by Kathleen Flinn
I don’t usually read a lot of non-fiction, especially
memoirs and biographies, but this one was recommended to me so I thought I
would give it a try. Burnt Toast Makes
You Sing Good is the story of the author’s childhood, family and the food
they shared, the two often inextricably linked.
The book’s title is itself a memory of Flinn’s grandmother, who raised
her own young family during the Depression.
Food wastage was not an option then so you had to eat that burnt toast
which fortunately, according to Mom, made you sing good!
Kathleen Flinn grew up in the Midwestern US, and uses family
members’ stories and her own memories to recount the life of the Flinns. From
the pizza parlor her parents owned and operated, Grandpa Charles’ army recipe
chili and Grandma Inez’s fluffy pancakes she ties family anecdotes to family history.
Food was central to the household as new challenges and
cross country adventures took place. Each stage of their lives was represented
by the food in the fridge and the pantry. During the busy pizza parlor days, the
restaurant menu which included large pizza pies made on metal garbage can lids
fed everyone. Later on, life on the farm consisted of whatever they grew,
hunted and canned. Finding 100’s of canning jars in the cellar, they set to
work filling them with the farm’s bounty. In the later years, Flinn’s parents
moved the family to the suburbs and a life of relative luxury away from the
hard work of the farm. Being more financially secure, her parents began living
a different life than that the kids had been used to, they threw parties, they
went out, they stocked the shelves with store bought food! This in itself was
an adjustment, having longed for these treats while on the farm, the kids now
found themselves wishing for mom’s homemade fried chicken.
Throughout each move, the kids never once doubted that
they were loved. Not always the best communicators, the family spoke through
food. In the words of Grandma Inez “I don’t have to tell you I love you. I fed
you pancakes.”
Flinn’s tasty memories will pique your interest, and you
can make most of them yourself from the recipes included amongst the chapters.
ReplyDeleteget exited to read this book... Chaturthi Celebration Kits
This sounds like such a heartwarming and delicious read! I love how food is woven into the narrative as a way to share family history and express love. It’s amazing how meals can trigger so many memories and tell stories of their own, connecting people across generations. The idea of the burnt toast making you sing good is such a charming and nostalgic detail, especially as a reflection of the resourcefulness and resilience families needed back then basketball stars. I'll definitely have to check this book out—and I love that there are recipes included too! It's like you can experience the story through taste.
ReplyDeleteMany online games require the GeoGuessr Free cooperation of multiple players to achieve a common goal. Through the process of playing, players learn how to communicate and coordinate with teammates, thereby developing teamwork skills - an important skill in work and life.
ReplyDeleteI like your sharing, the stories are very interesting Geoguessr and from here I learn a lot of things
ReplyDelete