The Dolce Vita Diaries: Stories From an Olive Grove [Paperback]

Cathy Rogers (Author), Jason Gibb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2010

Set in the middle of a European nowhere untouched by modernity, this account follows two former television producers as they set out to become olive farmers with only their one-year-old daughter and an Italian dictionary in tow. From pruning an olive tree so that a sparrow can pass through its branches to singing with an Italian accent and learning when one is allowed to consume a cappuccino, this biography illustrates how this family negotiated a steep cultural learning curve. Their culinary adventures are related as they head off many a potentially tricky situation by cooking their way out of it—a sure route to the heart of any Italian. As they discover the competitive world of olive farming, this narrative witnesses the birth of their “Adopt-an-Olive-Tree” scheme, which proved successful beyond any and all expectations. Meeting every challenge with fortitude and humor, this book’s subjects also face the quiet of the countryside, finding themselves hankering for the sounds of the city and wondering what they should do next.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Cathy Rogers and Jason Gibb live and work in an olive grove in the Italian countryside. They are former television producers and presenters, marine biologists, medics, touring musicians, diving instructors, and church organists.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK (July 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007346832
• ISBN-13: 978-0007346837
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a gem, I couldn't wait to get home at night to read it, July 12, 2011

By 

suzan szollar (menlo park, ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dolce Vita Diaries: Stories From an Olive Grove (Paperback)

I can't believe this book has just 2 reviews. This is the best "moved to a foreign country to start a new life" book I've read. In fact, despite that I love anything that lets me escape to Europe, I didn't like (or even get very far) in books like Under the Tuscan Sun and that genre. This book is different. I read books continuously but rarely find a book I would buy copies of to hand out to friends with a "you must read this" note. There is a lot of wit and warmth in the writing, all the while telling a story of what seems like very hard work to start a new and different life, and a perspective on real Italian life. I loved reading about the reasons for a 5 course lunch, and I'm definitely in the tourist camp of looking for lunch long past the appropriate lunch hour despite a lifetime of trips to Europe and knowing better.

My husband bought this book for my birthday along with adopting and olive tree, and it was one of the best gifts he has given me in that nothing is better than someone else finding a good book for you so you don't have to (who has time?).

Speaking of time, I'm tempted to continue rhapsodizing about the qualities that make this a really fine, memorable, recommendable read, but I need to run. Suffice it to say, this is the first amazon review I've written, I felt compelled to write it to encourage people to read this book.

3.0 out of 5 stars Makes a nice gift; bad Kindle formatting, July 5, 2011

By 

breachingtheweb - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dolce Vita Diaries (Kindle Edition)

I bought this book and the tree adoption together as a gift for someone else. It made an excellent gift, and the recipient was very happy and enjoyed both the book and the oil.

She liked the book so much that I bought a Kindle copy for myself. I enjoyed the book, but was disappointed that it didn't have more about the olive trees in it. I was expecting it to be more of a garden memoir -- I wanted to know more about how one rehabs an old olive grove, and what kind of care olive trees require. I'm a big of a gardening geek. However, the parts about adapting to life in Italy were very interesting, and I enjoyed the author's voice. Overall, I rate the book itself in the 3-4 star range.

I read this book on my Kindle 3, and the formatting was very bad. Up to 40%, it was fine, but from that point on, the entire text of the book was centered. This made it distracting to read. Also, there were several typos that seemed like OCR errors. The Kindle formatting is in the 1-2 star range.

5.0 out of 5 stars Big hit!, June 21, 2010

By 

bluefrog152 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dolce Vita Diaries: Stories and Recipes From an Italian Olive Grove (Hardcover)

I have bought my mom the olive oil these writers sell through adopting an olive tree in Italy. I gave her this book on Mother's Day and she really likes it. I would recommend the tree adoption and this book for any cook who is hard to buy for.