THE OLIVE ROUTE

British actress Carol Drinkwater, who has written several previous books about olives and her farm in Southern France, embarks on a challenging solo journey in search of the earliest roots of olive cultivation. Throughout the book Drinkwater speculates about the possible fate of ancient olive cultures. But listeners may be frustrated by the aridity of her commentary which, although rich with historical context and sometimes eloquent with the sensuous pleasures of the landscape, too often resembles a tour guide's running commentary. An abundance of foreign and classical place names, combined with the author's British-inflected pronunciation, poses a challenge in the audio format. For devoted armchair travelers and history buffs, but perhaps not for all fans of Peter Mayle and Mort Rosenbloom. D.M.L. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 08]