About this item
Highlights
- "Warm and wise, Frankie is a woman worth getting to know.
- Author(s): Graham Norton
- 304 Pages
- Fiction + Literature Genres, Literary
Description
About the Book
"Always on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take centre stage - after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now old, Frankie finds it easier to forget the life that came before. Then Damian, a young Irish carer, arrives at her London flat, there to keep an eye on her as she recovers from a fall. A memory is sparked, and the past crackles into life as Damian listens to the story Frankie has kept stored away all these years..."--Book Synopsis
"Warm and wise, Frankie is a woman worth getting to know."--Bonnie Garmus, New York Times-bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry
From the internationally bestselling author and host of The Graham Norton Show, a dazzling and decades-sweeping story about love, bravery, and what it means to live a significant life.
Always on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take center stage--after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now old, Frankie finds it easier to forget the life that came before.
Then Damian, a young Irish caretaker, arrives at her London flat, there to keep an eye on her as she recovers from a fall. A memory is sparked, and the past crackles into life as Damian listens to the story Frankie has kept stored away all these years.
Traveling from post-war Ireland to 1960s New York--a city full of art, larger-than-life characters and turmoil--Frankie shares a world in which friendship and chance encounters collide. A place where, for a while, life blazes with an intensity that can't last but will perhaps live on in other ways and in other people.
Review Quotes
"Warm and wise, Frankie is a woman worth getting to know." -- Bonnie Garmus, New York Times-bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry
"This feel-good story of an unlikely friendship soothes and surprises with its tenderness." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Norton's character work is top-notch as Frankie perseveres through one challenge after another. Readers will be glad to go along for the ride." -- Publishers Weekly
"Richly told and portraying an unforgettable protagonist, Frankie will appeal to readers of character-driven historical fiction." -- Booklist
"Fascinating, funny, sad ... Every page is intriguing. Once again, Graham shows his class as a writer." -- Jo Brand, actress and comedian
"I was enthralled by Frankie from page one. It's a beauty. A warm, deeply moving, life-enhancing novel." -- Sarah Winman, author of Still Life
"The new novel by Graham Norton is his best yet! Frankie is about a quiet woman who's dismissed and disrespected but lives an extraordinary life. Packed with surprises, it's moving, riveting and enriching. And it's bound to cement Norton's reputation not just as a great storyteller but a hugely accomplished writer." -- Matt Cain, author of Becoming Ted
"I couldn't stop reading it, but feel bereft now that I've finished." -- Nigella Lawson, author of Cook, Eat, Repeat
"Frankie is a perfect song of a book, and everyone who likes human beings should read it." -- Andrew O'Hagan, author of Caledonian Road
"Immersive, stunningly written, and very emotional--this is a triumph." -- Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things
"A great sweep of a novel, full of unexpected twists." -- Lissa Evans, author of Crooked Heart
"'Norton's sharp, engaging prose and his ability to craft complex, relatable characters are on full display." -- Glamour
"Another beautifully empathetic story ... Frankie is one of the most wonderful characters I've come across in a long time." -- Good Housekeeping
"Graham Norton handles everything with a deft hand and a quiet narrative that manages to sneak up on you when you least expect it." -- Bookreporter.com