Frankie

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.

'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