Carol Drinkwater Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Carol Drinkwater

Carol Drinkwater's writing falls into two distinct categories: her beloved real-life memoirs about restoring a French olive farm and her rich, atmospheric historical fiction. The best entry point depends entirely on what kind of reading experience you are looking for:

• For Memoir and Travel Lovers: Start immediately with The Olive Farm (2001). This is the book that launched her bestselling memoir series and details her first steps in Provence. It is best to read this series in chronological order to follow the organic growth of her farm, family, and travels.
• For Fiction Lovers: Start with The Forgotten Summer (2016) or her recent release One Summer in Provence (2025). These books capture the same lush, sensory descriptions of the French countryside as her memoirs but weave them into gripping contemporary and historical mystery dramas centered on family secrets.
• For Younger Readers: Start with her classic children's/YA novel The Haunted School (1985) or her contributions to the popular My Story historical diary series.

The Olive Farm Memoirs (Chronological Reading Order)

Drinkwater's most famous body of work is her Olive series. In the late 1980s, Carol and her husband, Michel Noll, bought a rundown, historic property near Cannes called 'Appassionata.' Over the next two decades, they restored its 68 ancient olive trees and built a thriving farm. Reading these memoirs in order is highly recommended, as they trace their struggle with local bureaucracy, the birth of their agricultural dreams, and Carol's deep-dive exploration of olive history across the Mediterranean.

1. The Olive Farm (2001) – Details the purchase and early renovation of the farm, adapting to rural French life, and falling in love with the land.
2. The Olive Season (2003) – Explores the challenges of the first harvest, dealing with pests, and the evolving relationship with the local community.
3. The Olive Harvest (2004) – A continuation of their farm adventures, dealing with a devastating drought and testing their resilience.
4. The Olive Route (2006) – A transition into travelogue. Drinkwater embarks on a solo 17-month quest around the Mediterranean basin to trace the historical and cultural origins of the olive tree, traversing conflict zones and ancient landscapes.
5. The Olive Tree (2008) – The second part of her travels, journeying from the olive groves of Spain and Italy to the Middle East, before returning home to Provence.
6. Return to the Olive Farm (2010) – Carol returns to Appassionata, reflecting on her travels, the changes to the farm, and the future of their Mediterranean sanctuary.

Memoir Companions and Omnibus Editions

When buying the memoirs, keep these editions in mind to avoid purchasing duplicate content:

• A Celebration of Olives (2004): This is an omnibus edition containing the complete texts of both The Olive Farm and The Olive Season.
• The Illustrated Olive Farm (2005): A beautiful, photography-heavy gift edition of the original The Olive Farm memoir, providing a visual look at Appassionata.

Scholastic’s My Story Series: A Multi-Author Clarification

If you look at database listings for Carol Drinkwater, you will often see a massive list of historical diary novels under the My Story banner. It is important to know that My Story is a collaborative Scholastic historical fiction series penned by dozens of different authors (including Jill Atkins, Sufiya Ahmed, and Kathryn Lasky). Carol Drinkwater did not write the entire series. She specifically authored the following titles, which are written in a diary format and focused on key historical moments:

• The Hunger (2001) – The diary of Phyllis McCormack during the Irish Potato Famine (1845–1847).
• Twentieth Century Girl (2001) – The diary of Tilly Morrison in London at the turn of the century (1899–1900). Note: This is also published under the title Brand New Century.
• Suffragette (2003) – The diary of Dollie Baxter as she fights for women's voting rights in London (1909–1913).
• Cadogan Square (2010) – The diary of Flora Bonnington in London during the outbreak of the First World War (1914–1917).
• Nowhere to Run (2012) – The diary of Charlotte Jackson during the Blitz in London (1940).
• The Only Girl in the World (2014) – A historical romance tracking a young soldier's love story during the First World War. While sometimes cataloged as a standalone YA novel, it was published as part of the Scholastic line.

Standalone Novels and Fiction

Outside of her memoirs and children's diaries, Drinkwater has developed a strong reputation for sweeping standalone dramatic fiction. These books typically feature lush Mediterranean settings, historical dual timelines, and dark family secrets that slowly come to light.

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

• The Haunted School (1985) – A historical adventure set in the Australian outback during the 1880s. A young English teacher tries to start a school in a haunted hotel. This book was adapted into an award-winning television series in 1986.
• An Abundance of Rain (1989) – A dramatic story set in a tropical environment.
• Akin to Love (1991) – An emotional family and relationship drama.
• Mapping the Heart (1993) – A novel exploring identity, love, and personal discovery.
• Because You're Mine (2001) – A contemporary domestic drama.
• The Forgotten Summer (2016) – Set in a vineyard in the south of France, this novel follows a family dealing with the sudden death of its patriarch and the secrets that unravel.
• The Lost Girl (2017) – Set in Paris and Provence, this poignant novel deals with a mother's search for her missing daughter following the November 2015 terrorist attacks.
• The House on the Edge of the Cliff (2019) – A gripping drama spanning decades, tracking a young French girl who falls in love with an older artist and the dark events that follow.
• An Act of Love (2022) – A WWII-era drama set in the French Alps, following a young Jewish girl who goes into hiding.
• One Summer in Provence (2025) – Her latest novel, centered on a beautiful vineyard called Les Roches du Soleil. When a former London actress hosts a massive summer party, an unexpected guest from her past threatens to tear her family apart.

Molly Books and Short Fiction

For younger readers, Carol Drinkwater wrote a brief children's series about a young girl named Molly. These should be read in order:

1. Molly (1996)
2. Molly on the Run (1996)

She has also published several short stories and novellas, which serve as quick, atmospheric reads:

• The Girl in Room Fourteen (2013)
• Hotel Paradise (2014)
• A Simple Act of Kindness (2015)
• The Love of a Stranger (2017)

What to Know Before You Start

Carol Drinkwater's path to becoming a writer is as dramatic as her fiction. During the filming of the TV adaptation of her first book, The Haunted School, in the Australian outback, she met French producer Michel Noll. Their real-life romance led them to buy the ruins of the Provence olive farm, which in turn inspired her legendary memoirs. This connection between her acting career, her travels, and her writing gives all of her work an incredibly authentic, deeply lived-in quality. When reading her novels, you are experiencing the authentic, hard-earned knowledge of a woman who has spent decades working the French soil.