Meet author Diane Johnson at the Cook Park Library

Hear accomplished author and Illinois native Diane Johnson talk about her new memoir, “Flyover Lives,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at Cook Park Library, 413 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville.

A two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, Johnson is best known for her satirical novels such as “Le Divorce,” which was adapted into a popular Hollywood movie. Part of the library’s Authors Out Loud series, the event is free and open to the public; registration is required.

Over the course of her 30-year writing career, Johnson has been steadily gaining a devoted readership. Her writing is witty, stylish and morally astute. After “Le Divorce” was published in 1997 to critical acclaim, earning a National Book Award nomination, the best-selling author returned with “Le Mariage,” a clever novel once again set against the backdrop of Johnson’s beloved Paris.

A native of Moline, Ill., the author splits her time between homes in France and Northern California.

Johnson’s novels run the gamut in geographical setting, protagonist and time period. Her critically acclaimed narrative style makes each scene unshakably real and she transmits the feelings and atmosphere of each situation to her readers.

A skilled travel writer and essayist, Johnson excels at conveying the look and feel of exotic locations, be they Paris, Persia (Iran) or California.

Johnson now brings this craft to a memoir, “Flyover Lives,” which is meeting with critical acclaim. Publishers Weekly hails Johnson’s exploration of her Midwestern roots and family history, calling it “an enjoyable peek into how America shaped one celebrated author’s consciousness.”

Booklist calls the memoir “adeptly structured, incisive, funny and charming.”

Johnson’s books will be available for purchase and signing, courtesy of Lake Forest Book Store. Register for this event online at webres.cooklib.org, at the library, or by calling (847) 362-2330.