Restored in Tuscany: A True Story of Facing Loss, Finding Beauty, and Living Forward in Hope

by Angela Correll

Restored in Tuscany is the true story of a weary and grief-stricken woman who unexpectedly embarks on a messy renovation of a Tuscan village house, but finds that it is her soul that most needs repair and restoration. Author Angela Correll is under a deadline to finish her second book, anxiously approaching her fiftieth birthday, and still reeling from a string of painful losses when she and her husband follow a dream and buy an ancient villa in the heart of Tuscany. Angela soon realizes that her dream home needs more than a little TLC—this is a full-scale renovation that will stretch her patience (and budget) to the limit. Follow Angela’s journey as she restores her home to its former glory and heals her heart in the process. Along the way, you’ll experience all the charm and romance of Tuscany—leisurely meals with new friends, quirky and loveable locals, exquisite art and architecture, and the beauty and splendor of the Mediterranean.       

Genres: Nonfiction, Book Club, Memoir, Italy

240 pages, Hardcover

Published March 5, 2024

About the author

Angela Correll is the author of Restored in Tuscany, released March, 2024, along with Grounded, Guarded and Granted, a trilogy of novels that became Amazon bestsellers and have been adapted to the stage for sold-out audiences. She is also co-founder of Wilderness Road Hospitality, a suite of hospitality businesses in Stanford, Kentucky.

Reviews

[Amy Sole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one book you CAN judge by its cover! Angela welcomes you through her door and into her life, heart and home. Her gift of hospitality comes through this book. It’s truly beautiful.

“Or is it a much deeper soul-filling restoration that I crave, the kind only God can provide?”
God can use so many things and circumstances to bring us restoration and in Angela’s case it’s the remodel of a home in Italy.

This book brings hope, laughter and tears from its beauty.

[Carman Lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Restored in Tuscany is a book that you will return to like an old friend. Once you gave read it through, you will return over & over, to search for favorite quotes, recipes, that description that you want to share. You won't be able to put it down & with the questions already in the back, it is just waiting for your Book Club.

[Stephanie Floyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Restored in Tuscany is simply a beautifully written book about a southern Ky woman searching to restore her soul mentally and spiritually . On a venture to retreat in Tuscany to finish a book , her and her husband are drawn into this special village filled with wonderful people who end up becoming like family to them. As someone longing to travel to Italy I am transported to this special place . I feel like I’m walking down the streets , feeling to sun, tasting the wonderful food. The Beautiful pictures of their home and the surroundings draw you into the book further and make you feel as if you are peeking through a window. Need a trip to Italy and learn a few soul searching lessons yourself along the way ? Well , spend some time with this lovely book in hand and enjoy .#RestoredInTuscany

[Cathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since my teens I’ve had a thing for Tuscany, so I was drawn to this book. The cover is beautifully inviting! I find myself in a similar stage of life and could relate to what Angela was experiencing in her physical and spiritual life. I enjoyed following her through a purchase and renovation of a home in Italy. Mostly, I liked how she’d take it all back to her relationship with God. Pruning has always been something I like contemplating and I liked how she applied it in her life. I used to think one day I’d be pruned all out, but wisdom has told me that’s not possible because only God is perfect. I was moved by the parts with her Mom. The subtitle was perfect- facing bad, finding good, living hope.

[Norb King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Angela Correll's writing and development of fictional characters from her previous trilogy of novels. Restored in Tuscany is a memoir of events involving Angela and her husband. The author shows great versatility and competence in story development. There are many self- discoveries learned and shared by Angela that you are sure to appreciate and identify with on some personal level. The book was a quick read, it held my interest, and did not disappoint with great jewels of wisdom throughout. I am now very interested in experiencing Tuscany for myself one day.

[Dana Poynter · Rating 5 out of 5]

It may take reading a book to realize you never truly grieved one of the most important people in your life. This book made me also stop and think about all the stuff I busy my life with and what I need to give up so I can enjoy the things that matter most. An excellent read!

[Donna Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely could not put it down..... Gives you hope and CLARITY...

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Restored in Tuscany is a beautifully writtten memoir of growth amidst loss set in a farm in Kentucky and a tiny village in Tuscany. The author shares transparent insight into her own struggles and yearning. Carl Rogers said, “what is most personal is most universal” and that is so true of this memoir. You will see your own struggles in this work. It is a quick and uplifting read. 5 stars for sure!

[LeaAnn Poynter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Angela can see beauty and healing in everyday things around her to help her face heartache, grief, and life in general in "Restored in Tuscany." I feel after reading you will want to travel to her little village in Italy or even Stanford, KY in hopes that you will run into her and can invite her to sit down with you for a good strong cup of coffee and talk about "Restored in Tuscany". Her faith shines in her words on every page and will help you to find beauty and healing in all God's creation.

[Robin Noe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela has done it again! Words just can’t express how proud I am of her. She is an amazing woman, author and friend. The book definitely touches the heart and makes you look inside yourself and helps discover what you can be when we are determined. Amazing is all I can say.

[Shirley Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela’s book took me back to my only trip to Tuscany and has me eager to return to that ancient village to view that glorious view out the back door, and eat another ripe fig from their tree. Her personal journey inspired me to look at my own needed restoration of mind and soul.

[Annie Sostok · Rating 5 out of 5]

A counselor once told me that it’s always good to do healing work with a piece of chocolate on hand. Angela’s honest invitation to process our own stories, others’ stories that have impacted us and to also healing to be beautiful in its rawness, is a piece of chocolate through her words, pictures and stories in “Restored in Tuscany.”

I admire and look up to you in so many ways, my friend. Thank you for sharing your heart work with all who open your book’s pages - it’s a work of God’s glory that shines.

“By the same measure, this longing for wholeness and perfection, for restoration and fulfillment, for peace and communion with God, proves to me that it indeed exists. One day, when we are able to look back on the fullness of our lives and see it in whole, I believe there will be a beautiful tapestry of vivid color made only more vibrant by the contrast of the dark threads that surround the color.” (p. 231)

Grazie mille, Angela!

[Juliette · Rating 1 out of 5]

Milquetoast.
That’s the most charitable descriptor for this book.

An American woman and her husband bought a Tuscan home that was built in the late 1800s. They then turn it into a replica of their home in Kentucky because there’s no place like home, I guess.

Stylistically, I could ignore her scoffing at Italians’ preference for yellow walls. (My own home’s walls are varying pastels of yellows that change with the sunlight.)

I could maybe understand her frustration with Italy’s mandated energy conservation.

I query her befuddlement over the country having so many Catholics, that Catholics have so many holidays and festivals. (It shares a peninsula with the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, but maybe she didn’t know that.)

I raised my eyebrows when she left the room so that her husband could have a private call with their financial advisor (and spiritual advisor?) about using their money to buy a house in Italy together.

I cannot forgive her ripping out the iron window bars that were original to the house, that honored the Tuscan town’s medieval heritage. She said she felt called by Jesus to open her heart. (She probably never read Proverbs 4:23.)

If you’d like a primer on how to transport 20th century American tastes to ancient (or even medieval) Italy, this is for you.
If your decorating tastes favor shades of gray, this book is for you.

[Katie Farthing · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written story of the constant struggle between doing more and rest. Of renewal but also holding onto the past. Of finding peace in God but also in a place that contrasts greatly with home. A story that will grab you in the first line and continue to pull you along as you learn to love the people and the Tuscan village the same way the author does. A literary work of art.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. But once I was finished I realized this book had sooo much sadness and loss woven in, it’s kind of depressing!! The author is trying to inspire others to grow as individuals, focus on the things and people you love, get rid of unneeded stress and negativity. But the end of the book came and I still felt the author was holding onto all of her grief and stress that she had in the beginning, if not more! It made me depressed reading it to be honest once I was all done. I did appreciate the religious aspect of the novel though.

[Lillian LeBlanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every now and then, a book lands in your hands, bearing just the right message at just the right moment. For me, one such book is Restored in Tuscany.

The story resonated so strongly, with an incredible number of personal parallels. For example, several Scriptural references connected to readings I had the week prior to starting Restored in Tuscany. The book opens with a description of the author's previous trip to Tuscany which was abruptly interrupted- an experience similar to my own. The author is approaching a milestone birthday and is pondering how to "reset" - check, check… and much, much more.

Even if the story doesn’t hit you in the gut with deep, personal connection (as it did for me), you'll love the trip to Tuscany. You'll meet wonderful characters, gaze on breathtaking scenery, and sample delectable food as you experience the triumphs and travails of transforming a relatively nondescript building into an historic marvel.

The photographs accompanying the story are icing on the cake… or, more appropriately, perhaps, the cream in the cornetti.

[Maureen Elwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not often that a book about someone else's life makes me examine mine, but since I stepped into the vineyard with Angela Correll in Restored in Tuscany, I've been examining my need to stop, refresh, and restore. I can't seem to get the image of perfectly good grapes being pruned from the vine in order to make better wine out of my mind! I am delighting as Angela leads her readers through this season of her life experiencing how this exact process can play out in real time.
Angela's honest account of buying a home in a foreign country allows the reader to experience her story while meeting the villagers in her new home, described on a breathtaking canvas which leads us to feel as if we are right there with her.
This book is a delight for the senses as well as an inspiration for the soul!

[Dorothy Drobney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book for several reasons - first, is that I have had a dream of moving to Tuscany and restoring an old home since watching the movie, Under the Tuscan Sun! While that dream will probably never come true for me, I was happy when a friend said I must read this memoir and became involved in watching Angela's dream coming true. Second, while our life circumstances are/were very different, in some cases they mirrored each other. Angela had some profound changes in her life - loss of parents, friends, and friends' children - and I could certainly identify with those. But, a loss that she describes in her epilogue really struck home and brought me to tears as I have suffered the same. A quick read, I highly recommend this book...especially if you enjoy travel and dream of living in a place with a deep, deep history.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela Correll’s latest book, Restored in Tuscany, is a unique one. It’s a travel memoir about her learning Italy and its people. It’s about restoring a building and a life, learning to let go not just of control but of loved ones, the hardest letting go there is. Her descriptions of Italy are spot on – I can hear the buzz of the Ape as it motors toward her, the hills and mountains as seen from the terrace of their property, and the warmth of the locals who adopt Angela and Jess as their own. Angela writes with a rare vulnerability, sharing her heart, her joys and her pains, her gains and her losses. And all this with a sense of humor, too! What an enjoyable, satisfying book she has given us.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The story of renovating the home in Italy was interesting but even more so, I was moved by the author's faith journey. She captures it beautifully in this sentence, "The secret of la dolce vita for me is a lingering appreciation for faith, family, food, friends, and the peace and contentment that well up when that lingering is allowed to bear fruit."

While I have not met Jess and Angela Correll personally, I grew up in Stanford, KY and have a deep appreciation for all they've done for my hometown. And, I'm a HUGE fan of her goat milk soap. 🙂 So, this book helped me learned to appreciate them on a deeper level.

I've also read her 3 novels and enjoyed them as well. Angela Correll is a gifted writer with a beautiful story to share.

[Josh Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an inspiring read about finding meaning amongst new surroundings and personal tragedy, in the vein of "A Year in Provence," "Under the Tuscan Sun," and, yes, a little "Eat Pray Love." The author is witty and relatable (despite owning a villa in Italy!)—an instant friend when you crack open the book. She offers some incredibly astute observations about facing misfortune during a time of great abundance in her life, namely in the way she finds purpose through loss and everyday life challenges. Instead of wallowing, she picks up the pieces in an attempt to understand how she can use hardship to better herself, her home, and the people around her. We could all use a little bit of that in our lives.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful, enjoyable, insightful

Reading this journey of restoration was such a pleasure! The new culture discovered is alluring—and yet so attainable. Just having it called to my attention has already helped me to slow down my pace so that I can interact more with my neighbors and begin to make community where I find myself.

Angela’s learning to prune even the good so that the better may come is a lesson we all need to learn. I appreciate her insightful applications of her observations as well as her vulnerability. This was a lovely read which surprised me by touching me deeply and opening doorways for grief and healing. Thank you, Angela, for sharing your restoration!

[Yvonne Salfinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished a preview version of Restored in Tuscany. Thoroughly enjoyed.
A true account of finding peace in Tuscany-"Maybe it’s time to think of my life like a vineyard. I must first cut the dead branches serving no purpose." @AuthorAngelaCorrell #RestoredInTuscany https://angelacorrell.com/books/resto...
This reflects on the author's viewing a vineyard where good grapes are pruned to enhance more the rest of the grape growing on the vine. The author contemplates in the book the best way to do this in her life.

[Bret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already written a blurb for this beautiful book (see the back cover), but I'm here on Goodreads to further urge readers to get hold of Restored in Tuscany and settle in to its beauty and grace and voice and texture and Tuscany-ness, to its tale of faith and courage and patience and tragedy and wherewithal, and especially to get to know the home Angela and her husband Jess restored over the course of time. It's a wonderful read--and I'm honored to have my words on its cover in support of Angela and this story.

[Rachel Correll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Angela Correll has done it again. I am captivated by her words and experiences in this memoir. Restored in Tuscany is her story of negotiation - beauty in the midst of grief, old hurts lost in a new home, seeking simplicity but things get complicated. While learning a new language and restoring a historic home, Correll navigates sorrow and loss and finds peace and beauty as the dust clears. This is a must read - beautiful truths are spoken that can help anyone on their journey to restoration. Thank you for another wonderful book!

[Tiffany Malloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the minute I started reading this book I was already thinking about the next time I would get to pick it up again. The author has a great talent for writing in such a way that you actually feel like you’re walking along the streets of Tuscany, and taking in the sights and smells right along with her. She weaves her own story of grief and healing into the story in such an amazing way, it really nudged me to examine the losses I’ve had in the last year and process where I am in my own grief journey.

[Raye Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Angela Correll takes us along as she reveals her healing journey through faith, love and finding community in a tiny village in Tuscany. We are with her as she reflects on her past and purposely chooses healing amid charming backdrops in Tuscany and central Kentucky.
Restored in Tuscany is an inspiration for anyone to examine our past and make peace and room for growth in the second half of life!
A huge bonus is how beautiful the actual book is in hand! Gorgeous pictures take us into the beautiful restoration of a Tuscan village home.

[Kathy Crown-weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to audio version narrated by the author. Personal narration felt very authentic and intimate. I started with her fourth book rather than her first. I live in her Kentucky ‘ neck of the woods’. We have met and share many acquaintances. I occasionally fantasize about living part time abroad in some remote village (though with genealogical significance.) Mostly, I share in her angst to let go, and let God. If it were easy, I’d have already done it. Many thanks, Angela, for sharing your personal struggles.

[Glenda York · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author's love of Italy comes through so strongly, she makes you love it too. Not just the amazing countryside and vistas, but the culture and people shine through on every page. And how she relates this "restoration" of an Italian getaway home to the major life events she goes through during the process is truly magical. Her descriptive phrases (whether applied to Italy, or to her home and life in Kentucky) are lyrical, thought provoking, and uplifting...all at the same time. I feel like I've been with her every step of the way. That's powerful writing.

[Jeanette Michalets · Rating 3 out of 5]

|While I enjoyed this memoir, I found it to be a bit superficial. I feel the author could have gone into more detail in many parts of the book. She mentions conflicts, deaths, the stress of running multiple businesses, but it felt to me as though she skimmed over much of this when more detail and a slower pace would have enhanced her story. Even the two-year restoration of a house in Italy was treated lightly. I would have liked to have known more of the nitty-gritty of how it was to restore a home in Italy while living in the United States.