The actor Michael Tucker and his wife, the actress Jill Eikenberry, having sent their last child off to college, were vacationing in Italy when they happened upon a small cottage nestled in the Umbrian countryside. The three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Rustico sat perched on a hill in the verdant Spoleto valley amid an olive grove and fruit trees of every kind. For the Tuckers, it was literally love at first sight, and the couple purchased the house without testing the water pressure or checking for signs of termites. Shedding the vestiges of their American life, Michael and Jill endeavored to learn the language, understand the nuances of Italian culture, and build a home in this new chapter of their lives. Both a celebration of a good marriage and a careful study of the nature of home, Living in a Foreign Language is a gorgeous, organic travelogue written with an epicurean’s delight in detail and a gourmand’s appreciation for all things fine.
Living in a Foreign Language
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In this lighthearted memoir by television's former L.A. Law star, Tucker delve graciously into the rich lifestyle, cuisine and local wine of central Italy when he and his wife, actress Jill Eikenberry, make an impromptu purchase of a 350-year-old stone cottage in the Umbrian countryside. The Tuckers break away from the Bay Area to acquaint themselves with the Rustico, their new second home. Despite speaking limited Italian, they quickly befriend their expatriate and Italian neighbors and with them set out to celebrate the regional cuisine found in local trattorias, tavernas and the aromatic kitchens of new acquaintances. Language gaffes and the occasional couple's spat is to be expected, as the Tuckers begin to re-evaluate their lives. The simplicity and heartiness of Umbria begins to feel more like home for them, and little by little the Tuckers let go of their more career-ambitious lives in the U.S. Jill's revitalization of her theater career in New York becomes as much of an accomplishment as her taking art classes with 16 non-English-speaking Italian housewives. Tucker simply appreciates his relationships forged with Gloria, the owner of the local orta-frutta shop and the town's butchers. Guileless narrative intertwined with generous descriptions of Italian fare make Tucker's food memoir and travelogue a satisfying look into the good life. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Driving through Italy, television actors Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry and her young Korean^B assistant are seduced by the stately, relaxed pace of Italian life. Swapping their dream of a house in Provence for an Italian venue, they find a friend's home for sale near Spoleto, and Tucker quickly seals a deal. The delights of Italian food awaken Tucker's latent epicure. His determined compulsion to savor every edible raised on local farms ultimately obliges him to spend some serious hours at the local gym. Returning for a time to their California home, they want to share their love of Italian food by hosting a dinner party, but egocentric American friends can't even gracefully accept this generous invitation, citing a catalog of dietary restrictions and food fears. Foodies will slaver and bristle with envy at the surfeit of pungently fresh truffles that appear at seemingly every meal. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
“ It is finished and ready to be sent off to a local library as I type and am still trying to read through all of the other non-fiction books I ordered at the same time! ”
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
60 of 65 people found the following review helpful
By Hike-a-holic
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I had to really think about buying this book. So many books by movie starts just do not keep my interest. With great reservations I added it to my order along with several other non-fiction books I thought would keep my interest going if this turned out to be a dud.
"WOW!!!!" I could not put this book down! It is finished and ready to be sent off to a local library as I type and am still trying to read through all of the other non-fiction books I ordered at the same time!
If you are an armchair traveler, foodie, like humor, or enjoy just a good love story, this book has all of those ingredients plus more.
Plus the writing is excellent - much better than this review!
"WOW!!!!" I could not put this book down! It is finished and ready to be sent off to a local library as I type and am still trying to read through all of the other non-fiction books I ordered at the same time!
If you are an armchair traveler, foodie, like humor, or enjoy just a good love story, this book has all of those ingredients plus more.
Plus the writing is excellent - much better than this review!
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
While it has been said that living well is the best revenge, actor Michael Tucker might say living well is the only way to go. His delightful over-too-soon memoir of sojourns in Italy leads one to believe that he knows what the good life is and has made it his own.
Tucker, his actress wife Jill Eikenberry, and their good friend Caroline established a goal for themselves during a vacation in Italy - it was "to slow down our hearts and minds until they synched up with the circadian rhythm of the Italian countryside."
What happened was they lost their hearts to a 350-year-old rustico sitting on a hillside in the Spoleto valley. For Tucker, an unabashed gourmet, gourmand and all around foodie, the clincher was the forno, an oven older than the rustico which once had been where all the village women baked their bread. Situated beside the house, it stood alone, was covered, and would accommodate a very large animal. The forno would be the place where friends gathered for good food, great wine, and stimulating conversation.
The story of how they bought the rustico, refurbished it, and accomplished all of this while trekking between New York and Mill Valley, California, is warm, touching and often hilarious. At heart it is a love story, the love shared by Tucker and his wife, and their mutual love for Italy. For them, it is a totally new state of heart and mind. As Tucker explains, it is a "philosophical country," where one visits with friends at table discussing life's important questions, such as, "what one is going to eat at one's next meal, which will be coming up in a few hours."
Delizioso!
- Gail Cooke
Tucker, his actress wife Jill Eikenberry, and their good friend Caroline established a goal for themselves during a vacation in Italy - it was "to slow down our hearts and minds until they synched up with the circadian rhythm of the Italian countryside."
What happened was they lost their hearts to a 350-year-old rustico sitting on a hillside in the Spoleto valley. For Tucker, an unabashed gourmet, gourmand and all around foodie, the clincher was the forno, an oven older than the rustico which once had been where all the village women baked their bread. Situated beside the house, it stood alone, was covered, and would accommodate a very large animal. The forno would be the place where friends gathered for good food, great wine, and stimulating conversation.
The story of how they bought the rustico, refurbished it, and accomplished all of this while trekking between New York and Mill Valley, California, is warm, touching and often hilarious. At heart it is a love story, the love shared by Tucker and his wife, and their mutual love for Italy. For them, it is a totally new state of heart and mind. As Tucker explains, it is a "philosophical country," where one visits with friends at table discussing life's important questions, such as, "what one is going to eat at one's next meal, which will be coming up in a few hours."
Delizioso!
- Gail Cooke
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I'm going to miss this delightful book. I couldn't put it down. It's the wonderful tale of two love affairs; one with a region, the other one with a life partner! I found myself waking up in the middle of the nite every nite this week to read a bit more, but I didn't hurry thru it, instead I savored every word and every luscious description of food/drink/friends and countryside. I cried when I first started reading it, as it made me long for the Umbria of our recent vacation. And of course i cried a, when i put the book down at the end too. All good tears. My only fear is that this book will turn too many people onto the currently unspoiled beauty and perfection of Umbria. Shhhhhh... Please keep it a secret! Michael Tucker's writing is delicious--and I highly recommend LIVING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE to anyone who loves Italy, food, family or friends!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Umbria...the green heart of Italy!
This is a lovely book, a beautiful journey of falling deeper into the love of Italy, an honest explanation of what is takes to let go of your American life and be fully immersed in... Read more
Published 12 days ago by nancy del duca
5.0 out of 5 stars
Living in a Foreign Language
This is an excellent book. It is an eye opening and entertaining memoir about life in Italy. It's a great read, I loved it.
Published 1 month ago by lisa
4.0 out of 5 stars
good story
It is a good story that doesn't require a lot of brain power to read. If you are interested in living or traveling to foreign places, I recommend it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. Nelson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tucker is funny, honest and totally himself
"The tiny stone house sits tucked into the side of the hill so that our bedroom window isn't exposed to the early rays of the sun, but that morning I was up with the first soft... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Suzanne Dobbins
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great companion during my trip to Italy!
I loved reading this book as I made my first trip to Italy. The descriptions were beautiful and added an even more personal touch to everything I experienced!
Published 1 month ago by Abby Silbert
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love the local culture
We are traveling to Umbria later this year and found the culture and cuisine represented here to be intriguing. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Michelle I. Walker
3.0 out of 5 stars
Living In a Foreign Language
Just did not like it that much. Really a couple of movie stars, completely self-absorbed in their Italy experience, lots of money and living La Vida Loca.
Published 3 months ago by V. McBride
5.0 out of 5 stars
great for "foodie travelers"!
I had originally seen this book in a Seattle bookstore years ago and noted the title being both a foodie(especially Italian food) and an "Italophile" in general. Read more
Published 5 months ago by pandalady
5.0 out of 5 stars
A most entertaining book
Part cookbook, part travel book, and very personal. A nice sharing of the ups and downs of life. Emphasizes the importance of family and good friends.
Published 5 months ago by Carol Gonet
4.0 out of 5 stars
Memoir of love and friendship
Easy to read story about learning to live in Italy in a small town - lots about food and friends. The underlying love story makes it interesting, as does the fact that these are... Read more
Published 5 months ago by puzzler
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