I wish I could give this one more than 5 stars. I was transported into the past as Frankie recounted the highs and lows of her life to her carer Damian.

The story jumps from the present to different significant periods in Frankie’s life. We travel from Ireland to New York and meet a whole host of complex characters along the way.

This one sucks you in and you feel a part of Frankie’s inner circle. By the end you feel like you’ve truly been on a journey. There are tough moments but also moments of triumph.

Definitely my favourite of Graham Nortons and I look forward to whatever he comes up with next.

This was the first of Graham Norton’s books that I’ve read and I absolutely loved it. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t wait to find out more about Frankie’s life story, it was a heartfelt easy read which brought me laughter and tears. I’ll definitely be reading more of his novels.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Graham Norton really is a terrific writer and I wonder if it comes from his years an interviewer. He has such a good understanding of what motivates people and what makes an interesting life. Read it immediately. His best yet.

This was a fantastic read.
Frankie is an older lady who after falling, needs a carer, just until she's back on her feet.
Damian is hired and before long, Frankie is sharing the story of her life with him.

A life that began in Cork, Ireland. Frankie has lived quite the life - occasionally sad and tragic but Frankie is a strong woman and a fierce friend.

She ends up, completely by accident, living in New York, married to a struggling artist while she becomes a chef of a well respected restaurant.

This is a well-written, beautiful book that pulled me in from the first page and I still find myself thinking about it now. The descriptions of small town Irish life, the bohemian lifestyle in London and then the freedom and vibrant life of New York, although literally worlds apart, were characters themselves.
a very well paced read that left me feeling as though I truly knew Frankie, Damian, Nor and the others.

I absolutely love Graham Norton books and was delighted to get an early copy of his newest book Frankie. As expected, I was not disappointed and simply could not put the book down once I started! Another triumph from Norton and eagerly look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was just ok for me. I did enjoy the relationships between the characters and loved that they stayed friends through their lives. This was my 3rd try at reading Graham Norton’s books and just didn’t have much of a plot. I have decided not to read any more.

Frankie by Graham Norton

This book is gorgeous, an easy read. If you enjoy audiobooks, this is worth a listen as Graham Norton does his own narration which adds to the story.

Writing style is quite simple, would suit someone getting back in to reading. Always like a story set in Ireland.

I received an ARC of this book via netgalley and am grateful for the opportunity. I enjoyed this book which moved backwards and forwards in time following the life of Frankie. From remote and rural Ireland to London and New York Frankie tells her Carer Daniel about the ups and downs of her life. I found it an engaging read. This book portrays the lives of LBGT characters during Frankie's lifetime and my only complaint is that almost everyone in the book (and there are many characters) is portrayed as LGBT - not a reflection on reality then or now.

This is an interesting, insightful and emotional read about an elderly woman, the protagonist Frankie, who is begrudgingly being cared for following a fall. The book tells her life story; from her incredibly sad beginnings, through to the excitement of New York as she relates it to her young Irish career, Damian.

It’s an easy, quite cozy read, with emotional elements, particularly when describing the effects of AIDS in the 80’s.
I also enjoyed the friendship between Frankie and Norah as it evoked perfectly for me, the importance and strength of female friendships and the author brings to life the emotional ups and downs of what appears to be an ordinary life and which is, in fact, extraordinary.

Graham Norton is an excellent storyteller and this I found to be a real page turner and I’d highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opp

Orphaned at a young age, Frances Howe is brought up by severely religious relatives, her only joy is with her best friend Norah. When Norah leaves Cork for London, Frankie is married off to a older man but when her marriage breaks down she joins Norah. Taken up by a predatory agent, Frankie is left in New York with no money and no way to return to her previous life so she makes the most of it. She falls in love with an artist and takes over a small restaurant however, after the ravages of AIDS, her world falls apart.
As with all Norton's books, there is a genuinely warm heart at the core here. The story is partly about the Irish diaspora but also about the history of LGBTQ lives through from the fifties to the AIDS era and, without being preachy, Norton makes his points. It's a readable book, quick to scamper through but actually is more profound that you might think.

I think I have loved every novel written by Graham Norton and this was no exception. We follow the eventful life of Francis Howe, who is at the age of 84 has broken her ankle and this leads her to met Damian, a carer, to whom she tells her life story. Moving from rural Ireland to London and then New York we encounter life with all its highs and lows. The author writes with great empathy for his characters and he paints them and the various eras in history with skill. I’ll be looking forward to his next book with great anticipation. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ERC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Am clearly in the minority but did not enjoy this book. To me it seemed cliched - woman leaves Irish village to go to London and then New York, finding herself along the way.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Loved it, as ever Graham Norton delivers. This delightful story of Frankie and her life, love and friendships across decades in Ireland, London and New York just blew me away.
Grahams natural talent for storytelling in a quiet and yet powerful way get me every time.

What a fabulous read. This is the first book I've read by Graham Norton and boy was itva good one absolutely adored Frankie her story was so interesting and beautifully written I just couldn't put it down. The characters were all relatable and the ending was perfect even though I was sad to finish in. A highly recommend 5⭐read

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of Frankie.

I have just finished this book, and boy am I feeling ALL of the emotions right now. This was an amazing story with love, friendship and hardships thrown into the mix. By far the best book by Graham Norton so far.
Highly recommend.

This was the first book I’ve read by Graham Norton and so I really didn’t know what to expect. What I got was a very addictive and enjoyable read.

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

A sensitive and emotional novel by the popular TV presenter Graham Norton. The story is well written but I did not engage with the characters or the narrative pace.

I have read most of Graham Norton's books and I think this now one of my favourites. Unlike most of his other books, this travels from Ireland to America ending in London. Frances Howe is an orphan who is married off to a much older religious man who is much older than her. Her awakening to real life is quite awful so she flees to London to her childhood friend Nor. Frances is unprepared for the lesbian circles that Nor exists in and after securing a job with Van Everden she ends up alone and abandoned in America. Frances, now known as Frankie, starts again in New York with Joe, a talented artist. This whole story is recounted to Damien, a carer looking after Frankie in modern day London. I really engaged with the characters here, not all of them who they seem. It is a povely book which is well written and such a good read.

I love graham Norton and his writing this book did not disappoint. I loved the characters Frankie and no and Damian a channel for Frankie’s story.