The Olive Farm

It's a story about international family (Irish woman & divorced French man w. family) buying almost ruined house together. In story house is situated between Cannes and Frejus. Story is the Irish womans point of view.

First summer they move in before they own house. It's made possible by pre-payment and scheduled buying agreement. Starting without water, electricity and leaking roof they manage to spend a summer without quarrels. In the end she get's to stage of starting olive garden.

It's quite like Peter Mayle's Year in provence, but it doesn't concentrate French-English confrontation and secrets of France like Mayle does a lot. It's more problems oriented like handling bying a property as (Irish) foreigner and owning house as foreigner and living abroad. So if you are even thinking bying house in France this is really worth of listening.

Sample is too short to tell enough of this book. If you liked the "Year in Provence" you most likely end up bying more than this first book. I liked it and it was easy enough to listen as not a native English speaker.

One of the first audio books I bought was Peter Mayle's Year in Provence, having heard it on Radio 4's book of the week, and this is a return to similar territory but the with added interest of the development of an olive farm and the attendant technical and horticultural activities. The author narrator is an accomplished actress, who does an excellent job of bringing it all to life and overall it is a charming easy listener, which provided an interesting break from my usual crime and history diet.

A lovely easy ready. Really takes you to the hot countryside outside Cannes. Have not been able to put it down and definitely for anyone that craves sunshine and sunny days.

This is my first audio book so didn't really know what to expect. However, it was easy to listen to and I enjoyed the story. I could smell and feel the farm and I enjoyed following the time Carol and Michel (and the others) spent there.