Pinch Me By Barbara Boyle

 

Pinch Me 

by Barbara Boyle

 

SUMMARY:

A touching memoir filled with food, friendships, and scenes of Italy, Pinch Me is ultimately a celebration of love, of learning to see the world, as well as oneself, through a different window, and of the powerful joy that comes from building a dream.

An updated twist on the classic Under the Tuscan Sun, this is the deeply personal story of how fifty-something Barbara Boyle leaves her busy and familiar life behind in San Francisco and begins taking apart a 300-year-old stone barn to build a new home--a new life--in the largely undiscovered region of Piedmont, Italy.

Filled with discoveries and pleasures of the stunning places and food she encounters, Pinch Me also details Barbara's frustrations in adjusting to a new culture, as well as the startling heartbreak of being faced with a breast cancer diagnosis.

But even in the midst of this crisis, she and her husband create a home out of the stone ruin they had found, forming deep friendships in their little town and unlocking a new level of joy in life.

She shares intimate moments, joyous and bittersweet, as a new wife, stepmom, and a member of a community--and, of course, she shares a few recipes reflecting the gastronomical excellence of the region.

MY REVIEW:

I loved it! Rich in reflection, thought-provoking in its insights, and utterly absorbing in its narrative, this captivating autobiographical memoir truly resonated with me.

Giving up life to follow a dream in Italy is a romantic aspiration, and I know that the Hollywood idea of living in Italy revolves around the Dolce Vita lifestyle: sipping wine on a sun-drenched vineyard, casually renovating crumbling villas, and experiencing romantic, spontaneous encounters. This cinematic fantasy portrays a world where every meal is an endless feast and life moves at a stress-free, magical pace. For some expats, the reality of living in Italy can diverge significantly from the Hollywood lens. While the beauty, food, and slower pace are very real, expat life can come with distinct, day-to-day challenges. For those who are thinking about relocating, this memoir will profoundly influence you in your decision, and I think inspire you.

The book starts with a direct appeal to the reader.

‘Please come with me on my journey from a busy modern American life to an enchanted one in Italy, where every moment, every bit and every relationship is meant to be enjoyed and dreams really do come true.’

And so, with a plea and hint of entirely forgivable ‘Disneyfication,’ the reader is transported to a weekly pasta-making session at the Osteria da Gemma observed by the author. Not just women at work, but women who have pasta making in their DNA, with nimble fingers and using techniques as old as the hills passed down through the generations. The author noted something else. The cheerful and animated ‘esprit de corps’ in the restaurant from a community who did this, not for money but for love. Seeing such kindness and generosity is, for sure, would be a humbling experience.

And now we go back in time to hear how the author and her husband, whilst on honeymoon, discovered the region of Piemonte and fell in love for the second time. The narrative flows beautifully. The reader is pulled out of just observing and into directly experiencing the story. Their first morning at Hotel Villa Beccaris is wonderfully described.

‘We made our way into the breakfast room, the Limonaia, a graceful structure made of glass and glass on all sides, including the roof. Perched on a cliff, it looked over the valleys from Monteforto to Barolo and beyond. Little tables were placed all around the edges, so the effect was a bit like sitting in a bird’s nest overlooking the world. The view was spectacular. Little farms and homes and in the distance, surrounded by vineyards, the Alps and beautiful hazelnut orchards.’

The author is captivated and fantasises about waking up in her own home in this magical part of Italy. I feel it’s her metaphorical watershed moment when I think she realises that her direction, context and future path are fundamentally going to change.

‘I did not know what we had stumbled onto or through, but I knew we had found someplace special. And I knew I wanted more.’

We’ve all suffered from post-holiday blues, but the author has a sense of restlessness and questions whether there can be the remotest plan to buy a home in Italy. Again, she shares her thoughts and reservations with the reader. I had exactly the same ‘heart versus head’ moment, and I was only coming from the UK. I can’t imagine how much more of an upheaval it is coming from the USA. The author considers the logistical, financial and emotional barriers and I’m sure the drop-off rate of Americans who decide to emigrate is huge. However, undeterred, she finds a way to figure it out. She shows fortitude and resilience, which is commendable. It was not until eighteen months later that the author was able to return and we sense her apprehension, as she wonders if it is as magical as she remembered. By chance, Mario, a local property agent, finds a house for her and her husband to view in a small hamlet called Roddino.

‘I turned and faced an empty old house and barn sitting demurely in the afternoon sun – tall, proud, stone walls and rusted iron doors, broken windows and shutters, crowned with a roof of old terra-cotta tiles, logs and twigs. There were two or three outbuildings, crammed with wood, wine barrels, old farm tools, wires, tiles and stones. It looked out over the whole world - vineyards, hazelnut orchards, farms and forests, all the way out to the craggy Alps, still brushed with a smattering of snow on the highest peak.

I touched my husband’s arm. “This is it.”’

The reader really feels something magical has happened.

The author details how the purchase offer is accepted and then the long process begins of rebuilding and restoration. Change of use permits, finding an architect and a team of builders. A most delightful touch at the end of this chapter is a QR code which takes the reader to a series of photos of what the house looked like.

Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months and then into years. This is a marathon, not a sprint. In the interim years are many visits, and I think this part of the book is devoted to an integration of life and subsequent acceptance from the local Italians. There are some beautiful stories in these chapters of slow-paced living, community spirit, customs and culture. At a ‘la cena’ with neighbours, the author is humbled by a generosity of spirit that she has not come across.

‘I believe there is something in the language of goodwill and kindness that is universal. And I think there is something about the essential Italian dining table that fosters it. In the intimacy of Angela’s and Biagio’s house that night, sitting across from one another, passing plates that had been in the family for generations and drinking wine from tiny cut crystal glasses that Biagio had inherited from his grandfather, it was impossible not to feel welcomed, no matter what language was spoken.’

Three years on prompts a radical decision. To live in Italy for a year. There is a shift now, and the pace changes in the second half of the book. I love how the author includes the reader in a season-by-season account of the settlement process starting in March. The house is habitable, so the author and her husband move in.

Does it live up to expectations? Does a Disney film have a happy ending?

WHY I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK:

The back story and vivid details make this a powerful memoir. It’s honest and genuine and has an emotional truth to it. There are many accounts of expats falling in love with Italy enough to give up a previous life somewhere in the world, but this book offers something different.

It has momentum. Scenes of life complemented by reflective exposition, and the depth of reflection is breathtaking and transformational.

‘Spending time in Italy was teaching me, firsthand, how something as primaeval as eating, simple as shopping, as essential as being part of a small community, creates a life. Living life like this, more slowly, more purposefully and more enjoyably, changes who I am. I, too, slow down and truly listen to the sounds around me, better savour tastes and smells. I laugh a little more fully, love a little more unguardedly.’

The narrative voice of the author remains consistent, engaging and positive. There are setbacks; there are health problems that highlight a vulnerability which we can all identify with as we navigate the natural ebb and flow of life. It is an insightful story that resonates deeply with me, as an expat.

A delightful addition to the story are recipes that the author adds to the beginning or end of a chapter. It builds a personal connection with the reader by sharing culinary memories, and I thought this was such a lovely touch. The author enjoyed her ‘torta del cioccolato’ so why shouldn’t the reader?

My personally signed copy of the book arrived with a promotional bookmark and business cards with exquisite photos. A really thoughtful gesture.

It’s quite a masterclass in memoir writing and takes the reader on a moving journey. The sights, smells, sounds and physical sensations of moments that the author recalls make the narrative leap off the page and the QR codes sprinkled through the book are a masterstroke. The links to photos provide an interactive experience. This book was written from the heart and I have to say that I felt incredibly emotional as I read it. Brava!

 “My course is set for an uncharted sea.” 

― Dante Alighieri

 

AUTHOR BIO:

Barbara Boyle served for decades as an award-winning global creative director and executive vice president at Saatchi & Saatchi, Grey, and Lowe Advertising, creating commercials, ads, and stories for Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Anheuser Busch, among dozens of other worldwide marketers. A lifelong food and wine aficionado, she is a graduate of a professional cooking course at The Institute of Culinary Education in New York. Her fiction has also been published in Flash Fiction, Sky Island Journal, Star 82, and Ariel Chart. Barbara has lived in Paris, Frankfurt, and New York, and now resides in Piemonte, Italy, as well as San Francisco, California.

 

BOOK BLURB:

She Writes Press (Feb 2025)