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Sign up todayThe Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry
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Learn moreRead Kathleen Flinn's posts on the Penguin Blog.
This is the funny and inspiring account of Kathleen Flinn’s struggle in a stew of hot-tempered chefs, competitive classmates, her own “wretchedly inadequate” French, and the basics of French cuisine. Flinn was a thirty-six-year-old middle manager trapped on the corporate ladder—until her boss eliminated her job. So she cashed in her savings and moved to Paris to pursue her lifelong dream of attending the venerable Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. Fans of Julie & Julia and the late Julia Child will be richly rewarded by this vibrant tale of self-discovery, transformation, and ultimately love.
Kathleen Flinn has been a writer and journalist for nearly 20 years. Her work has appeared in theChicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, USA Weekend, Men’s Fitness, and many other publications. She is a proud member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Author’s Guild. She divides her time between Seattle and southwest Florida.
Cassandra Campbell is an actress, director, and teacher who has performed in New York at the Public Theater, the Mint Theater, and the Clurman Theatre. She is an accomplished voice-over artist whose credits include numerous audiobooks, documentaries, and commercials in both Italian and English.
Kathleen Flinn has been a writer and journalist for nearly 20 years. Her work has appeared in theChicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, USA Weekend, Men’s Fitness, and many other publications. She is a proud member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Author’s Guild. She divides her time between Seattle and southwest Florida.
Cassandra Campbell is an actress, director, and teacher who has performed in New York at the Public Theater, the Mint Theater, and the Clurman Theatre. She is an accomplished voice-over artist whose credits include numerous audiobooks, documentaries, and commercials in both Italian and English.
Reviews
"I can never get enough of true stories about people who stop in the middle of life's journey to ask, 'What do I really want?' and then have the guts to actually go get it. Kathleen Flinn's tale of chasing her ultimate dream makes for a really lovely book—engaging, intelligent, and surprisingly suspenseful." —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love"The Sharper Your Knife The Less You Cry is an engaging story about a fantasy fulfilled. It's Under the Tuscan Sun goes to cooking school." — Michael Ruhlman, author ofThe Soul of a Chef
Although I can't cook my way out of a sac de papier, I found this book a joy to read. It's a compelling story about learning to cook and learning to love at the same time, told with humility, humor, and passion." —Bill Radke, hots of NPR'sWeekend America
"Kat Flinn's vivid story of her adventures at Le Cordon Bleu Paris just had me smiling page after page. It's about what you should always think about in the pressure behind a hot stove—the pure romance of cooking."—Jerry Traunfeld, author of The Herbfarm Cookbook and The Herbal Kitchen
"A fascinating look inside a famed elite institution..." -- Kirkus Reviews Expand reviews