Storyteller, cook and teacher Kathleen Flinn, author of the 2018 One Book One County Montcalm selection “Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good,” will be the featured speaker during the One Book closing event Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. at Tamarack District Library in Lakeview.

A mix of food and memoir, “Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good,” is a family history peppered with recipes offering a humorous and flavorful tale spanning three generations. Brimming with tasty anecdotes about Uncle Clarence’s divine cornflake-crusted fried chicken, Grandpa Charles’s spicy San Antonio chili, and Grandma Inez’s birthday-only cinnamon rolls, Flinn shows how meals can be memories, and how cooking can be communication.

“Kathleen’s style portrays her family values and engages readers in a down home, funny and delightful way,” said MCC Library Director Katie Arwood, who serves on the One Book committee. “As a special treat, her mother and sister will accompany her for the presentation.

“‘Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good’ inspires readers to reflect on their own family ties and spend time in their kitchens making new memories,” Arwood added.

Flinn is a mid-Michigan native. She is best known for her New York Times bestseller “The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry,” a memoir with recipes about leaving her corporate life to study at the venerable Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and falling in love along the way.

Her latest book, “Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good,” is a multi-generational culinary memoir that tracks the trials of her Midwest family. It was named a 2015 Michigan Notable Book, and a finalist in the IACP Cookbook Awards, Goodreads Choice Awards and the Pacific Northwest Book Awards, among others.

She and her husband, Mike, divide their time between Seattle and Anna Maria Island, Fla., their trusty rescue dog, Maddy, in tow.

During the One Book closing, Flinn will be available for book signings. Refreshments will be provided. One Book One County Montcalm is sponsored by Stafford Media Solutions, Montcalm Community College, the MCC Foundation and the public libraries of Montcalm County. Visit www.montcalm.edu/one-book for more information.

One Book One County Montcalm began in 2005 as a part of a national One Book One County movement. In 2009, MCC joined the effort. In 2016, the public libraries of Montcalm County began hosting the program.