Frank and Red
The brilliant, heart-warming debut novel from the Sunday Times best-selling author of Dummy and Man vs Toddler
Frank is a miserable old curmudgeon. An agoraphobic recluse and widower whose only company is the ‘ghost’ of his wife, Marcie. He is estranged from friends and family and is entirely cut off from the rest of the world.
That is until he meets Red.
Red is six years old. He’s a funny, imaginative, and kind little boy who – following the separation of his parents – moves in next door. Red is fascinated by his new neighbour and seemingly oblivious to Frank’s grumpy demeanour and strange ways.
What on Earth will come of this unlikely friendship? Only time will tell…
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Jenn Thornley –
From the book club meeting (host Julie Astbury):
A riotously funny heartwarming book as described by the Sunday Times. Frank and Red is
the story of an unlikely friendship between A Grumpy old man and his neighbors 6 year old
son.
On the surface this book is exactly as described above and was one of the first books our
book club all seemed to enjoy. It followed the developing relationship between Frank , a
widow and recluse since the loss of his wife and the boy next door. The innocence and lack of
a childs comprehension to the subtleties of adult sarcasm allowed this deepening bond to
grow.
Whilst it appeared to be an easy read it became apparent through discussion that the book
actually had a much greater depth. It delved into issues of grief, mental health, bullying and
isolation without the reader truly being aware of it, and looked at the dynamics of family and
friendships through the eyes of a 6 year old.
The group felt that the author had a good insight into a 6 year olds mind and after researching
found that he has small children himself, this is reflected in the writing style making both
characters more than just fictitious but truly likable and believable. Most members felt they
all knew a Frank and a Red.
We felt that this book translated equally well into both audio and print each character
capturing the heart of the reader.
Our overall score was 4.75/5