This book is set in the Alpujarras, the southern foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Andalucia, and I was interested to read it before heading to the area for a week's walking holiday early next year. It's difficult to be different writing in the "How we bought an old place in a remote part of Europe and struggled to do it up and become part of the local community" genre (is there a recognised term for this in the book world?), but Stewart scores well over others (Peter Mayle comes to mind). For one thing, he and his family determine to run their place as a farm not a holiday home, and he writes with affection and respect for his neighbours and new friends rather than seeing them as fodder for wittily embellished stories.
After reading the book I'm certainly looking forward to my visit, but I don't think I'll be in the queue to buy the farm next door. Stewart is careful not to give away the exact location of their farm - El Valero - and it can't be pinpointed on the 1:100,000 scale Spanish military map which happens to be in my collection. But the place where I will be based isn't far away, and I'll have larger-scale maps!
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