The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry - by Kathleen Flinn (Paperback)

About the Book

In 2003, Flinn, a 36-year-old American living and working in London, cleared out her savings and moved to Paris to pursue a dream diploma from the famed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. The ultimate wish fulfillment book, her story is a true testament to pursuing a dream.

Book Synopsis

"...engaging, intelligent, and surprisingly suspenseful." --Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

The unforgettable New York Times best-selling journey of self-discovery and finding one's true calling in life

Kathleen Flinn was a thirty-six-year-old middle manager trapped on the corporate ladder - until her boss eliminated her job. Instead of sulking, she took the opportunity to check out of the rat race for good - cashing in her savings, moving to Paris, and landing a spot at the venerable Le Cordon Blue cooking school.

The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry is the funny and inspiring account of her struggle in a stew of hot-tempered, chefs, competitive classmates, her own "wretchedly inadequate" French - and how she mastered the basics of French cuisine. Filled with rich, sensual details of her time in the kitchen - the ingredients, cooking techniques, wine, and more than two dozen recipes - and the vibrant sights and sounds of the markets, shops, and avenues of Paris, it is also a journey of self-discovery, transformation, and, ultimately, love.

Review Quotes

"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 of The 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's Weekend 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

About the Author

Kathleen Flinn has been a writer and journalist for nearly twenty years. Her work has appeared in the Chicago 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.