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.
Download and start listening now!
"Frankie in the title is an unexpected baby who brings together an entire street of people who must "mind" her, or take care of her. What I have always loved about Maeve Binchy is her ability to make me the reader sympathetic to even the most unlikeable characters, like Moira, the hardened social worker who thinks Frankie should be taken away from the hard-working, former alcoholic Noel. Minding Frankie also brought back a host of other characters from her other books, all of whom seem like old friends. A satisfying, absorbing read."
— Bianca (4 out of 5 stars)
“When a baby's mother dies, A Dublin community bands together to care for the infant and keep her out of foster care. Joyful, quintessential Binchy.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine, “Ten Titles to Pick Up Now”" Nothing spectacular. Just a nice, predictable, clean story. "
— Emmy, 2/14/2014" Another great read by Maeve Binchy - keep 'em coming, Maeve! "
— Nancylouu, 2/14/2014" As with most Maeve Binchy books, the many characters, some of which you've met in other books, are sometimes hard to keep straight - along with their intersecting storylines. But, always a nice, easy read - and the Ireland setting more than makes up for any confusion on my part. "
— Jen, 2/12/2014" Again, I fell in love with Ms. Binchy's human and colorful characters. I am so sad that she recently died. I am putting off reading her last book; seriously, I will grieve. Such a great storyteller in a league of her own. "
— Sandy, 2/8/2014" Of course, I love Maeve Binchy. Like her other readers, I have followed her characters through many different books and I always enjoy seeing them again filtered in with the new characters. I suspect there isn't a reader out there who doesn't long to visit the streets in Ireland where her characters reside. It seems you could sit down for a cup of tea or a pint with them and feel instantly at home. A nice ending without being too perfect. "
— Mary, 2/3/2014" Maeve was a great story teller. I will miss reading her tales "
— Carol, 1/28/2014" A tear jerker with a happy ending, but a lot of painful situations on the way there. "
— Cynthia, 1/23/2014" Talk about a taking a village to raise a child! This book has more side stories to it and it keeps you turning the pages! Taking place in Ireland, so it took awhile to understanding their phrases, but an excellent read... "
— Joan, 1/17/2014" Easy reading book with a small community of characters that interweave nicely. "
— Marlyn, 1/17/2014" Great characters, laughter, tears, and a little predictable, I still enjoyed every minute reading this book. There were enough unexpected turns, and the pace was great. "
— Alisha, 1/7/2014" I always enjoy this author. She never disappoints. "
— Cathy, 1/4/2014" A good vacation read. Still looking for the Binchy of days gone by. "
— Mikie, 12/21/2013" How sad to read of the passing of Maeve Binchy as I was reading the final 1/4 of this book. A story of the crossing of lives...in life and in death. People coming together to share and to love. "
— Janet, 11/25/2013" Another great, fast read from Binchy. While focusing on a few new characters, the supporting cast of characters include several characters from previous Binchy stories, and it was nice to catch up with them. "
— Darla, 10/25/2013" Lovely. Like curling up on the sofa with a hot chocolate drink and a packet of digestives. "
— Christine, 9/21/2013" Sweet, delightful story filled with rich characters in Ireland, and the choices they make. "
— Sandee, 7/26/2013" Great Irish tale of community coming together to support a single father. "
— Keith, 8/31/2012" Far from her best, but still Binchey, so I enjoyed it. "
— Hlogan, 8/8/2012" I love Maeve Binchy, but this wasn't one of my favorites of hers. Too much happiness. Not enough tears. Does that make me a bad person? "
— Claire, 7/13/2012" Swarming with characters...sometimes a little hard to sort out 'who's who,' but overall, I really enjoyed the story line of this book. Quirky, heartwarming, cute... :) "
— Cara, 5/17/2012" Maeve is delightful, she does characters so well. There's an awful lot going on in these people's lives but it's a good ride. Listened to it unabridged on the Playable which was really great! Sile does a great job with the voices and accents. Nancy, head's up but it's natural and okay. "
— C2015, 2/16/2012" first book I have ever read of hers and can say it may be the last. Took me forever to get through this one and it wasn't all that good. "
— Mandy, 2/14/2012" Great read of a non-typical family and community raising a child. Love this author! "
— Sheridan, 12/26/2011" I love all of Maeve Bincy's books. "
— Audrey, 12/25/2011" Have this one of CD, listening to it in the car..... "
— Kara, 10/18/2011" It's been a while since I read one of her books. It felt nicely familiar. I cried when one of her characters died. I felt like knew him from prior novels. I was devastated. "
— Mina, 8/14/2011" This was a sweet book. It was a light, easy read, although at 400+ pages, it wasn't short. There's a lot of charm in this non-traditional Irish family, and that was exactly what I was looking for when I chose this book. "
— Kathi, 7/13/2011" It felt a bit cliche and cheeky at first, but after getting used to the writing style, it became quite engaging, with a varied cast of characters, most with realistic good sides and bad, rather than having an overly simplistic good versus bad guy storyline. "
— Nadia, 6/3/2011" This book brings back so many characters from earlier books so I am loving that! I am listening to this book in my car. "
— Vicki, 5/23/2011" One of the better books she has written lately. Was a great weekend read. "
— Kimberly, 5/22/2011" Typical Maeve Binchey. Like a cup of creamy cocoa - warm and soothing, but not much substance. That's not meant as a put down! "
— Melissa, 5/22/2011" Love that Irish language. Relaxing read. I read one of Binchy's books every year just to get my Irish fix. "
— Margaret, 5/18/2011" Another heartwarming story of love and unique families .Binchy knows hiw to develop characters that are not perfect but through family and friends have the love and support to turn their life around. Many of her characters have connections to previous books so it's like coming home again. "
— Valovich, 5/17/2011" Not her best work but still a fun read. "
— Dia, 5/17/2011" Typical Maeve Binchy; a pleasant read with some familiar characters and some new ones, all going about their lives. "
— Vicki, 5/16/2011" this is a nice book, sweet story, but kind of slow (think At Home in Mitford). Has a lot of the same characters as a few of Binchy's other books, but not really a sequel. "
— Kristy, 5/15/2011" Binchy scores again with a complex, engrossing tale of friends and family in Ireland. She is always enjoyable and entertaining. "
— Carol, 5/14/2011" I can always depend on Maeve Binchy to deliver an enjoyable read. In each book, she creates several characters I care about, and worry about. This book is no exception. "
— Bobbi, 5/13/2011" I enjoyed this book which has a good plot. I always want that. <br/>The characters are too good to be true but very likeable. I will read more of her books. Sometime happy endings are just what I need. "
— Phyllis, 5/12/2011Maeve Binchy (1940–2012) was the author of numerous bestselling books, including Minding Frankie, Heart and Soul, Whitethorn Woods, and Circle of Friends, as well as Tara Road, which was an Oprah’s Book Club selection. She contributed to Gourmet; O, The Oprah Magazine; Modern Maturity; and Good Housekeeping, among other publications. Married to Gordon Snell, she lived in Dalkey, Ireland, until her death in July 2012 at the age of seventy-two, shortly after finishing A Week in Winter.
Sile Bermingham began her acting career in theater in her native Dublin before moving to New York to attend HB Studios. Theater credits include Loot, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolfe, Remembrance, A Touch of the Poet, A Woman of No Importance, and Crimes and Crimes, among many others. An avid reader and lover of stories, Sile has read the works of Maeve Binchy, Cecilia Ahern, and Joanne Harris.