Today I am thrilled to be part of the Blog Tour for The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81 with a review.
Synopsis
Frank Derrick is eighty-one. And he's just been run over by a milk float.
It was tough enough to fill the hours of the day when he was active. But now he's broken his arm and fractured his foot, it looks set to be a very long few weeks ahead. Frank lives with his cat Bill (which made more sense before Ben died) in the typically British town of Fullwind-on-Sea. He watches DVDs, spends his money frivolously at the local charity shop and desperately tries to avoid cold callers continually knocking on his door.
Then a breath of fresh air comes into his life in the form of Kelly Christmas, home help. With her little blue car and appalling parking, her cheerful resilience and ability to laugh at his jokes, Kelly changes Frank's extra ordinary life. She reminds him that there is a world beyond the four walls of his flat and that adventures, however small, come to people of all ages.
Review
I really loved this story. It was funny and moving all at the same time and I loved the themes it explored throughout the book.
I fell in love with Frank's character. He is a really sweet and actually very funny man! His dry sense of humour and the whole books' sense of humour had me in actual fits! It was actually highly embarrassing as a lot of the time I read on the train and to save myself from laughing hysterically on a quiet train, I ended up sniggering through my nose! It was also the kind of humour that you keep repeating to yourself in your head and it just makes you laugh the more you think about it! Needless to say I got some very strange looks!
Although this novel was very funny, it actually has an underlying tone of sadness and loneliness to it. Towards the end it very nearly broke my heart. I don't normally cry at things, but as I felt that I had got to know Frank so well, it did make my eyes tear up. I really wanted to go and see my grandparents after reading this. They are very close to Frank Derrick's age and it made feel like I don't appreciate them enough; especially as Frank's daughter is all the way on the other side of the Atlantic, leaving Frank pretty much all by himself.
I want everyone to read this book! It really was fantastic. I am really enjoying all this 'Golden Oldie' fiction (as named by Natasha at Pan Macmillan) that is coming out. This was close to the feel of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, but I much preferred Frank's story. I loved how the author was able to turn normal, everyday things into a wonderful story. I could easily immerse myself in Frank's world again and again.
An unexpectedly funny, touching and compelling story. I can't wait to read more from J.B Morrison!
5/5
The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81 is available from Amazon UK and Waterstones
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