Frank and Red by Matt Coyne
Franklin lost his wife a while back and has been living next to an empty house which suited him as it was quiet. The neighbours on the other side got him his shopping as he hasn't been further than the garden gate since. One day he hears a noise and finds a young boy bouncing on a trampoline, just what he didn't need, his peace is now shattered. Add to this, the other neighbours have gone away without telling him and his day is really made- not! Frank has been seeing his wife Marcie as a sort of a ghost. Occasionally she gets mad at him for his curmudgeonly ways and disappears for a few days. They have a son, who sadly blames Frank for not telling him that his mother was dying- something which was Marcie's choice and now they are estranged. Red, the young boy is curious about Frank and gets him talking and so sparks an unlikely friendship, one of mutual benefit, as both are lonely in different ways. The combination of experience and youth provides a wonderful platform for discussion and laughter and an adventure for Red who is just doing his very best.
Oh what a treasure of a book. I loved Frank, Sarah and Red each in their own individual very different ways. Frank has got himself into a rut, something Red also sees himself in and life has been difficult for Sarah but she is the person who does her very best to be positive, especially where Red is concerned. She nursed Frank's wife and so knows a little of his back story and is pulled between her work at the hospice and doing her best for Red. I smiled, I nearly cried, I wanted to read Frank's books. If you need a heart-warming story this could be the one- its one to restore faith in human nature. A brilliantly stunning debut novel I cant recommend highly enough.
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