What a wonderful story of friendship. Initially the friendship between two young school girls that endures into teenage years and then young adults.
Also the friendship between a lady in her later years and her temporary carer. A bond is forged as they discuss her life and her experiences.
A well written emotive story that will amaze and grip you to compulsively turn the pages.

This has to be my favourite Graham Norton book yet!
It tells the story of Frankie, a young girl who lost her parents at a very young age and was brought up by her aunt and uncle, married to an older clergyman. It follows her life as she tells the story to her carer. The story spans from her life in West Cork, to New York and finally London. A book that I laughed the cried. A fantastic read with loveable characters!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This book reads like the Graham Norton, this made me smile with all the characters and the storyline was good as well.

The first book I have read by Graham Norton and I LOVED LOVED LOVED IT! Frankies lifelong friend decides to get a temporary carer in for her, much to Frankies disappointment. Damien has a hard task to begin with but soon wins her over and that's when Frankie starts telling him her life story. Back and forth from present day to the 50s onwards Frankies tale is a tale of survival and strength.
I love Nortons style of writing and this story is heart warming, funny, sad and absolutely uplifting. I completed the book within three nights. It was totally engrossing and boggled all of the senses!

This is a very simple story. It is the story of Frankie Howe's life, from her childhood in West Cork in the 1950s to present day London and everything in between. There are no big reveals or shocking twists, but you are utterly engrossed in Frankie's world.

As I was reading I found myself reminded of 'The Seven Husband's of Evelyn Hugo' by Taylor Jenkins Reid. If you enjoyed that, add this to your TBR immediately.

When you go to bed early to read to start a new book, and you end up staying up until 3am to finish it. You know it was a good book!

My first book I’ve read by Graham Norton, but it won’t be my last!

Damian, a personal carer for the elderly gets a call to look after an elderly Irish lady who has broken her ankle. This is where Damian meets Frankie, at first is reluctant to accept help but call it the luck of the irish Damian wins her round and Frankie tells him her whole life story!

Frankie begins her life in Ireland, moves to London but ends up settling to New York in the early 1960s.

At each location Frankie hasn’t had it easy, but she has the stories to tell and then the big story is to why she returned to the UK.

Gripping storyline, with humour along the way. So beautifully written

This has to be one of my favourite books I have read this year. Frankies life is told in a gentle manner which keeps you hooked and wanting to read the story in one go. The author does not shy away from strong and sad storylines, and isn't scared to shock the reader with the turns that are taken.
Frankie, Nor are portrayed as colourful characters with a rich and loving history which Damien is able to find out during the story.

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 Frankie - enter Damian from Ireland. At first reticent to accept the help, Damian has the right personality and caring nature to turn this around and so begins the long nightly conversations of Frankie telling her life story. And what a life she has led!

Frankie begins her life in Ireland but then travels to New York in the early 1960s. Here she meets her husband, a budding artist. Frankie has a flair with food and begins work at a New York French restaurant, whilst Jo is trying to find anyone interested in his art work.

Damian learns about Frankie's early life in Ireland, how she ended up in New York and indeed why she returned to the UK.

Fabulous characters, the book tackles issues from the 60's and 80's, as well as enlightening the reader on ignorance and taboos of the time.

I read this book in 2 sittings, 5 stars truly deserved and can't wait for your next one, Graham.

I can't help it. I love Graham Norton's books. He is such a good storyteller and brings his characters to life with wonderful dialogue and a real sense of place and I always look forward to his latest title.

Frances Howe is 84 years old and lives alone in London Following a fall, she's incapacitated with a broken ankle and needs assistance. Damian is from Ireland and is working as a carer in London. He is there to give her any overnight assistance she needs and hopefully prevent any further falls.

It's quite an awkward start. Frankie is a reluctant 'patient'; she's a bit cranky and also bossy but Damian is patient and friendly and over time gets Frankie to accept his presence and she begins to open up and tell him her about her life, starting back in Ireland. And what a life. Ireland, London, New York, back to London. We are taken through the decades from the 1950s to the present day as Frankie over time tells her story to Damian. She's quite a character and has led a remarkable life and was apparently quite famous in her time.

The story has everything. There's heartache, love, loss. Its sad, funny, celebratory. The characters and places are vivid. The words just flow. As I read it was almost like watching a film. In fact I think it would make an excellent film.

I find there's a warmth to Graham's writing even when things aren't always going well for a character. It's almost like they're old friends and you want a good outcome for them.

An excellent book. One of my favourites this year.

I loved Frankie!

I’ll be honest, I didn’t think Damian was a very interesting character, or completely necessary. I’d have read a straight forward account of Frankie’s life, with time jumps, without any need for someone else drawing the story from her.

Frankie was fascinating and more than enough character to carry the whole book. A force of nature, from an inauspicious start to a full kaleidoscope of colour. I absolutely loved the glimpse into 1960s New York and her experiences and friendships, it kind of evokes a Tales of the City vibe.

I’d love to see this made into a film in order to see the painted apartment and restaurant in all their glory. (I’m fantasy casting Kerry Condon as Frankie).

Graham Norton writes very different books each time and I love that versatility, but I also love how real the women in his stories are, flawed and captivating.

A beautifully written and emotional read focusing on friendships, love and loss.
When Frankie, an elderly lady, needs a temporary carer at home following a fall we are introduced to Damian, a young Irish man living in London. As their initially rocky relationship develops Damian's presence facilitates the telling of Frankie's life story from young girl to the present time. We are taken from post war Ireland to the 1960s in London, over to New York and then back to London from the 1980s to present time. Frankie's experiences are pieced together decade by decade highlighting a whole host of emotions.
I felt so invested in all of the characters and didn't want the book to end.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book.

Frankie tells the story of an eighty-four-year-old woman who is recovering from a fall and reluctantly accepts the care of Damian, a young Irish carer. She shares her life story with Damian - her journey from Ireland to London and New York, touching on significant historical events such as the AIDS epidemic.
The characters, especially Frankie and her friend Norah, are well-developed and relatable. This was a a compelling read that was hard to put down.

What a wonderful book. This truly transports you to the times & places so important to Frankie’s life. I simply couldn’t put it down!

Absolutely brilliant read.
Damian is a nighttime carer who winds up caring for Frankie, who opens up to him with her life story - from Ireland, to England and America. Through childhood traumas, her jobs, her love life and through the aids epidemic right up to her return to London. It sounds contrived but the story is gritty and organic, with the fact that Frankie is telling it giving the book an episodic quality.

This is a truly compelling read; it's one I couldn't put down and finished in 24, hours! Norton has such an excellent way of storytelling, it's descriptive enough to paint a vivid picture in your mind but it's pacey and the stories seem to unfurl naturally. The characters are likeable and feel real with just enough glamour from some to make the book a little more exciting than the day to day!

Another wonderful book from Graham Norton. Filled with heart and warmth, it was perfectly paced and thoroughly engrossing. As always, I am really looking forward to read more from him.
Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

In "Frankie" Graham Norton has given us a new book which is different from all his previous offerings. Frankie and her best friend Norah are really wonderful characters who grow in stature through the novel. Damian is the carer to whom Frankie reveals her life story when she is in her eighties. A lot of the story is set amongst the gay community, which back in the 50s was illegal. Moving on we see the impact of the AIDS epidemic, which the Americans first thought was a form of cancer.

This is a complex and life-affirming novel which features a great deal of love, friendship and support. Norah is a true eccentric, whilst Frankie is someone who prefers a supporting, background role. At the end of the day they need and complement each other. This book is difficult to put down as the reader constantly wants to find out what happens next to our heroine.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Elderly Frankie, restricted to home following a fall, has a young carer foisted on her. As Frankie gradually warms to her carer, Damien, she recounts her life filled with heartache, disillusionment and love.

Graham Norton has created a wonderful character in Frankie and produced a story that completely immerses you in her life. I took Frankie to heart as the author led us through the ups and downs, far too many downs, of her life.

When we first meet Frankie she's an eighty-four-year-old, living in a flat in London. The flat is stuffed with dark wooden furniture and has walls covered in paintings and photographs. Recovering from a fall, Frankie is adamant she doesn't need a carer but her glamorous best friend, Nor, refuses to listen. As a result, Damien is employed to stay overnight. Neither Frankie nor Damien are looking forward to their time together. Ever the professional, Damien does his job well and gradually chips away at Frankie until she begins to share her life story with him, a story that wildly exceeds expectations.

Life growing up in 1950s Ireland had been fairly normal for young Frances Howe until she became an orphan at the age of ten. I was filled with sadness as Frankie discovered her parent's fate and then learnt that she was to live with her religious aunt and uncle. The only joy Frankie found was with the family of her friend Norah.

At the age of eighteen Frankie was married off to a much older man. The period of time between being orphaned to being married really hit home to me how little control women had over their lives. Decisions were made for them, whether they liked them or not. We also witness the double standards that frequently occur between the genders as Frankie struggles to be a perfect wife.

Problems in the marriage cause Frankie to flee to London where she witnesses a completely different lifestyle. She is fortunate enough to land on her feet, mixing with affluent friends. From here, Frankie is propelled to New York and a situation that will fill you with rage at the way in which she is so casually and viciously treated. Thankfully, there are people who show her kindness and Frankie is able to build a life and find love. Unfortunately, fate is waiting around the corner to bring her life crashing down.

You would expect eighty-four-year-old Frankie to be bitter and resentful as a result of everything that life has thrown at her. However, I saw a woman of her time, calm, resilient and accepting of life's blows but with a core of steel. When life knocked her down, she'd get back up, dust herself off and say "Is that the best you've got?".

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and how it flitted from modern day back to Frankie's past. It was beautifully written and just gorgeous from start to finish!

This is another cracker of a read from Graham Norton. Beautifully written, with characters that you want to know in real life, he has a way of writing that makes it easy to sink into the story. The only problem is that you don’t want to finish it. I loved it.

Frankie is an older lady who has broken her ankle and is telling her story to her overnight carer Damian. We are taken back to the late 1950’s when Frankie lost her parents and was taken in by her Aunt and Uncle- a reverend- and found herself in a house lacking in love. A disaster of a marriage and a chance meeting that takes her to New York where she eventually finds real love leads Frankie to become who she is today.

This is one heck of a story. I really admired Frankie and what she went through when younger- some of which I related to. A harsh upbringing and then almost an arranged marriage either makes you or breaks you, maybe even both simultaneously. A woman of substance not materially but mentally, and one with her feet firmly planted on the ground, determined to do her best and also for those around her. I loved this and devoured it. It's beautifully written and draws the reader in. One where I winced and smiled and cried. Graham is a stunning author and storyteller and one where I don’t need to read the premise before I dive in- I can't say that for many. A truly magnificent read and most certainly one to remember. A very big 5*


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