Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucia

Meet Chris Stewart, the eternal optimist. A man who flies to Spain, sees a peasant farm on the wrong side of the river and, with scarcely a second thought, hands over a cash deposit. And then finds he has acquired not just the farm, but the farmer, too, who has no intention of leaving. Not to mention the lack of running water, electricity or even a bridge.

It would be enough to send most people straight back home. But Chris and his wife Ana are made of stronger stuff - and besides, they have sunk all their savings into the farm, El Valero, and buying a flock of sheep. So there is no turning back. Life gets tough, but it also gets good.

"Driving Over Lemons" is that rare thing - a funny, insightful book that charms you from the fist sun-lit page to the last. And one that makes running an Andalucian mountain farm seem like a half-decent career move. It has been a major bestseller both in Britain and Spain.

"A wonderful book, tuck it into your holiday luggage and dream" (Elisabeth Luard, Daily Mail)

CONTENIDO:

El Valero
Paradise Submerged
A Summer Apprenticeship
Bridge Building
Moving in with Pedro
Lost Illusions
Domingo and the Search for Beams
The Time of "Matanzas"
Counting Sheep
Walking with the Water
Cats and Pigeons
Building the House
Dogs and Sheep
Breeding
Chloë and the Immaculate Conception
Friends and Foreigners
Herbs and Husbandry
Market Forces
Chloë's Christening
Water Over the Bridge...

Author interview