A writer’s journey of transformation through love, food and community in Piemonte
SAN FRANCISCO – Barbara Boyle’s inspirational new memoir, “Pinch Me: Waking Up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse” (She Writes Press, Feb. 11, 2025) is an evocative account of leaving the frenetic life of an advertising creative director to create a dream life in the faraway hills of Northern Italy.
Newly retired and traveling through Europe, Barbara stumbles upon the ancient Italian hill town of Monforte. She is enchanted by the castles and the sweeping vistas reaching out to the Alps, captivated by the region’s cuisine, and confounded by its extraordinary culture of kindness. One morning, she awakes and looking out over the valleys, finds herself longing to be there in her own home, drinking her coffee and watching the sunrise.
This is the story of how she leaves her life behind in San Francisco and takes apart a 300-year-old stone barn to build a new home, a new life, in Italy. It’s a tale filled with discoveries, disappointments, pleasures, frustrations, and triumphs. And given the gastronomic excellence of the region, she shares some special recipes as well. Ultimately, this journey lets her see the world, and herself, through a different window; a memoir filled with food, friendships, and scenes of Italy, of love and the powerful joy that comes from building a dream.
“Pinch Me: Waking Up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse”
Barbara Boyle | Feb. 11, 2025 | She Writes Press | Memoir
Paperback | ISBN: 978-1647428327 | $17.99
About the Author
For years, Barbara Boyle enjoyed a colorful worldwide career as a creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi, Grey, Lowe and other advertising agencies, creating commercials and stories for Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Mars Inc, and dozens of other marketers. Always a writer, this is the first time she has had the time required to author a book. Her flash fiction has appeared in Sky Island Journal, Star 82 Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, and other literary journals. Food and wine have also been a lifelong passion of hers. While living in Paris, she took the Regional French Cuisine course at Le Cordon Bleu and later completed the professional cooking course at The Institute of Culinary Education in New York. She now resides in a farmhouse in Piemonte, Italy with her husband, Kim, surrounded by orchards, vineyards and barking deer, and maintains a home in San Francisco. Find out more about her at https://www.barbaraboyleauthor.com/ and https://boyleb.substack.com/.
Follow Barbara Boyle on Instagram: @barbaraannboyle10
An Interview withBarbara Boyle
In your book, you talk about t retirement as an opportunity for reinvention. Can you elaborate on that?
Retirement is a unique time. You have experience, and you have time, and if you are lucky enough to have good health, you have nothing holding you back from going for an exciting new chapter. Sure, you could put your feet up and take it easy, but I found that learning a new language, a new cuisine, a new culture and way of life, is invigorating and very satisfying. I could not have imagined how joyous this chapter of my life could be.
Moving abroad already comes with its challenges. Why did you decide to renovate a 300-year-old barn into a beautiful new home brimming with charm and character?
We just took it one step at a time. It did not cost too much money to buy the home, by U.S. standards. And we took the reconstruction one step at a time too; the roof, the structure, the finishes, and at each turn we thought, if we had to sell now, we would not have lost much, and this would have been a great adventure. We were also lucky in that we found a great builder who knew his stuff, and was a good, kind person who we trusted. That was key.
How did you and your husband immerse yourselves in your new community? How did you forge and maintain meaningful connections? Did you experience any resistance from locals not wanting Americans moving into the region?
After living in Paris before this, I was shocked at how welcoming the Italians were. There had been a few Americans as frequent visitors to the area before us, kind, gracious Americans, who helped to build trust in our country. But honestly, Italians still credit Americans for helping them win the war in their backyard, World War II, so they were predisposed to like us. And we were still a novelty; not many Americans live here full time. Other than that, we just lived our life with respect for their culture, tried to learn the language and do what we would do anywhere. They all knew who we were, it was such a small community, and we just tried to be ourselves. Before we knew it, friendships formed. It was pretty magical.
PRAISE FOR “PINCH ME” BY BARBARA BOYLE
“Richly evoked…The process of restoring the house makes for a satisfying read, in part because it fulfills the fantasy many readers have likely had and never acted on.”
Kirkus Reviews
“Barbara does what many of us dream about—escapes a familiar life and creates an extraordinary, idyllic one in a faraway land. Authentic, deeply personal, and unfailingly optimistic, Barbara’s tale nevertheless has a real-life plot twist, her triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis. This unique adventure is a joy to read and leaves us remembering the importance of sometimes seeing the world through a different window to find what matters in life.”
Maxine Paetro, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author with James Patterson
“A captivating memoir about falling in love with a rustic village in Italy, renovating an ancient farmhouse and bringing a dream to life. With warmth and wit, Barbara Boyle envelopes you in an unhurried world of ripe vineyards, fairytale castles, and mouthwatering meals (recipes included). Bellissima!”
Terry Trucco, frequent contributor The New York Times, and Martha Stewart Living
“Truly immersive and a lovely read, ‘Pinch Me’ feels like curling up with your favorite blanket and binging HGTV, The Food Network and The Travel Channel … all at once. This inspiring memoir shows readers that you can make that far away dream a reality.” Shelby Saville, author of And They Had a Great Fall and CIO, Publicis US
“Barbara Boyle takes us to the countryside in her charmingly renovated farmhouse and captures the flavors of the people and the country that so captivated me when I first fell in love in Tuscany. I can taste her recipes. But more importantly, I am transported to that magical place we share such a love for and the simple life and memorable people who are sure to capture your heart as well. Brava.”
Sheryl Ness, author of “Love in a Tuscan Kitchen: Savoring Life through the Romance, Recipes, and Traditions of Italy”
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