Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Mar 2011
400 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Maeve Binchy is back with a tale of joy, heartbreak and hope, about a motherless girl collectively raised by a close-knit Dublin community.
When Noel learns that his terminally ill former flame is pregnant with his child, he agrees to take guardianship of the baby girl once she's born. But as a single father battling demons of his own, Noel can't do it alone.
Fortunately, he has a competent, caring network of friends, family and neighbors: Lisa, his unlucky-in-love classmate, who moves in with him to help him care for little Frankie around the clock; his American cousin, Emily, always there with a pep talk; the newly retired Dr. Hat, with more time on his hands than he knows what to do with; Dr. Declan and Fiona and their baby son, Frankie’s first friend; and many eager babysitters, including old friends Signora and Aidan and Frankie’s doting grandparents, Josie and Charles.
But not everyone is pleased with the unconventional arrangement, especially a nosy social worker, Moira, who is convinced that Frankie would be better off in a foster home. Now it’s up to Noel to persuade her that everyone in town has something special to offer when it comes to minding Frankie.
"Binchy straddles improbable and possible in her touching saga, and if your mind can't quite wrap itself around St. Jarlath's Crescent, your heart will have no trouble recognizing the landscape." - Publishers Weekly
"Readers will need a box of tissues handy as the good-hearted residents of St. Jarlath’s Crescent prove that it does indeed take a village to raise a child." - Booklist
"The brief appearances of so many characters from previous works might be annoying, but the stories of [specific characters]...make this novel fresh and appealing. An enjoyable novel about life, love, and second chances." - Library Journal
"As usual, Binchy's supporting characters steal the show...Binchy remains the queen of spiritual comfort, but this time round she's stretched interest thin with ups and downs too many and too mild." - Kirkus Review
This information about Minding Frankie was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
maevebinchy.com
Maeve Binchy was born in a small village outside Dublin. She spent her
childhood in Dalkey, an experience she draws on today when creating the
rural villages usually at the heart of her novels. After receiving her B.A.
from University College in Dublin, she began working as a teacher. The
experiences she had while teaching at a Jewish school and on vacation in
Israel compelled her to find work on a kibbutz. While abroad in Israel, she
wrote weekly letters to her father describing life in a country constantly
on the brink of war. When Binchy's father sent one of her letters to The
Irish Times where it was published and earned her £18, Binchy, who had been
making £16 working at the school, thought that she had truly
"arrived."
...
Scatterlings
by Resoketswe Martha Manenzhe
The debut novel of a gifted storyteller who has become a sensation in her native South Africa.
The good writer, the great writer, has what I have called the three S's: The power to see, to sense, and to say. ...
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
