My Italian Guestbook

"My Italian Guestbook is an upbeat collection of stories about Annette Joseph's revival of a twelfth-century fortress in the Lunigiana countryside. From the unexpected challenges of La Fortezza's first photo-styling workshop to a romantic liaison between a local butcher and an American vegetarian, the colorful characters and entertaining anecdotes in this galloping read are bound to make you crave a Tuscan adventure or three."  -- Helen Farrell, Editor-in-Chief, The Florentine
"Cross Martha Stewart with Sophia Loren, then add a dollop of Lucille Ball, and you'll get Annette Joseph, the irrepressible author of the wildly entertaining My Italian Guestbook. In the hills of northern Tuscany, Joseph invites guests to the 12th century fortress she restored with style and the force of her own will. From her cooking and serving prowess to her lust for life, Joseph's laugh-out-loud book shows why anyone who enters her orbit is a very lucky guest indeed."  -- Ingrid Abramovitch, Executive Editor, Elle Decor Magazine
"The consummate hostess, Annette's lively descriptions and deep love for Lunigiana make every sentence shine. I laughed my way through the book—beyond entertaining!" -- Rachael McKeon, Editor-in-Chief, SUITCASE Magazine
"There are many who dream about life in Italy and Annette Joseph has long been the gospel of tackling real-life situations in il bel paese with her witty way of telling stories. In My Italian Guestbook, she shares her personal experience of setting up creative workshops in her renovated fortress in Tuscany's Lunigiana and all of the trials and tribulations that come with it. From 'breadgate' to unexpected romantic liaisons and a wild boar cornering a guest, anyone would delight in Annette's adventures and likely want to become a guest themselves."  -- Georgette Jupe, Creator of the wildly popular blog, Girl in Florence, Editor at Italy Magazine
"This book is NOT Under the Tuscan Sun. Annette Joseph takes us on a nonstop adventure in real time. What is it like in the Italian countryside when one buys an old fortress, renovates it little by little, then turns it into artistic retreats? It becomes a place of wild fun stories, and crazy interesting guests, divine food, and lots of laughs. Sign me up!"  -- Debi Mazar, Actress