Be Frank with Me - by Julia Claiborne Johnson (Paperback)
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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>Hired to assist a famed reclusive writer trying to recapture her lost fortunes by completing a new manuscript, Alice Whitley becomes obsessed with identifying the paternity of her employer's precocious young son.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p><strong>AN AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION ADULT DEBUT HONOR BOOK</strong></p><p><strong>WINNER OF THE AUDIE AWARD FOR BEST FEMALE NARRATOR</strong></p><p><strong><em>LOS ANGELES TIMES</em> BESTSELLER</strong></p><p>A sparkling talent makes her fiction debut with this infectious novel that combines the charming pluck of <em>Eloise</em>, the poignant psychological quirks of <em>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time</em> and the page-turning spirit of <em>Where'd You Go, Bernadette.</em></p><p>Reclusive literary legend M. M. "Mimi" Banning has been holed up in her Bel Air mansion for years. But after falling prey to a Bernie Madoff-style ponzi scheme, she's flat broke. Now Mimi must write a new book for the first time in decades, and to ensure the timely delivery of her manuscript, her New York publisher sends an assistant to monitor her progress. The prickly Mimi reluctantly complies--with a few stipulations: No Ivy-Leaguers or English majors. Must drive, cook, tidy. Computer whiz. Good with kids. Quiet, discreet, sane.</p><p>When Alice Whitley arrives at the Banning mansion, she's put to work right away--as a full-time companion to Frank, the writer's eccentric nine-year-old, a boy with the wit of Noel Coward, the wardrobe of a 1930s movie star, and very little in common with his fellow fourth-graders.</p><p>As she slowly gets to know Frank, Alice becomes consumed with finding out who Frank's father is, how his gorgeous "piano teacher and itinerant male role model" Xander fits into the Banning family equation--and whether Mimi will ever finish that book.</p><p>Full of heart and countless "only-in-Hollywood" moments, <em>Be Frank with Me</em> is a captivating and unconventional story of an unusual mother and son, and the intrepid young woman who finds herself irresistibly pulled into their unforgettable world.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> From the Back Cover </b></p></br></br><p>Meet Mimi: Reclusive literary legend. Wrote Pulitzer- and National Book Award--winning novel at nineteen. Hasn't been seen or heard from much since, though, ironically, she lives in a glass mansion in Bel Air. Lost all her money in a Ponzi scheme, needs to write another novel. So her publisher sends her . . . </p><p>Alice Whitley: Editorial assistant. Twenty-five years old. Highly competent. Thinks she's going to be typing up pages and delivering cups of coffee. Instead finds that her primary job is to be companion to . . . </p><p>Frank: Mimi's nine-year-old son. A boy with the intellect of Albert Einstein, the wardrobe of a 1930s movie star, and very little in common with his fellow fourth graders. About to give Alice the education of her life.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>"Johnson's magnificently poignant, funny, and wholly original debut goes beyond page-turner status. Readers will race to the next sentence. And the next. Her charming, flawed, quietly courageous characters, each wonderfully different, demand a second reading while we impatiently await the author's second work."--<em>Library Journal </em>(starred review)<br><br>"Julia Claiborne Johnson ably conjures a quirky cast and a privileged California world. BE FRANK WITH ME is about being an outsider and the ways in which differences help others see the world in a new way. Like Frank, this offbeat story has a big heart."--<em>BookPage</em><br><br>"Simply delightful...A warm and friendly book, with characters you want to get to know."--<em>Sunday Times</em> (London)<br><br>"The curious incident of where'd you go, Salinger."--<em>Kirkus Reviews</em><br><br>"Witty dialogue, irresistible characters, and a touch of mystery make this sweet debut about a quirky Hollywood family an enjoyable page-turner."--<em>Booklist</em><br><br>"A lot of fun to be had along the way. Sit back...and enjoy the show."--<em>New York Times Book Review </em><br><br>"Readers will find themselves captivated."--<em>People</em><br><br>Beautifully written, brimming with insight, mystery, and benevolent wit, Julia Johnson had me gripped from the first chapter to the final page of BE FRANK WITH ME."--Julia Sweeney, author, actress, comedienne<br><br>"BE FRANK WITH ME is complex, nuanced, detailed and profound. In other words, funny, in the best, most resonant way. Read it with both eyes because it will delight both the thinky and the feely parts of your brain."--Dave Foley, comedian and technically, an actor<br><br>"Delightful. You will laugh out loud."--Slate<br><br>"Frank Banning may be the most endearing scene-stealer you'll ever meet in the pages of a book...Johnson proves it's possible to write a comic novel that, at times, is heartbreaking."--Richmond Times-Dispatch<br><br>"Hilarious, poignant and full of unexpected gems, BE FRANK WITH ME illuminates the strange ways literature can parallel life, and introduces readers to one of the most charming, lovable and maddening children in fiction."--Huffington Post<br><br>"Johnson's spare, wry, Salingeresque style evokes those great oddball novels of the past and provides a charming take on the parent-of-challenged-child theme."--Daily Mail (London)<br><br>"Julia Claiborne Johnson has struck gold in creating Frank Banning -- a one-of-a-kind exasperating, witty and endearing nine-year-old genius who functions as the beating heart of this marvelous book."--Julie Schumacher, author of Dear Committee Members<br><br>"Julia Claiborne Johnson has written an effervescent gem of a novel, expertly balancing on a literary tightrope between lighthearted and heartbreaking. BE FRANK WITH ME is peopled by characters at once utterly unique, and entirely authentic. I may re-read this book just to spend more time with Frank."--Laura Nicole Diamond, author of Shelter Us: a novel<br><br>"There's so much to love about this novel: the hilarious one-liners, the unforgettable characters, the unexpected moments of tenderness and all the funny, sad, poignant twists and turns this story takes. I lost myself in these pages and you will too."--John Searles, nationally-bestselling author of Help for the Haunted<br><br>"This book has stayed with me since I turned the last page. Frank is one of the most memorable children in contemporary fiction."--Irish Times<br><br>"What a charmer this book is! From the very first page, I fell hard for Frank, an adorable oddball with an amazing brain, a wardrobe to die for, and a lonely fragility that pierced my heart again and again."--Marisa de los Santos, New York Times-bestselling author of Love Walked In and The Precious One<br><br>"Witty, but never cutesy. Deeply felt, but never sentimental. Peopled with deeply flawed, fully realized characters I cared about... I loved every minute I spent in Julia Claiborne Johnson's glass house with her cast of dedicated stone-throwers. This one is special---don't miss it."--Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times-bestselling author of The Opposite of Everyone<br>
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