Driving Over Lemons Author:Chris Stewart Amazon.com Review — When English sheep shearer Chris Stewart (once a drummer for Genesis) bought an isolated farmhouse in the mountains outside of Granada, Spain, he was fully aware that it didn't have electricity, running water, or access to roads. But he had little idea of the headaches and hilarity that would follow (including scorpions, runaw... more »ay sheep, and the former owner who won't budge). He also had no idea that his memoir about southern Spain would set a standard for literary travel writing.
This rip-roaringly funny book about seeking a place in an earthy community of peasants and shepherds gives a realistic sense of the hassles and rewards of foreign relocation. Part of its allure stems from the absence of rose-colored glasses, mainly Stewart's refusal to merely coo about the piece of heaven he's found or to portray all residents as angels. Stewart's hilarious and beautifully written passages are deep in their honest perceptions of the place and the sometimes xenophobic natives, whose reception of the newcomers ranges from warm to gruff.
"A wonderful antidote to..... modern electronic life. I love this book." --- Peter Mayle, author of A Year in Provence
"Funny, affectionate, no hint of patronage, a true portrait of people and place.... Tuck it into your holiday luggage and dream." -- the Daily Mail« less
Fascinating tale of an English couple who moved to Spain to buy a farm and live with the locals in backwoods Spain. The build a primitive home, have a child and learn a new culture.