Book description
In this poignant, delicious memoir, American tax preparer and food writer Steve Hoffman tells the story of how he and his family move to the French countryside, where the locals upend everything he knows about food, wine, and learning how to belong. Steve Hoffman is a perfectly comfortable middle-aged Minnesotan man who has always been desperately, pretentiously in love with France, more specifically with the idea of France. To follow that love, he and his family move, nearly at random, to the small, rural, scratchy-hot village of Autignac in the south of the country, and he immediately thinks he's made a terrible mistake. Life here is not holding your cigarette chest-high while walking to the café and pulling off the trick of pretending to be Parisian, it's getting into fights with your wife because you won't break character and introduce your very American family to the locals, who can smell you and your perfect city-French from a mile away. But through cooking what the local grocer tells him to cook, he feels more of this place. A neighbor leads him into the world of winemaking, where he learns not as a pedantic oenophile, but bodily, as a grape picker and winemaker's apprentice. Along the way, he lets go of the abstract ideas he'd held about France, discovering instead the beauty of a culture that is one with its landscape, and of becoming one with that culture.
About the Author
Steve Hoffman shares one acre on Turtle Lake, in Shoreview, Minnesota, with his family, an ill-behaved puggle, and roughly 80,000 honeybees. He is a writer, tax preparer, and occasional French villager. He is the winner of the M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award at the James Beard Awards, as well as an IACP Bert Greene Award for narrative culinary writing and five Association of Food Journalism awards.
Atomic Blastoid
I've become a more attentive listener thanks to the engaging audiobooks. ListenBook's support for various audio formats makes it a versatile app for all kinds of audiobook enthusiasts. Changing the tone of the sound on ListenBook Pro is a fun and unique feature I can't get enough of. Sharing audiobooks with friends is so easy with AirDrop. It's a great way to spread happiness. The app's compatibility with CarPlay enhances my driving experience. Audiobooks on the road have never been better.
Chocolate Thunder
ListenBook's powerful audio downloading features are a game-changer – I can have my audiobooks ready in no time. Effortless audiobook management – this app's usability is impressive. is a breeze. It's incredibly convenient for building my collection.
Pocket Muzzie
ListenBook has become an indispensable part of my daily routine – it's my ultimate audio companion. 📱 A world of books at my fingertips – this app's user-friendly design makes it a true reading companion. 📚📱 ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature is a true savior for immersive listening, even in busy surroundings. Elegant design and easy-to-use interface. Very happy with ListenBook. ListenBook is the best audiobook player I’ve ever used. The app is reliable, fast, and packed with features like customizable themes and playback speed. The sleep timer is a lifesaver for bedtime listening. Great job, developers!
SprkR
I can't imagine my audio routine without ListenBook's seamless and user-friendly design. ListenBook's intuitive controls and features have made it my preferred choice for audiobooks. Seamless audiobook integration – this app's design is remarkable. Noise reduction and voice tone changing are brilliant features. I’ve been using ListenBook for months, and it’s been a fantastic experience. The app is lightweight, doesn’t drain my battery, and works perfectly in the background. The equalizer and voice boost features are amazing. Highly recommend!
Tootsie Killer
With ListenBook, I've found a versatile and enjoyable way to listen to audiobooks and expand my knowledge. Audiobooks on this app have become my go-to entertainment for winding down. ListenBook Pro is worth every penny. The unlimited audiobook length is a dream come true.
Eight Patrol
🌟 Making every moment count – this app turns everyday activities into a reading adventure! 📚💫 ListenBook's compatibility with CarPlay and Apple Watch enhances my audiobook experience during daily activities. CUE playlist support is a fantastic organizational feature. It keeps my audiobooks neatly arranged.
Divine Quasar
ListenBook has made listening to audiobooks, lectures, and speeches an absolute pleasure. I never thought I'd find an app that supports such a wide range of audiobook formats. ListenBook is a true gem!
PixelPathfinder
ListenBook's drag and drop downloads from web browsers are a time-saving feature I can't live without. With ListenBook, I can immerse myself in captivating stories and enriching knowledge, all in one convenient app. Navigating my audiobook library is a breeze – thank you, app developers! It was fine. The narrator did an adequate job but nothing about the performance particularly stood out to me. Got me through my commute though.
Mosquit-No
The intuitive interface and seamless navigation make this app a joy to use. ListenBook has brought the joy of audiobooks back into my life in a whole new way. This app's convenience and ease of use have transformed my screen time into productive learning sessions. ListenBook's statistics feature is both enlightening and motivating. It's incredible to see the time I've invested in learning through audiobooks. ListenBook has made my daily commutes so much more enjoyable. I look forward to listening every day!
Flint Cast-Iron
The fact that ListenBook doesn't just play, but enhances audio quality, is truly remarkable. ListenBook has reignited my love for storytelling and learning, one audio file at a time. 🏝️ Basking in the sun with an audiobook – relaxation meets storytelling paradise! ☀️📖
Energy
Audiobooks made convenient – this app's functionality is a true gift. Looping playback is an invaluable tool for my study sessions. It helps me grasp complex concepts.
Glyph
The voice actors are incredible – they make the characters come alive. ListenBook Pro's noise reduction feature is a revelation. It eliminates distractions and enhances the clarity of recordings, resulting in a more immersive experience. The app is so reliable. I’ve never had any issues with it.
Alpha
The app's interface is sleek and modern, making it a joy to use. Audiobook heaven! This app has revolutionized the way I enjoy stories. Its sleek design and seamless functionality make it a must-have for book lovers. 📚🎧 This is exactly what I look for in an audiobook! The narrator's pleasant voice and excellent diction made even complex passages easy to follow. I appreciated the subtle but effective use of pauses and emphasis that added depth to the listening experience. Finished it in record time because I couldn't stop listening. An absolutely stellar production from start to finish! The narrator's command of pacing and tone was masterful, knowing exactly when to speed up for excitement or slow down for dramatic effect. The audio quality was pristine with no distracting mouth sounds or uneven volume.
LunaStar
This app has turned long waits into exciting opportunities to dive into a new story. I love how this app makes even the most mundane tasks exciting with audio stories. This app's convenience has made my downtime more rewarding and enriching.
Mr. Lucky
Audiobooks have never been this immersive – this app transports me to different worlds. This app is my secret weapon for making the most of my free time. This app's intuitive features and easy navigation make it a must-have for audiobook enthusiasts. I can't get enough of this app's user-friendly interface – it's a true delight. The app’s design is sleek and modern. ListenBook is my favorite audiobook player.
Mauve Cactus
ListenBook's compatibility with CarPlay and Apple Watch integration ensures that I can enjoy my content wherever I go. This app's compatibility with various devices ensures that I can enjoy my audiobooks wherever I go. User-friendly audiobook experience – this app's design is a standout. Navigating audiobooks seamlessly – this app's design is a true winner. ListenBook is hands down the best audiobook player I’ve ever used. The interface is clean, intuitive, and packed with features like customizable playback speed and sleep timers. It supports all formats, which is a huge plus for me. Highly recommend!
Easy Sweep
ListenBook's interface is sleek and user-friendly, making navigation a breeze. The controls on ListenBook are intuitive and user-friendly, making it a joy to navigate through my audiobooks. 🌟 Say goodbye to boredom during long drives – this app makes road trips fly by! 🚗🎉 Looping playback and shuffle features keep my audiobook sessions engaging and fresh. A functional audiobook. It kept me entertained, but I wasn’t blown away. The narrator’s performance was competent, though some emotional scenes fell a bit flat.
Steel
I'm amazed by how this app effortlessly turns my daily routines into enjoyable learning sessions. 📱 Carrying stories wherever I go – this app's convenience allows me to indulge my love for reading on the move. 📚🛍️ 💡 Seamlessly weaving audiobooks into my daily routine – this app's functionality has redefined how I enjoy books. 📱📖 WiFi downloads save a lot of time. Great feature!
Firecracker
ListenBook has become my constant companion, filling my days with captivating narratives. ⭐️ Turning mundane tasks into exciting adventures – this app makes folding laundry a breeze with audiobooks! 👚🎧 The app is perfect for people who love to multitask. I can listen while cooking.
Opulent Gamer
📚 Accessing my favorite authors and genres is a breeze with this app's user-friendly functionality. 📱🎧 ListenBook's interface is not just aesthetically pleasing; it's also highly functional. Navigating through chapters and controls is a breeze.
Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience