This expansive, heartfelt story of memory and human connection from the bestselling author of Home Stretch and A Keeper finds an elderly Londoner and her young Irish carer bond, as the titular protagonist tells him the story of her past filled with larger-than-life characters.
Frankie Howe has lived a long life and her small London flat is crammed full of art, furniture and memories. Damian, her young carer, listens as she gradually tells him parts of her story - a story that takes us into a progressive, daring world of New York artists on the brink of fame, aspiring writers and larger-than-life characters.
Always just on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie is never quite sure enough of herself to take centre stage. But the outsider holds certain advantages, sees things others don't, can influence without drawing attention. And when the map has been lost, it's anyone's guess where you may end up, or the accidental choices you find you have made. Frankie discovers that life is not always the one we hope for, or the one others expect of us.
Taking us from Ireland in the 1940s, to the dazzling art scene of 1960s New York by way of London, Frankie is an immersive, decade-sweeping story that brims with Graham Norton's trademark heart, intelligence and compellingly written characters.
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 9781529391442
Number of pages: 304
Weight: 500 g
Dimensions: 236 x 160 x 32 mm
I was enthralled by Frankie from page one. It's a beauty. A warm, deeply moving, life-enhancing novel - Sarah Winman
Wonderful ... [Norton's] sweeping fifth novel traces the life of the eponymous protagonist as she relays it to her young Irish carer - The i
Beautifully warm and empathetic . . . Frankie is one of the most wonderful characters I've come across in a long time - Good Housekeeping
A masterclass in storytelling that grabs you by the heartstrings from page one and refuses to let go - Sunday Independent
I was bereft when I turned the last page. I adored Frankie and the storytelling was sublime - Prima, BOOK OF THE MONTH
Travelling from 1940s Ireland to the glamour of New York in the 1960s, this tender and witty story shows that the TV star is a writer to reckon with - Best
This is the first Graham Norton book I have read and I loved it. The book is written in three time lines. Frances (now Frankie) and her childhood, and early adult life which is traumatic and set in Ireland.... More
Best Book So Far, Graham! I have enjoyed all of your books but this is "Simply the Best"!
Elderly Frankie has taken a fall in her London flat and her friend Nor arranges for an overnight carer to help...
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This is the first book I have read by Graham Norton, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The story is about Frankie, an aging old lady remembering events throughout her life and recounting to Damian, her new carer.
Frankie...
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