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Be Frank With Me: A Novel Audiobook
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Publisher Description
A 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.
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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“Be prepared to put your life on hold once you start this audiobook…Gilbert nails the rhythm of Frank’s unique speech pattern while instilling his dialogue with charm and innocence. She transitions so seamlessly between Alice and Frank that listeners may forget there’s only one narrator. Don’t miss this outstanding production. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
Quotes
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“What a charmer this book is! From the very first page, I fell hard for Frank.”
— Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author -
“Witty, but never cutesy. Deeply felt, but never sentimental… This one is special—don’t miss it.”
— Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author -
“Readers will find themselves captivated.”
— People -
“A lot of fun to be had along the way. Sit back…and enjoy the show.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Delightful. You will laugh out loud.”
— Slate -
“Hilarious, poignant, and full of unexpected gems, Be Frank with Me… introduces readers to one of the most charming, lovable and maddening children in fiction.”
— Huffington Post -
“Frank Banning may be the most endearing scene-stealer you’ll ever meet in the pages of a book.”
— Richmond Times-Dispatch -
“Goes beyond page-turner status. Readers will race to the next sentence. And the next. Her charming, flawed, quietly courageous characters, each wonderfully different, demand a second reading.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“Like Frank, this offbeat story has a big heart.”
— BookPage -
“Witty dialogue, irresistible characters, and a touch of mystery make this sweet debut about a quirky Hollywood family an enjoyable page-turner.”
— Booklist
Awards
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A February 2016 LibraryReads Pick
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A BookPage Book of the Day
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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Audie Award Winner for Best Female Narration
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About Julia Claiborne Johnson
Julia Claiborne Johnson is the author of the bestselling Be Frank with Me, a finalist for the American Bookseller’s Association Best Debut Novel Award. She grew up on a farm in Tennessee before moving to New York City, where she worked at Mademoiselle and Glamour magazines. She now lives in Los Angeles with her comedy-writer husband and their two children.
About Tavia Gilbert
Tavia Gilbert is an acclaimed narrator of more than four hundred full-cast and multivoice audiobooks for virtually every publisher in the industry. Named the 2018 Voice of Choice by Booklist magazine, she is also winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has earned numerous Earphones Awards, a Voice Arts Award, and a Listen-Up Award. Audible.com has named her a Genre-Defining Narrator: Master of Memoir. In addition to voice acting, she is an accomplished producer, singer, and theater actor. She is also a producer, singer, photographer, and a writer, as well as the cofounder of a feminist publishing company, Animal Mineral.