Extra Virgin: Amongst the Olive Groves of Liguria

by Annie Hawes | Travel |
ISBN: 0140294236 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Safrolistics of Newbiggin-By-The-Sea, Northumberland United Kingdom on 11/8/2005
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!
15 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Safrolistics from Newbiggin-By-The-Sea, Northumberland United Kingdom on Tuesday, November 8, 2005
I love this book to pieces.

It's about two English sisters who accidently end up living in Italy (before it became the trendy thing to do)

Annie and her sister, Sarah, were in their early 20s when they left London for a 10-week job, pruning roses in the mountainous town of Diano San Pietro in Liguria, Italy. While Sarah is the sensible shadow in the book, it is Annie who falls in love withthe place and then the people and coming up on 20 years lives there still.

Youthful mistakes are rectified by a village mystified at the Hawes sisters: mystified that they would want to live in such conditions, that they know so little about olives, wine, food and life and that they are not--horrors--married. Time and time again she is confronted with the reality that is the life of a peasant farmer and in retelling the episodes of her own ignorance, she gives heartfelt flesh and bones to the characters.

Still, Hawes deftly drizzles an observer's scepticism about her adventure. "We gloat about the house, the food, the view, everything, whilst pondering the strange fact that if we saw a representation of this sunset on a postcard we wouldn't buy it. We would think it was tasteless." That she centred the story on the early, impressionable days and the gradual intimacy that developed, gives the book an energy that makes it stand apart.

I am now offering this out on a ring, please pm me to be added, please tell me if you have any postal preferences.

So far going to
____Annikapannika..........UK
RuAnderson............UK
marie-therese.....Scotland......Anywhere
Plinius.............Netherlands
ritao................Finland
Annelis..............Finland
Brujula..............France
darjeeling...........Portugal
well-chilled........Alaska
Sissyrun............USA
JDT.................Usa
Lobodyke............USA
Costacat............USA
DreissM..............USA
valentina1209........Usa
sdkelley.......Kansas,Usa
Ankysim.............Singapore
totoroandmei.....Japan
wallabifarm........Japan
goodthinkingmax....Australia








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http://www.bookcrossingmaps.com This site lets you enter a public BCID and see a map of the book's travels. If you have any questions, check the FAQ, or email me at bookcrossingmaps@gmail.com or PM VVilliam. Please give feedback/suggestions as this is a new site, and spread the word, I'd love to see it used. Happy mapping!

Journal Entry 2 by annikapannika from Coventry, West Midlands United Kingdom on Saturday, January 28, 2006
Passed to me by safrolistics.

Loved this book, could definatly read again!

Will post out soon to next person on bookring list

RELEASE NOTES:

Posted to Ruanderson

Journal Entry 4 by RuAnderson from Stevenage, Hertfordshire United Kingdom on Monday, July 17, 2006
A brilliant book
My sister spent 18 months in Florence and rome about 5 years before these ladies arrived there and the stories bring back here letters home very vividly, the confusion ofer a coffee, the horror at spring time swimming and the strict order of consumption of ones food are not confined to liguria.

I was going to start this journal with "sorry its been a feww weeks since I recieved this but ive just spent the last two weeks in liguria."

In fact it was 6 weeks - Ive just had my motherinlaw staying and this was my sanity preserver
sorry its taken so long.
Ive PMed marie-therese for her address.

Journal Entry 5 by marie-therese from Kirkintilloch, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, July 28, 2006
Recieved in the post this morning from RuAnderson thanks. It's now #1 on mt. toobie :o)

Journal Entry 6 by marie-therese from Kirkintilloch, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, August 24, 2006
I realy, really enjoyed this book, it was pure escapism at a time when I really needed to escape from essay writing and studying. I went out with an Italian guy for over a year and visited him and his friends and family in Italy so I could relate to the whole meal time thing. I spent the entire time I was reading this book craving tomato and basil salads ...I could almost smell it!! A truely lovely read :o) thanks so much to safrolistics for sharing it, I'll now PM Plinius for his/her address and get it off asap.

Journal Entry 7 by marie-therese from Kirkintilloch, Scotland United Kingdom on Monday, August 28, 2006
Sorry didn't get around to journalling that I posted this airmail to Plinius in The Netherlands on Saturday - hope she enjoys it as much as I did :o)

Journal Entry 8 by Plinius from Schiedam, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Thursday, August 31, 2006
in the post today, thank you marie-therese, it looks like just the book to pull me out of my sad mood.

Journal Entry 9 by Plinius from Schiedam, Zuid-Holland Netherlands on Friday, September 29, 2006
What a sunny story! I really loved the descriptions of the villagers' mores. And this is a wonderful book to lighten your mood.
PM-ing to Ritao for an address.

Journal Entry 10 by ritao from Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Monday, October 16, 2006
Got it today, thank you Plinius anbd safrolistics! I am now reading Anna Karenina, but as soon as I've dealt with it, I will start reading this. The book looks very tempting, but I'll just have to be patient and read Karenina first.

18.12.2006

Wow, time does really fly by! I think the book is very sweet and there are many funny anecdotes about the life in the village, but for some reason I didn't really get hooked in it. That's why it took me so long to finish it. And it kind of bothered me that the story seemed to be jumping back and forth in the timeline: sometimes it was just their first autumn in Italy, and then the next thing I knew, they had been living in Liguria for many years, and so on. But I've been told that I'm much too big of a bore with these things, so I'm sure it wouldn't ruin anyone elses reading experience. :)

Thank you anyway for arranging the ring safrolistics, without it I would still be horribly ignorant when it comes to olive-harvesting, for instance. :D And Merry Christmas to you all who happen to be reading this!

I will send the book to the next reader after Christmas at the latest.

Journal Entry 11 by wingAnneliswing from Kerava, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The book was waiting for me today when I got home from work. Last November I spent two weeks in Tuscany and saw olives being harvested. I'll read the book soon. Thanks for the book all of you who kept it moving!

Journal Entry 12 by wingAnneliswing from Kerava, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Tuesday, May 15, 2007
What a wonderful book! It took a while to read it as I was enjoying every word of it and could not read it as fast as I usually do. While reading the book I was remembering my visits to Italy. Oh, I would like to go there again. But it is always sweet to come back home again.
By the way, last November I saw olives being harvested in Tuscany, near Florence. Ligurians said that olives can't be harvested before Christmas if you want good oil.

Thank you for sending this book around, Safrolistics!

Journal Entry 13 by wingAnneliswing from Kerava, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Monday, May 21, 2007
After reading this I found a cheap copy of this in Finnish and my husband read it too. He only reads in Finnish. He liked the book very much and was talking about it all the time while reading. We visited these parts of Italy years ago and still remember how those small villages or towns built of grey stone looked like. In addition one of his cousins is living in Sicily and he visited her with our younger daughter last summer. I went to Nice and Sanremo instead.
By the way, I did not yet get the address of Brujula. I'll wait some more days and try Darjeeling instead.

Journal Entry 14 by wingAnneliswing from Kerava, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Thursday, May 24, 2007
I got the address of Brujula and the book was posted in the afternoon today.

I also participate in Alvhyttans the May Flowers / Botanical Challenge 2007 to honour the 300th birthday of Carl von Linné. This is my book #6.

This book is also suitable for Guinavieve's 2007 Keep Them Moving Challenge This is my book #11.

Journal Entry 15 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Wednesday, May 30, 2007
This book arrived safely in my mailbox this morning!
Goes straight to my to be read pile (lots of travel books in it recently...
so it will Italy's turn when I'm done with Ireland!)

Journal Entry 16 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Friday, August 3, 2007
A very relaxing and entertaining read. It really makes you feel like quitting everything and buying a tiny house in Italy!

I''ll mail it to darjeeling as soon as I have his/her adress.

Journal Entry 17 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Tuesday, September 25, 2007
No news from darjeeling, whom I've already pmed twice.
I'll try one more time, and if I still have no answer will send the book to the following bookcrosser.

Journal Entry 18 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Friday, September 28, 2007
darjeeling doesn't wish to receive the book right now, so I've asked the next in line for his adress.

Journal Entry 19 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Tuesday, January 15, 2008
well-chilled doesn't want the book right now...

so on to the next on the list...

Journal Entry 20 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Saturday, April 12, 2008
I finally mailed this book to sissyrun yesterday.

Sorry it took me so long for getting this book moving! I first had some trouble getting an answer from bookcrossers after me on the list, and then I had very busy weeks and wasn't able to go to the post-office at opening times.

Sorry about this!

Journal Entry 21 by Sissyrun from Modesto, California USA on Saturday, April 19, 2008
Arrived safely on Friday. Great timing. Will start reading today.
I am part way through this book but life has gotten in the way of spending any reading time. I am sending this on its way to JDT.

Journal Entry 22 by Sissyrun at N/A in Post office, A book trading site -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, May 25, 2008

Released 15 yrs ago (5/23/2008 UTC) at N/A in Post office, A book trading site -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed to JDT.
Happy trails.....

Journal Entry 23 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Tuesday, May 27, 2008
What a lovely surprise in my mailbox! Happy to receive this well-travelled book 2 weeks after returning from a wonderful trip to Italy.
Thanks & hello to all before me.

Journal Entry 24 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Tuesday, May 27, 2008
As I started reading this book, it sounded too familiar. And sure enough I had the chance to read it a year ago!

Here's my journal entry:
a wonderful read outside on a warm California day much like the Ligurian climate!
Annie Hawes gets the writing style right (IMHO!): down-to-earth, realistic, not romanticized; well-written description of the land; honest, self-deprecating description of experiences as newcomers; awareness of the nuances of Italy/Italians from place to place - differences even within a few miles!; appreciation for the life, cuisine, culture; genuine, bit-by-bit connection with and affection for the people.

Appreciated the chance to read this - and definitely prefer the subtitle of this UK edition over the US version: A Young Woman Discovers the Italian Riviera, Where Every Month is Enchanted!

I'll PM the next person on the bookring list.
Thanks again!

Journal Entry 25 by JDT from Pleasanton, California USA on Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Mailing today to lobodyke.
Enjoy!

Journal Entry 26 by Lobodyke from Bardstown, Kentucky USA on Monday, June 2, 2008
I had forgotten all about signing up for this ring, but I haven't read a travelogue-type book in a while, so I'm looking forward to this. Thanks for hosting the ring, safrolistics!

Journal Entry 27 by Lobodyke from Bardstown, Kentucky USA on Thursday, June 12, 2008
It took me a little longer than usual to get through this book, but that was only because I relished every moment of it. The completed journal entries reflect my opinion of the book, and it is definitely one of the best I've read so far this year. The author's writing was so skillful I could just imagine myself in that situation, at every sensory level. As I'm a fan of Italian food anyway, this book constantly made me hungry while I was reading it. Like others, I enjoyed learning much more about the production of olives and olive oil than I've ever known before. Thanks so much for starting this ring, safrolistics.

I already PMed costacat once for an address, with no response, but will do so again today so I can get this in the mail as soon as possible.


Journal Entry 28 by Lobodyke from Bardstown, Kentucky USA on Saturday, June 21, 2008
Since I received no address from costacat despite several requests, I'm going to send this on to DreissM on the 6/27 or 6/28 (when I have the money).

Released 15 yrs ago (6/27/2008 UTC) at Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Now that I (temporarily :)) have some money again, this will be headed off to DreissM today. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did. Great book -- I'm going to put it on my personal wishlist because I want to read it again.

Journal Entry 30 by DreissM from Houston, Texas USA on Sunday, August 3, 2008
Yay!! After many problems, Bookcrossing finally let me log in!!! Thank you Lobodykefor sending this book my way and my apologies for the delay in journaling. As I do not allow myself to start book until it is journaled, I will now put Extra Virgin at the top of my TBR. It looks very good - perfect poolside reading for these HOT Houston summer days.

Journal Entry 31 by DreissM from Houston, Texas USA on Saturday, September 26, 2009
So SORRY for the delay in journalling. Hurricane Ike got in the way, we were out of power for 7 days and Houston was quite a wreck. Okay, so now it's been a year since Ike and I finally have dug through all of my books and journaling again.

Very, nice enjoyable book that makes my life seem so hum drum. Really enjoyed this book.

Journal Entry 32 by sdkelley on Thursday, October 1, 2009
Received in the mail today! Will get to it shortly!

Journal Entry 33 by sdkelley on Wednesday, December 9, 2009
I just couldn't get into this book. I'll be passing it on to the next reader.

- Never heard back from the next reader, will try totoroandmei next.
- Now moving on to wallabifarm - SK 02/08/10
- No contact info for wallabifarm, moving on to goodthinkingmax - SK 02/08/10

Journal Entry 34 by goodthinkingmax from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Friday, April 2, 2010
This book has made it safely to Australia. I should be able to read it soon.

Journal Entry 35 by goodthinkingmax from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, April 13, 2010
An easy, interesting read with great detail and a real sense of the landscape and the locals and of course the food...I was very tempted to go and buy some good olives and cheese to accompany reading this. I did find that the detailed, observational style didn't really delve into the emotional states of the people, especially the sisters. Sarah remained a bit of a mystery to me, caught up in the "we" observations, as though perhaps she requested that not too much be revealed about her. I would have preferred a less impersonal style and more insights into the emotions, which were only implied in the descriptions of the events. I felt that Annie and Sarah were still strangers to me, even though I knew their interactions and surroundings intimately.


Journal Entry 36 by Pixette at Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Picked up at bookcrossing meetup. A book having travelled so far/long is good to use as an example at my upcoming ignite presentation

Journal Entry 37 by Pixette at Oxford Art Factory in Darlinghurst, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (7/15/2010 UTC) at Oxford Art Factory in Darlinghurst, New South Wales Australia

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

To be released at ignite sydney to accompany my bookcrossing presentation.

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