AN AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION ADULT DEBUT HONOR BOOKWINNER OF THE AUDIE AWARD FOR BEST FEMALE NARRATORLOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLERA sparkling talent makes her fiction debut with this infectious novel that combines the charming pluck of Eloise, the poignant psychological quirks of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and the page-turning spirit of Where’d You Go, Bernadette.… Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and the page-turning spirit of Where’d You Go, Bernadette.
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.
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.
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.
Full of heart and countless “only-in-Hollywood” moments, Be Frank with Me 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.
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I picked up this book on an audible “deal.” As the mother of a son who is not neurotypical, I found Frank to be delightful, and the story and characters really engaging. I liked it so much that I plan to contact Ms. Johnson to be on my Wine Women & Writing podcast. I think her protagonist, as well as the bitter, complex writer/mom in the story, are a great fit for the focus on authentic female characters at the core of great storytelling. Good job, Ms. Johnson!
I gobbled this up! First of all, it is written in first person, which I adore. Secondly, the story and I have a lot in common. I have a child with autistic-like characteristics, I am a writer, and I favor a lot of the writing devices the author uses. Case in point: “ What else was there to say? His fingernails were dirty? He stumbled into our century through a worm-hole in the space-time continuum? I’m worried he’ll julienne me in my sleep?” It is this casual, conversational, and sometimes fleetingly florid style that draws you in while delivering a lot of pertinent information that moves the story along in a concise way.
Mostly, I appreciate how the author focuses on all that is good, lovable, and adorable about Frank in the very same moments she shows us just how exasperating and off-putting he can be. We all know at least one version of Frank, and he/she is a human being every bit as worthy of love as those who don’t share the less common qualities the author so deftly paints for us. Despite the compulsion to turn the page quickly to savor what happens next, the point of this book is not how it all wraps up. The beauty of it is very much in the journey.
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.
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 boy. Frank loves talking about the wit of Noel Coward, the wardrobe of a 1930s movie star, and Casablanca the movie with Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart. This causes a problem at Frank’s school because he has very little in common with his fellow fourth-graders.
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.
This is not just about Alice finding out who Frank’s father is but she realizes what a wonderful and smart person Frank is the way he looks at life.
All the stars go to sweet, adorable, unconventional Frank. The behavior, routines, fixations, hypersensitivity, and social processing of Frank’s character all point to Aspergers or some form of high-functioning autism, although it is never actually spelled out in the novel. The absence of labels allows for showing versus telling during his character building which I loved. Through an adult’s POV, we get to follow Frank around and for real fall in love with this little guy. It was interesting to meet the other characters in this book as well but Frank took the cake! Be Frank With Me was a genuinely interesting and entertaining read that I enjoyed very much and I would highly recommend the audio version. Check it out!
My favorite quote:
“Energy spent on worrying about a future you can’t control is energy wasted. It doesn’t do anybody one bit of good.”
I found this one at the library, and was immediately struck by the image of the person on the front in the top hat and morning coat… I thought it was a youngish woman with short hair; turns out it’s a very young boy named Frank, and he is BY FAR the brightest spot in what is promising to be a very engaging and witty story about a reclusive author and the youngish woman publishing assistant tasked with helping her produce her decades-late follow-up novel. The young boy in question, Frank, is the author’s son and the publishing assistant’s charge – he’s quirky and brilliant and more than a little damaged, but he’s an absolute delight. I’m not very far in, but this one holds great promise as a sweet tale about the difficult improbabilities of family – both the one we are born with/to and the one we create…
This is one of those books I wish didn’t have to end. The author has made an amazing personality in Frank. He is like no other character I’ve ever read before and I would have liked to have spent much more time with him and his everyday adventures. Just can’t say enough about how much I loved Frank.
A Frank and Amusing Tale of Neurodiversity. Alice, a recent college graduate, is thrilled when she is assigned the job of looking after a famous novelist and her young son to facilitate the completion of a second novel. However, when she arrives at the author’s home in Beverly Hills, Alice realizes she has been assigned a Herculean task. Young Frank is impulsive, eccentric, and difficult to interact with, and his mother is cold and unfriendly. Although Frank has been expelled from school after school, Alice manages to bond with him and she learns how to interact with him somewhat effectively. As disaster after disaster unfolds, Alice copes as best she can while learning about the history of this famous family and herself.
(This is more of a Book Talk than a review)
Alice Whitley, a 24-year-old publishing assistant, is sent to Los Angeles to do whatever it takes to help a literary recluse write her next novel. While M.M. Banning (Mimi) is irritable and ungrateful, Alice’s biggest challenge is Mimi’s son Frank, an intelligent and quirky fourth-grader.
Mimi is cranky, Frank is, well, Frank, and Alice is a naïve do-gooder (but believes she knows everything as we all do at 24). Enter Xander, the older and mysterious piano teacher/handyman/father figure who seems to come and go as he pleases, and you have a cast of characters destined for mayhem.
Alice is there to ensure Mimi finishes the novel. She cooks, cleans, does laundry, and takes care of Frank as best she can. Frank is an amazing child with above-average intelligence and an incredible memory. He has an obsession with classic black and white movies and old Hollywood style. More comfortable dressed like Fred Astaire than in jeans and sneakers, he conjures up an image of a young Monopoly man, in a top hat, tails, and monocle. It is no wonder he hates school. As a social outcast, he is bullied constantly, yet accepts every day with weary resignation. Alice believes that since he is so smart, teachers must love him. But only a few adults at the school like him, making his day that much harder.
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I’ll tell you what my mom says teachers don’t love,” said Frank, “Being corrected.”
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Frank is the star of the show; he adds both levity and sadness to the story. His unfiltered comments on human behavior make you think, but this is not Frank’s story. Yes, we see Frank’s life through the eyes of Alice but the heart of the story is about Alice. Alice is the only character that undergoes any type of transformation. It is her relationship with Frank that changes her. She is not the same person at the end of the novel. That cannot be said of the other characters.
The reviews of this book were very divided into either love it or hate it, making it an excellent choice for a book club. There is no shortage of discussion points: the long term effects of trauma, Frank (of course), incredible fame at an early age, and Alice’s need for a father figure for starters.
I want to start off by saying that I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. In return for my honest thoughts and review. I know that this book has some mix reviews. So when I won this book I wanted to go in reading it with open mind. I am glad that I did. At first I was like what am reading. But glad that I kept reading this book. Highly recommend this book. This book reminded of Wonder by R.J. Palacio young book who is different and trying to fit in. I like the writing style and the characters. I had a love hate relationship with one of characters but I understood them.
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Alice is offered a job to move to L.A. from New York to keep watch on a famous author. To make to sure that Mimi gets her second book done. But Alice is greeted by Mimi only son Frank. A little boy who is different in his own way. Such a smart boy who doesnt like to be touch. Alice becomes attach to this family. Amazing story
I absolutely LOVED this book. The characters are amazing and it was such an enjoyable read. Heart-warming, funny, unpredictable.
Although I usually don’t read books that are not romances or mysteries, the summary of this book drew me in, and I had to read it.
The book is about reclusive literary legend M. M. “Mimi” Banning, who 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.
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.
You will grow to love all of the characters, especially Frank.
I bought this book 2 years ago and just got around to reading it. I wasn’t sure what it was actually about so I read it and loved it! The characters were well developed, especially Frank. If you like to read books about brilliant kids that are outcasts are special little people then you will love this book.
Very unusual
Unanticipated quality story and well written by a new author. I will watch for her next book
Were I in Hollywood strolling along and catch a glimpse of Frank, the immediate assumption would be that he’s a midget actor on break during a shooting. How wrong I’d be! A ten year old, eccentric, high IQ oddball that not only dresses like characters from classic films of the 40s, but has knowledge of them akin to a film school professor. Quirky, loving and at times playful , he’s more adult than child. The author contrasts this character with precision through his mother Mimi, a bitchy, high strung best selling author who writes with a typewriter and gives orders like a general. Engaging, evocative and well paced, this would be ideal for screen. I found myself laughing out loud often when Frank would spout facts, dates and names that any other child his age couldn’t possibly know or relate with! Alice is thrust into the mix and what unfolds is sheer delight. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys great storytelling, humor, compassion and fun.
A very different book. Frank is an interesting character that to my mind is high on the spectrum scale. Beautifully written.
Great change of pace book. Wanted something different. This was it!
The relationship that develops between the lead character and Frank, a young boy with a very unique take on the world, is wonderful.
I liked this book.
Unique characters with depth, kept me interested. I’ve ready many many books, so that’s harder for me to say as time goes on – so it’s actually a high recommendation!