not to be missed ... tells a part of history that should never be forgotten' Shirley Dickson, author of The Lost Children Praise for Carol Drinkwater: 'I was hooked from the start' Dinah Jefferies 'Carol Drinkwater's writing is like taking an amazing holiday in book form' Jenny Colgan 'Beautifully woven and compelling' Rowan Coleman 'Secrets, tragedy, hidden pasts and family secrets - I loved this' Santa Montefiore

'A story to savour, complete with wonderful settings stretching from Paris to the glorious countryside of southern France' Dinah Jefferies A LOVEREADING BOOK OF THE YEAR Since her teenage daughter went missing four years ago, Kurtiz Ross has blamed and isolated herself. Until, out of the blue, Lizzie is sighted in Paris. But within hours of her arrival, Kurtiz sees the City of Light plunged into terror. Amid the fear and chaos, a hand reaches out. A sympathetic stranger offers to help a terrified mother find her daughter. The other woman's kindness - and her stories of her own love and loss in post-war Provence - shine unexpected light into the shadows. The night may hold the answers to a mystery - but dare Kurtiz believe it could also bring a miracle? 'A gripping tale' Sunday Post 'Mesmerising, haunting and extraordinarily relevant' Lovereading 'An unforgettable journey of family, romance, regret and renewal' The Gloss 'The perfect holiday read that manages to keep you guessing the whole way through' Living France

In the terrific bestselling olive series by writer and actress Carol Drinkwater, bestselling author of THE FORGOTTEN SUMMER 'She writes so well you can almost smell the sun-baked countryside' BELLA 'Spellbinding' CHOICE 'One cannot resist Drinkwater's courage and joie de vivre, nor the enormous appetite and enthusiasm for her subject' Wendy Holden DAILY MAIL Since Carol Drinkwater moved to an olive farm in France she has developed a passion for the olive tree and the culture that has grown up around it. From the eastern shores of the shimmering Mediterranean to its western coast this fruit is farmed. Its silvery-green branches have inspired painters and poets, but who first pressed its 'bitter berry' and transformed it into liquid gold? In quest of its secrets and traditions, Carol embarked on a solo adventure round the Mediterranean basin. Transporting readers across the olive's ancient paths, celebrating its venerable past, tracking trade routes, unearthing unlikely stories, encountering peoples of today and bygone times, Carol comes full circle, back to her farm in the sun-baked Provençal hills.

Grace first came to France a lifetime ago. Young and full of dreams of adventure, she met two very different men. She fell under the spell of one. The other fell under hers. Until one summer night shattered everything . . .

Now, Grace is living an idyllic life with her husband, sheltered from the world in a magnificent Provençal villa, perched atop a windswept cliff. Every day she looks out over the sea - the only witness to that fateful night years ago. Until a stranger arrives at the house. A stranger who knows everything, and won't leave until he gets what he wants.

The past and present spectacularly collide in this gripping story of love and betrayal echoing across the decades.

'Lovely, mouth-watering, page-turning. Packed with the sunshine, scents and savours of the South of France. Enough to make you rush straight to the Eurostar.' Daily Mail The grape harvest at the Cambon family's magnificent Provencal vineyard is always a cause for celebration. But not this year. When the crop is accidentally destroyed, leaving the estate facing ruin, Clarisse Cambon knows exactly who to blame - her English daughter-in-law Jane. It's just the latest incident in a decades-long feud that has left Jane feeling like an uninvited guest in her husband Luc's family. But when tragedy strikes and Jane uncovers a shocking secret at the family's heart she wonders if she ever really knew any of the Cambons, especially her husband, at all. Now she is left with a terrible choice - walk away and see everything the Cambons believe in fall apart, or stay to expose the truth and risk being caught in the storm? 'Secrets, tragedy, hidden pasts and family secrets all set in glorious Provence - I loved this' Santa Montefiore 'This atmospheric read will whisk you straight to the South of France as you become immersed in the tale of secrets and heartbreak' Marie Claire

NOW A MAJOR NEW TV SERIES: CAROL DRINKWATER'S SECRET PROVENCE Life and love, olive groves and bee hives in Provence - further adventures in the bestselling Olive Farm series from the author of THE FORGOTTEN SUMMER 'Drinkwater is a rare writer who tackles other people brilliantly...Vibrant, intoxicating and heart-warming' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'She writes so well you can almost smell the sun-baked countryside' BELLA After sixteen months of travelling round the Mediterranean in search of the ancient secrets of the olive tree, Carol returns to her beloved olive farm in the south of France, to her husband Michel and his burgeoning family. However, the homecoming celebrations are overshadowed by disturbing discoveries. The plight of the honey bee has become an international crisis and Carol is faced with unsettling news about the hives on her own olive farm. While the multinational companies are pushing for 'bigger, better, bumper' crops, a small band of farmers and ecologists are calling for a halt to many of the modern farming malpractices that are endangering the planet. Carol is amongst them. But it puts her own farm, her idyll, under threat. At what point do you turn your back on all that you believe in and all that you have been fighting for? This is the story of how Carol and Michel struggle with some difficult choices, and how they decide to deal with the unavoidable disappointments and inevitable responsibilities that come with running an organic farm.