4.5* Frankie by Graham Norton. Spellbinding. A beautiful book from Graham Norton which will pull you into the life of each and every one of the main characters.

Damian, a young guy from Ireland, has been in London for 8 years and is working as an overnight carer. When he is sent to look after Frankie, whose ankle is in plaster, her initial reservation gives way to a warm bond and she tells Damian her life story. From a tragic start in rural Ireland to living the high life in NYC, Frankie has lived more lives than most could dream of.

Utterly absorbing, Frankie introduces a cast of people who will undoubtedly be with the reader for long after they have finished the book. The plot zips along but is full of rich detail and dialogue. There were a couple of times in the first half that were a little slow but I soon forgot those when the action moved to NYC.

I have read most of Graham’s fiction and loved them all. Frankie is a standout. Wholeheartedly recommended.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for an ARC.

A totally brilliant read which I got thoroughly immersed in and found hard to put down. The characters were wonderfully depicted especially Frankie with her amazing life story in Ireland, London and New York, she just seemed so real I felt I'd come across her somewhere. Set initially in the present day with dips into the past from the 1950s to 80s. Beautifully written with very real conversations and so sensitive when the devastating impact of Aids becomes apparent. Incredible story which envelops the reader in a warm hug although heartbreaking at times with many highs and lows. This is the first book I've read by Graham Norton and it certainly won't be the last, he's such a fantastic storyteller.

I've read a few Graham Norton novels before but "Frankie" is by far the best. I really felt like Frankie was talking to me/the reader when she was telling Damian about her life in Ireland, London and New York. What a wonderful, and emotional life Frankie led and it was a pleasure to have an insight into it. I really think that I will have a warm glow when I think of this book for many years to come. Such an enjoyment to read.

Another wonderful page turning read from Graham Norton. The relationship between the main characters was warm and wonderful. The stories told through conversations was engaging. Such an enjoyable read as always. Thanks to NetGalley for advance reading copy

What a beautiful read this was! I adored Frankie the elderly lady who needs a little help as she has broken her ankle, she reluctantly allows Damian a young Irish carer into her home and the two forge a friendship which spans the generation gap.

Frankie has lived an adventure filled life , moving from rural Ireland to London then New York and back to London. She shares her adventures with Damian in episodes , each one wanting the reader to find out more and falling in love with Frankie as she encounters the highs and lows of living.

The characters in this book are so well written I felt like I knew them personally , laughing and crying in equal measures as they travelled along life’s journey. Everyone has their own unique life story and this book explores love and loss in all its forms in a beautiful empathetic way .

Damian, a young Irish carer, arrives to care for elderly Frankie who resists with all her might. She eventually thaws over tea and toast and begins to tell Damian the story of her amazing life

This is the first Graham Norton book I’ve read and it won’t be the last. There’s more to Grahams talents than the twinkle in his eyes. I loved Frankie from her shy beginnings through the riot of her life. Highly recommended

I loved this book. Such a comfort read, but not overly done with drama - you know where the story ends up from the beginning, so you can enjoy the book without any mystery.
Frankie is an elderly lady when we meet her, and the book tells the story of her life, and those around her, as she lives her life in Ireland, England and New York.
I’ve enjoyed all of Graham’s books, but I think I enjoyed this one the most. Grahams personality comes through in troves in this book from the Irish background to living in London and love of New York. We see his sensitivity and relatability to people of all ages and his sense of humour shine through.
Publishing on 12 September, I was Gifted an ARC from @hodder via @netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advance copy of Frankie. I've read and enjoyed all of Graham Norton's book so was very excited to read Frankie. It did not disappoint. I read it in one day as I could not put it down. I loved the characters in the book, especially Frankie. The story was engaging and flowed excellently. It kept me gripped throughout the book. I have no doubt that readers will really enjoy the book.

I really loved this. Hearing Frankie’s story was like a warm hug. It was tinged with sadness but told in a very comforting way. Really nicely written.

Frankie by Graham Norton
A new book by Graham Norton is something which I look forward to with eager anticipation and this one did not disappoint. The characters are so wonderfully drawn and the story sweeps you along. There is great attention, as always, to the details of the period and I felt as if I had actually met al of the characters in the novel.
The story revolves around Frankie who is hampered by a leg in a cast and needs a home help which arrives in the form of Damian. Their initial meeting is cool but Frankie gradually begins to allow him into her life and through him relives her youthful experiences.
We begin in post war Ireland where Frankie describes her last real day of joy as an 11 year old attending a friend’s lavish party but on her return from the party the house is empty for her parents have been killed in their car. We see the fledging relationship develop between Frankie and Nor. We sympathise with the position in which Frankie finds herself, forced into marriage to an aging Canon by her adoptive parents.
We travel from Ireland to London and from there to New York returning in the 1980’s to London until we find Frankie in present day London. We learn about the artistic movement of the Beat Generation and many artists are mentioned in the novel. The devastation caused by Aids is explored and we feel for families torn apart by this terrible illness and the horror of not even being able to acknowledge what is wrong with your loved one. It is a novel of compassion with wonderful engaging characters and you become completely immersed in their lives.
I will be recommending this book to everyone who will listen and know of a number of people who will be receiving a copy as a present. Thanks go to Graham Norton for providing such a wonderful story, to the publishers for enabling me to read it and to Net Galley for giving me access in return for an honest review.

This has to be my book of the year, absolutely brilliant and I loved every word. It’s heart felt, heart rending and beautiful.. a gorgeous story told in time frames and so true to life in the 50’s up to modern day. Frankie, our heroine is the best sort of human and her story is told with love and compassion. A truly wonderful story

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

This book undid me completely. It is a stunning read. Frankie's life is SO incredible, so many crazy lows and so many highs. It is written with wit, charm and oodles of love. Without doubt, one of my favourite books of the year, its beautifully written, packed with wonderfully written characters. it made me laugh out loud and also, cry. It is completely fabulous. Graham's best book yet I think. I will be recommending it to everyone!!!

Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review.

This is my first book by Graham Norton, but definitely won’t be my last.

An easy story to get into from the start, really likeable characters, a really warm feel-good read.

This was such a lovely book. Starting with an aged Frankie and her carer, the books starts slowly and gently and I was lulled into expecting a slow read. Norton makes the book come alive, out of an ordinary life, he makes something extraordinary. In telling her life story in episodes, it sparkles and makes each section special. The life is well lived and to be cherished and the care of that come across in spades. A real comforting read.

There are just a few occasions when I feel an author has absolutely knocked it out the park on all levels and this absolute triumph is Graham Norton's finest work to date!
The characters are full of life, with each one so rounded that I finished the book wanting to know more about Nor's marriage, about Ted, about what happened to Frankie's first husband Alan and her family back home and how the awful usurper reacted to the outcome of her demands!
Frankie blossoms from obedient child in an arranged marriage to a brave woman starting fresh more than once.
The different worlds of the super rich women Frankie initially falls in with and the more down to earth and poorer side of the working classes on both sides of the pond are cleverly interwoven as Frankie relives her past through her conversations with Damian, showing that true happiness is in the people in your life rather than the cash in your pocket!
An absolute gem of a novel!

I haven’t read any other books by Graham Norton (although I will now) and I confess I’m usually slightly sniffy about celebrities in other fields deciding to become novelists – but OMG this delightful book absolutely won me over – I loved it!
The novel takes us from post-war Ireland to the happening art scene of 1960s New York via London. It tells the story of Frankie Howe as she looks back on her life in conversations with her young Irish carer Damian and her lifelong best friend Nor.
I loved this book from the very beginning. It’s engaging, warm, and emotional without ever becoming overly sentimental. The characters are wonderfully brought to life – I fell in love with Frankie and Nor and was completely swept up in their tale. Norton gives us a modern-day tale while packing the book with characters so well-formed and believable they could have stepped out of a novel by Dickens or Austen.
Like the books I enjoy most, Frankie has emotional depth but without lengthy descriptive passages that slow down the story. It’s not a light read – there’s real trauma and heartache within it – but it is an easy read, that doesn’t demand too much of the reader while rewarding them with a beautifully told story.
I don’t normally like books set in different time frames, but this one really works. I would recommend this heart-warming tale to anyone who enjoys getting totally caught up in the lives of fictional characters. I read it in just two days while laughing and crying, and I’m missing Frankie already.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC.

This novel was just fantastic. From Ballytoor in Ireland, the titular Frankie explains her history to her carer, Damien. Oscillating between past and present, we witness the many lives and experiences of Frances Howe. The novel begins exploring her oppressive marriage to a canon and the feminist challenges young women faced in 1950s Ireland. Her tumultuous yet lively journey to New York practically springs off the page. Norton's great attention to detail, particularly with setting and temporal accuracy, like the depiction of the Beat Generation, cemented this novel as a new favourite. I was not expecting to love this novel as much as I did. I was fiercely invested in Frankie as we grow to love her just as much as Nora and Damien do. I laughed out loud and I also shed a few welcome tears.
Thank you for allowing me to read this beautiful novel. I shall be raving about it for the foreseeable future.

This is my first Graham Norton book and my last. The part in Ireland was interesting but I found the rest rather dull.
Not my type of book at all

Damian, a young man from Ireland, has come over to London and is employed as a night time carer by an upmarket agency. He is asked to look after Frankie an elderly Irish lady who has broken her leg. When he arrives at her block of flats he wonders how she can afford to employ his agency. He is greeted by Nor, a long time friend of Frankie’s.

Slowly. over the weeks he is caring for Frankie he hears her life story. From the day she finds out her parents have had an accident and she’s placed in the care of an aunt and her husband. We follow her life through a young, unhappy marriage to her leaving Ireland and going to stay with Nor, an old school friend, who now lives in London.

Through Nor’s connections Frankie is employed as an assistant and is taken to America for a business trip. A misunderstanding leads to her being abandoned by her employer and we hear about her life in America and how she finally meets up with Nor again and her life before she has to return to London.

Graham Norton is an excellent story teller and the book is an easy read.

I really enjoyed this story. I loved Frankie and Nor’s story. Damian was so sweet in doing what he done for Frankie even in the end after everything that happened. I would have loved to have heard more of Nor’s life and how she came to be in the world she was in. It was a fantastic read and I definitely didn’t anticipate it ending the way it did. So heartbreaking but also so warm and loving.