Frankie

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What to expect

The latest novel from million-copy bestseller author Graham Norton - a dazzling, decades-sweeping story about love, bravery and what it means to live a significant life.

'Warm and wise, Frankie is a woman worth getting to know'
BONNIE GARMUS

'I loved Frankie so much. I couldn't stop reading it, but feel bereft now that I've finished'
NIGELLA LAWSON

'A masterclass in storytelling that grabs you by the heartstrings from page one and refuses to let go'
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

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.

Travelling 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. But as Frankie's past slowly emerges, her spirit and endurance are revealed as undeniable . . . and unforgettable.

'Fascinating, funny, sad... Every page is intriguing. Once again, Graham shows his class as a writer'
JO BRAND

'I was enthralled by Frankie from page one. It's a beauty. A warm, deeply moving, life-enhancing novel'
SARAH WINMAN

'Frankie is a perfect song of a book and everyone who likes human beings should read it'
ANDREW O'HAGAN

'Immersive, stunningly written, and very emotional - this is a triumph'
JENNIE GODFREY

'Packed with surprises, it's moving, riveting and enriching'
MATT CAIN

'A great sweep of a novel, full of unexpected twists'
LISSA EVANS

* Graham Norton's most recent novel Forever Home was a Sunday Times top 10 bestseller in April 2023, and Frankie was a Sunday Times top 10 bestseller in September 2024.

Critics Review

Immersive, stunningly written and very emotional - this is a triumph. I defy anyone not to love it (but bring tissues!). Graham's writing gets better and better, and Frankie is his best yet
I loved Frankie so much. I couldn't stop reading it, but feel bereft now that I've finished
A masterclass in storytelling that grabs you by the heartstrings from page one and refuses to let go
Irish Independent
Frankie is popular fiction at its best... Beautifully crafted and impeccably researched
Irish Examiner
An eventful story about well-drawn characters... Compelling, interesting and enjoyable
Irish Times
Warm and wise, Frankie is a woman worth getting to know
I was enthralled by Frankie from page one. It's a beauty. A warm, deeply moving, life-enhancing novel
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
What an unforgettable, heartening book; everybody should read it. The accumulation of grief, the revelation of joy, is so brilliant in the story - from Cork to Picadilly to Greenwich Village - and I just loved every page. Frankie is a triumph, a beautiful book of sunshine and memory
A vivid portrait of one woman's life along with her closest friend, from censorious Ireland of the 1950s to high society New York of the 60s and 70s and the utter devastation of the AIDS epidemic of the 80s. Frankie is a beautifully written, entertaining and intriguing read - I couldn't have loved it more
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
A great sweep of a novel, full of unexpected twists; Frankie's riveting story is both a tribute to lifelong friendship and the kindness of strangers
Fascinating, funny, sad . . . Every page is intriguing. Once again, Graham shows his class as a writer
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
The glorious unfolding of a life, beautifully written, heartbreakingly honest

User Reviews

Book 4.8
Narration 4.9
5.0
5.0
Just wonderful, both the book and the performance of it. Definitely recommended ❤️
Harrieta 09/08/2025
5.0
5.0
First book I have listened to by Graham Norton and it was just superb. All the characters were so engaging and you really cared what happened to them (bar one, but not giving anything away) especially Frankie who was such a wonderful main character. Loved every minute of it.
Jane B 28/05/2025
5.0
5.0
Wonderful story of a young womans life and dreams, as always exquisitely narrated by GN, who manages to inject humour and accurately describes the central characters.
Jo Robins 31/03/2025
4.0
5.0
Good story. Perfect narration
madeleine 26/02/2025
5.0
4.0
Mary2206 15/02/2025
5.0
5.0
Just loved this! The narration with the attention to detail with multiple characters so well done.
Cheery 30/01/2025
5.0
5.0
Tdk 15/12/2024
4.0
5.0
Another great read from Graham. I have read all of his and l9ve how he narrates them. Francie was good buy not as good as his previous ones. But still worth a read. Great characters as always.
rharrison2sc 20/10/2024

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