This is a fun escape into a new venture. The author takes the reader along to the new life he and his wife are experiencing as they share the beauty and excitement of living among the Italian olive groves and fig trees with a few sips of wine and great pasta! Learning the language as they live it is as delightful as it is challenging.

Michael Tucker is a great story teller and this story will make you want to pack your bag. As with most TV actors you feel you know Tucker and his wife Jill Eikenberry (LA Law). The story of finding and remodeling an italian farm house is every traveler's dream. Tucker's description of the house, the village, and becoming part of the community is engaging. The only problem is the story ends too soon!

Basically this book is a diary of Michael Tucker's time in Umbria and the things they ate while they were there. While it is midly entertaining - it's definately not the best travelogue I've ever read. Also I thought author came off as condesending which was a real turn off to read.

If you are at all a sensualist, particularly with regard to food, this is a must read. There are other enjoyable aspects to the book - the relationship between Mr. Tucker and his wife, reflections on friendship and celebrity, with a nod to learning to become "unfamous".

But the core of the book is an epicurean approach to life. The story serves, really, as illustration of a way of seeing food, wine and even love.

Nice work. I can't wait for the next book.

This is a sweet, entertaining little book I thoroughly enjoyed. If you want a light read and enjoy being exceedingly envious of another's lifestyle, this is the book for you.

Reading this books is like visiting Umbria in Italy vicariously. Michael Tucker's description of the country, the food, and the wine and only increase my desire to visit Italy. However, I don't think I could indulge in the food and wine as much as he does! It's also good to see that one Hollywood couple has established a good long, loving relationship. Great read if you love Italy.

I highly recommend this book. If you love travel stories that are well-written and funny, this is it. Mr. Tucker has written a charming story of the good life and a wonderful marriage. Makes me want to book my ticket to Italy sooner rather than later. Well done, Mr. Tucker, you have a real talent for the written word.

Loved the first part, hated the last third. Having lived in Italy, I could see many of my own experiences and observations reflected. Add in some "celebrity perspective", and you've got me! But about two-thirds into the book, I could no longer maintain interest, and had to force my way to the finish. Good overall effort, and worth reading for those who have already read the others of this ilk and want more, but there are better books of this type out there.

This book, Living in a Foreign Language, is a delightful read, making the reader wish to join these ex-pats in Italy! Tucker's writing is fast-moving and evokes a real mental 'taste' of the country, its people and enjoyment of food and food preparation.

This is a sleeper. Once you start you cann't put it down. You are taking on an adventure and you feel part of it. You learn about a true love story and buying a place in Italy and getting to know the locals. The place, food, wine and how about the 400 year old pizza oven. Wonderful..couldn't put it down. At the end you wonder could they let you rent this place?
Marie, St. Louis, MO

I admit it, me, one of the most dedicated Italophiles around, finally got fed up with this account of Hollywood meets Italy. Even more so with a Jew raving about the pork products. Sheesh! If you want something more than privileged movie stars getting (what else?) the star treatment, try Ferenc Mate's "The Hills of Tuscany".

This book was fantastic. Having spent time in Italy, I found that Tucker painted a wonderfully fleshed-out picture of living there. I cannot even count how many people I recommended this book to, who also loved it.

I loved Tucker's humor and his take on living in Italy and the way he related to his wife and friends. I want to be their friend!!!!!

Highly recommended--- and I want to read more. I wish he kept a blog. As soon as I closed the book, I started to miss this couple.

Michael Tucker is a very good story teller and I really enjoyed this book. Very funny, and very easy to read. One of the better books I've read about living in Italy. You'll love it!

Just finished reading this book and I have to say it's very charming. Although when it comes to writing, Michael Tucker is no Frances Mayes, but he's still able to effectively capture the essense of Umbria. It's hard not to fall in love with the new life that he has created for himself and his wife, Jill. Also, throughout the book, there are photos. The book flows smoothly like a good glass of wine and it leaves the reader wanting more.

Just finished reading this book and I have to say it's very charming. Although when it comes to writing, Michael Tucker is no Frances Mayes, but he's still able to effectively capture the essense of Umbria. It's hard not to fall in love with the new life that he has created for himself and his wife, Jill. The book flows smoothly like a good glass of wine and it leaves the reader wanting more.

There were parts of this book (mostly the food descriptions) that were fun to read, but they were overwhelmed by the goofy stuff about being a celebrity and the oddball relationship between the author and his wife.

A wonderfully written, fun and compelling homage to Michael Tucker's wife (Jill Eikenberry) and their village and expatriate friends in Italy. I thought that I'd read all of the really good -- and many truly horrible -- descriptions of living abroad so I was quite surprised to find that I couldn't put this glorious one down. Sit back with a glass of wine (or two or more) and let his narrative whisk you away to one of the loveliest (and obviously most liveable) spots on earth. Watch out Peter Mayle -- an actor is quickly gaining on you!

I picked up this book and didn't put it down until I finished-except to drink my Prosecco! Michael makes you feel like you are there with him and his wife Jill. Follow them while they fall in love with everything Italian, buy a house and experience living in a small Italian town with all the obstacles and highpoints. Highly recommended!!

Michael Tucker delivers an enjoyable and easy read that will, at times, make you laugh out loud. A bit smug and self righteous later in the book when he indulges readers, as many Hollywood types do, with his personal politics creating an unexpected and unnessary edge (if you disagree) from what had been a thoroughly pleasurable read. Perhaps for the sequel Mr. Tucker could work his political views into the title or leave them out of the book entirely.

I couldn't put this book down, and when I came to the last page, I felt like Caroline (their friend and assistant) must have felt when they moved away. I wish I was in Umbria with them, enjoying the food, wine and scenery. This was a quick and fun read, over much too soon.

Michael Tucker takes us with him to Italy--and it is a joyous ride. His sense of humor, his gourmet food taste, his charming descriptions of his friends and family let us share vicariously in his experiences. I thoroughly enjoyed this book--hope he will write some more. He is a very nice guy!!!

If you are a lover of food, wine, Italy, or were a fan of LA Law, you don't want to miss this book. Michael Tucker's love of the good life jumps off the page and infects you from beginning to end. And guess what--it doesn't take place in Tuscany! He and his wife Jill bought their "Rustico" in the olive groves of Umbria, a much less touristy area. I enjoyed every minute I spent in their company as I read through this delightful journal.

This book is perfect for anyone who has ever fantasized about living in a different country. Tucker's descriptive account made me feel as though I was right there in Italy with him, drinking wine and waiting for a pizza to come out of the forno. This is not a story of a great vacation; it is a story of a major lifestyle change. I enjoyed every little detail he shared in the book, from visiting the local butcher shop to finding where to dump the garbage. Tucker and Eikenberry's romantic journey into the next stage of their lives warmed my heart and tantalized my taste buds. I cannot wait to go back to Europe!

I certainly enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the scenery and food of Umbria and admire the Tucker's devotion to their adopted country but wonder if it all was as easy as they portray. I would feel the story would be more true-to-life if some of the difficulties of this move were delineated. Even the account of running to catch the plane in Rome seemed far-fetched. The gates close at 10 minutes before take-off for us ordinary folk. I wondered why they merited such special treatment. Tucker certainly seems like a congenial chap but maybe a bit too self-satisfied. While well written, it seemed a bit breezy to me. A little more realism is called for.

For anyone who has been to Tuscany/Umbria, or who dreams of going, this is a wonderful, easy book written in a witty style by a very down-to-earth guy you know from TV, but who has the heart of a true Italian. Travelling often to Italy for just the reasons Michael Tucker does, reading this book was like a short trip home to the land I love. Enjoy!

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. Like a newsy letter from a dear friend, I didn't want it to end. As a matter of fact, I saw the book's ending as the perfect opening for a sequel - kind of a "I know it's been awhile since I wrote..." type of followup. How exciting to go from having a "crush" on a country and culture to falling deeply and madly in love with it. And sharing that experience with the love of your life, as Michael did with Jill, just puts it over the top. I highly recommend this book for a quick read that will make you smile.

Ok, I realize I will be in the minority here, but it would be a boring world if we all agreed. I was quite excited to get this book, since I love reading others' adventures in foreign lands. However, I just could not warm up to Michael Tucker and his style of writing. He comes across as pretentious, and arrogrant. Ok, he is against the war. So am I, so is most of the country by now. That doesn't mean you have to act like a ninny by refusing to let the Italian workers hang an American flag at his home. He had no qualms about making his money here, and yet he acts like this country is now beneath him. And, since he and his friends are so big on political correctness, what's up with eating baby lambs, calves and practically every other creature that wanders the earth? It's disgusting, and with the detail he goes into about the dead animals they are about to chew on, it seems more like Texas Chainsaw Massacre than a travelogue.
I could go on about the other things I did not like, but I think you get the point. Plain and simple, I did not like him or his style, and if you don't have that connection with an author, you will never like his/her story.

I fun adventure into food, wine and friends. The lifestyle everyone would love to live.

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!

In a back cover review, Bernadette Peters said she never wanted to finish the book because it was so good. I agree. It felt like I was living this journey and it was so fulfilling. It's a life we all wish we could live where love, food and just enjoying the every day gift of living instead of the usual rat race we pursue is relished. I hope Michael one day writes a sequel.

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

Whatever anxieties I may have had about reading another book about the tales of another couple buying a place in Italy vanished completely after the first few pages. What a charming, simpatico, marvelously and expertly opinionated (his paragraph about Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy is spot-on true and priceless) writer Michael Tucker is. Writing about Umbria, his infallible and beautifully observed sense of place, warmth, sensitivity, humor, exuberance, and intelligence shine through to give the reader an absolutely wonderful and informative experience, as near to enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of Italy as possible without actually, enviously being there. Mr. Tucker's book is without a doubt, one of the most delightful books I've had the pleasure to read in years.

Read this book in less than 24 hours, couldn't put it down. I'm not sure which I enjoyed most -- descriptions of the countryside, food, wine, the house purchase/renovation, friendships or Jill and Michael's love affair. I hated for the book to end!

It's hard to not be influenced by "celebrity" when the book is written by a celebrity. But I dare you to put down this delightful book and not want to sit down for a dinner with this couple, with wine and stories--whether in Umbria or anywhere! Michael Tucker cannot help but be the lover of life that he projects. You can't fake that.

Conversational, personal and frisky. A delightful read.

I devoured this book in less than 12 hours. It is absolutely charming. If you are looking for inspiration for the way to pursue life then this book will provide it.
Many years ago my husband and I shared a picnic dinner on a train in Italy with our seat mates who were Italians. Neither of us spoke much of each others language but it was one of the best meals I have ever eaten. This story by Michael Tucker brought back many warm and wonderful memories.

Can't wait to read. I am just ordering. Heard Michael & Jill on Public radio yesterday. We have a friend whose daughter married a young man from Spoletto & we visited there last summer with our young children. It was lovely, enchanting, beautiful. We will return again to make more memories. Regarding the truffles: We ate them in every meal! Best wishes to the Tuckers.

I just finished this book and I can't believe how true it was to our own experiences in visiting Umbria and the surrounding area last fall. Michael, thank you for sharing your intimate story with all of us. I only wish that this book was longer and that the tale continued. All the best to you and the beautiful Jill.

Mr Tucker gives the reader the Cook's Tour of Umbria Italy and the life that he and his wife have led and continue to lead. Michael Tucker clearly subscribes to the philosophy that ,"living well is the best revenge" and he is... revengeful. I have never been to that part of the world, but after reading, "Living in a Foreign Language" and the authors wonderful anecdotes and descriptive passages I can almost conjure up the town where their "Rustico" resides. I liked him on TV and now in print. Enjoy...la dolce vita.

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!

Simplicity, adventure, lightness, travels, discovery, smiles, laughter, companionship, trust, friendship, but above all, love.

It is real, real life, real lives, real people, real feelings. And good ones.

As I finished to read the book, I can't say that I got to know this sweet couple, but I sure would love to. (another plus: great humor too!)