We Thought They'd Never Leave

Musings on Food and Family

About The Book

From Emmy, Tony, and Golden Globe winner Tony Shalhoub comes a delightful, heartfelt memoir about food, family, recipes, and the stories we pass down around the table.

Every summer for over five decades, more than fifty members of the Shalhoub family have gathered in Door County, Wisconsin, for a week of home-cooked meals, fiercely competitive card games, old stories, new memories, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting.

Written with his daughter Josie Adams, We Thought They’d Never Leave is Tony Shalhoub’s warm and deeply personal reflection on the people who shaped him. Through stories spanning four generations—from an orphaned Lebanese boy who survived wartime hunger to the sprawling family he would one day help create—Tony traces the Lebanese American family traditions, meals, and rituals that continue to bring the Shalhoubs back together year after year.

Along the way, the beloved actor known for Monk and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel reflects on growing up as one of ten children in a lively Lebanese American household in Green Bay, Wisconsin; navigating family life, work, and parenthood; and helping preserve a reunion that has become a beloved family institution. Also included are twenty treasured family recipes, ranging from stuffed grape leaves and tabbouleh to Midwestern chili and cherry pie.

Filled with unforgettable characters, deeply moving stories, and Tony’s signature humor, We Thought They’d Never Leave is an invitation to join the Shalhoub table, where everyone has an opinion, everyone is expected to pitch in, and there’s always room for one more.

About The Author

Mindy Tucker

Tony Shalhoub is an Emmy-, Tony-, and Golden Globe–winning actor whose career spans film, television, and theater. He is best known for his roles in MonkThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Wings, and has appeared in dozens of acclaimed films and television projects. On Broadway, he has performed in The Band’s Visit, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, as well as Conversations with My FatherGolden Boy, and Act One. He has also received multiple Screen Actors Guild Awards, among numerous other honors recognizing his work on stage and screen. We Thought They’d Never Leave is his debut book.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Gallery Books (October 27, 2026)
  • Length: 272 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781668227749

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Raves and Reviews

"Tony Shalhoub's talent knows no bounds. His writing is as witty, warm, and charming as he is." —Stanley Tucci

"Tony is a longtime friend, and while reading his and Josie's wonderful book, I couldn't help but be bothered that he's never invited me to dinner." —Seth Meyers

"This is my kind of book—hilarious and warm stories of family, surrounded by love and food! Tony and his daughter Josie have invited us to their big, beautiful table, and I might not be leaving." —Phil Rosenthal

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