Altared

A Tale of Renovating a Medieval Church in Tuscany

By: Kyle Tackwell Ball

Narrated by: Pamela Almand

An invasion of mysterious bugs, the discovery of hundreds of skeletons in the backyard and occasional visitations from a ghost who smoked Marlboro Lights weren't what I had in mind when I dreamed of owning a home in Tuscany. My search for a quaint country house in move-in condition near Florence instead led to the purchase of an abandoned church we fondly referred to as "The Italian Money Pit", and the project took several years to complete.

The New York Times notable author, Dario Castagno, describes Altared: A Tale of Renovating a Medieval Church in Tuscany as "a heartfelt chronicle of an unforeseen connection to a crumbling church and apartment. It's a tongue-in-cheek collection of some of the zaniest local characters - their tics, attitudes, ways, and weaknesses." The church's before and after story entitled "A Classical Epiphany" appeared in an eight-page spread in the March 2010 issue of Architectural Digest. This light-hearted memoir will transport you to Tuscany and proves the challenges were worth the end results. "Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations."

©2020 Kyle Tackwell Ball (P)2021 Kyle Tackwell Ball

Brought many wonderful memories to my mind

Having visited Italy several times over the last 20 years and having had wonderful experiences each time, the story took me back to that wonderful place in my mind. I enjoyed listening to Pamela Almand tell the story with her peaceful voice but wish the book was also available in print as I would like to have a copy of it. I'm one of those crazy people who still likes to turn the pages.

Engaging, humorous, informative, and reminiscent

Kyle’s account of her restoration project in Tuscany is candid and fun. It reminded me of some of my most quirky, memorable and scenic experiences traveling in Tuscany. A quick read, I found Pamela Almand’s performance very expressive, as if the experience had been her own. I listened on a trip from Atlanta to Charlotte and will probably give it a second hearing on my way back to Atlanta’

Reads like a novel

This was fascinating and funny and warm & the narration really made it humorous and personal. It was good that the reader spoke Italian since there was a lot and the author learning Italian was a human side of it. That was an awesome project and I wish I had seen it. Author should write more. I like her style and humor.