Minding Frankie

Minding Frankie is the latest novel by bestselling author Maeve Binchy, and focuses on issues concerning relationships and unconventional families.

The story is centred upon baby Frankie who from the moment she is born faces an uncertain future. Frankie’s mother’s death shortly after her birth places Frankie into the hands of her father Noel, a struggling alcoholic who since finding out that he was going to become a father has begun to turn his life around. Noel has a lot of support from his neighbours, family and friends as they all help to mind Frankie and give him the encouragement that he needs to become a good father and to make something of his life. However Frankie’s social worker Moira is certain that Noel is not suitable to look after Frankie and is waiting and watching for him to slip up.

The novel looks at the lives of a number of characters who are in some way connected to baby Frankie including Noels parents and his cousin Emily, the talented Lisa who has lost her way, local Doctor Declan and his wife Fiona, loveable characters Muttie and Lizzie and the twins Maud and Simon. Fans of Binchy will recognise some of these characters from previous novels.

The reappearance of characters in Binchy’s novels is something I really love about her work, as when you begin reading it is like going somewhere familiar where you know a lot of the places and people but at the same time you are also meeting new people who take you somewhere else entirely.

Minding Frankie

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

The Gift is not the latest title from Cecelia Ahern, but as it's a Christmas theme it's the one to read a the moment. She was the author of P.S. I Love You.

This novel is set in the days leading up to Christmas, with very little to do with Christmas as such, unless you count the togetherness (or not) of family which the season tends to highlight, and a little mysticism.

Lou is a very work focused businessman, who believes he is doing a fine job of fitting in his family around it. One morning he surprises himself by actually noticing the homeless man who sits outside his office building. He hands the man, Gabe, the coffee he just bought himself.

With this ‘gift’ Lou starts to make a few very uncharacteristic decisions. The first is to get Gabe a job in the company mail room, which results in Gabe seemingly always looking over Lou’s shoulder.

The story unwinds through a tale told by the local cop to a young boy who has been picked up that morning, Christmas morning, for throwing a frozen turkey through his estranged father’s window. The cop needs to tell someone as he has just dealt with the conclusion to the tale, and he hopes that by telling the boy the tale, it will change the boys attitude.

It is well written, easy to read but made me feel a little uncomfortable as I recognised some of Lou’s behaviours in myself. It was hard to put down, therefore thankfully short, so I wasn’t distracted for too long.

Well worth reading!

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern