Photo by Emily Knecht

Josie Adams is a writer, producer, and founder of House of Water, an independent, female-forward production company focused on unexpected stories that promote unique change.
She is the co-author, with her father, actor Tony Shalhoub, of We Thought They’d Never Leave: Musings on Food & Family, a culinary memoir forthcoming from Simon & Schuster on October 27, 2026. It is available for preorder now.
Her essays and stories have appeared in or are forthcoming from The Cut, LitHub, McSweeney’s, Bon Appétit, and Audible. She is also the co-author, with Kati O’Hearn, of a middle-grade eco-fantasy novel currently on submission, and the author of an illustrated children’s book soon to be announced.
She recently appeared in two episodes of the CNN Originals series Tony Shalhoub: Breaking Bread. She holds a BFA in Theatre from CalArts, as well as multiple culinary degrees.
Adopted at birth from Omaha, Nebraska and raised in Los Angeles, she now lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.

We Thought They’d Never Leave

Book cover featuring a smiling man with a mustache and curly hair, reclining with hands behind head, wearing a burgundy sweater. The background is light blue with text in large red font that reads 'WE THOUGHT THEY'D NEVER LEAVE' and smaller black cursive text that says 'musings on food and family'. The bottom of the cover displays the title 'TONY SHALHoub' with 'with Josie Adams' below it, against a table set with glasses, plates, and bowls of food.

For readers of Stanley Tucci and Ruth Reichl and fans of award-winning actor-turned-author Tony Shalhoub (Big Night, Monk, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), comes a delightful narrative of nostalgic remembrances and recollections about gathering at the family table.

We Thought They’d Never Leave marks the literary debut of Tony Shalhoub, the beloved actor who, for the first time, has gathered delightful stories, memories, and recipes to create this timely, feel-good collection.

Written with his daughter, Josie Adams, the book is a humorous and heartfelt portrait of place, family, and food. At its center is the annual Shalhoub summer reunion in Door County, Wisconsin—a tradition that pulls ten siblings, their children, and their children’s children back to the same stretch of land, carrying decades of shared history with them.

Through rich vignettes drawn from his parents, his siblings, and the many summers spent crowded around long tables, Tony reflects on the meals, mishaps, and small moments that link one generation to the next—from his childhood in a lively Lebanese-American household in Green Bay to the beautiful, chaotic gatherings that continue today. Along the way, he includes several family recipes that have stood the test of time.

Part memoir and part family-history—full of games, gatherings, and Shalhoub lore, plus twenty recipes—We Thought They’d Never Leave is a love letter to food, family, tradition, and the kind of loud, affectionate, ever-growing family reunion that somehow always makes room for one more at the table.

“A treasure for foodies, theatergoers, film buffs, Wisconsinites, and everyone else.”

— Kirkus (Starred Review)

Preorder Now (Coming 10.27.26)

Early praise for We Thought They’d Never Leave

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

—Stanley Tucci, New York Times bestselling author of Taste and What I Ate In One Year
"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, New York Times bestselling author of Somebody Feed Phil the Book and Phil’s Favorites
“A wonderfully affectionate story. Witty, charming, and deeply affecting, this is a book for the ages."

—Keith McNally, New York Times bestselling author of I Regret Almost Everything