Book description
Chris Stewart's DRIVING OVER LEMONS told the story of his move to a
remote mountain farm in Las Alpujarras -- an oddball region of Spain,
south of Granada. Funny, insightful and real, the book became an
international bestseller.
A PARROT IN A PEPPER TREE, the sequel to Lemons, follows the
lives of Chris, Ana and their daughter, Chloe, as they get to grips
with a misanthropic parrot who joins their home, Spanish school life,
neighbours in love, their amazement at Chris appearing on the
bestseller lists . . and their shock at discovering that their beloved
valley is once more under threat of a dam.
A Parrot in the Pepper Tree also looks back on Chris Stewart's
former life -- the hard times shearing in midwinter Sweden (and
driving across the frozen sea to reach island farms); his first taste
of Spain, learning flamenco guitar as a 20-year old; and his
illustrious music career, drumming for his schl band Genesis (sacked
at 17, he never quite became Phil Collins), and then for a circus.
Chris Stewart prepared for life on his Spanish mountain farm with
jobs of doubtful relevance. He was the original drummer in Genesis (he
played on the first album), then joined a circus, learnt how to shear
sheep, went to China to write the Rough Guide, sailed a Cornish Crabber
round the Greek islands, and completed a course in French cooking.
Despite the extraordinary success of his books, Chris, his wife Ana, and
their daughter Chloë, continue to live on their farm, with their
numerous dogs, cats, chickens and sheep. He has written two sequels to
Driving Over Lemons - A Parrot in the Pepper Tree and The Almond Blossom
Appreciation Society - and a book about his time at sea, Three Ways to
Capsize a Boat.
