Julia Claiborne Johnson

AN AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION ADULT DEBUT HONOR BOOK WINNER OF THE AUDIE AWARD FOR BEST FEMALE NARRATOR LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER 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.

A Novel

Be Frank With Me

The anticipated second novel from the bestselling author of Be Frank With Me, set in 1930s Reno, in which two very different women seeking divorces meet and form an unlikely friendship that is complicated by the handsome young ranch hand who befriends both.

Better Luck Next Time

A sparkling debut combining 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 now she’s writing her first book in decades and to ensure timely completion her publisher sends an assistant to monitor her progress. When Alice Whitley arrives she’s put to work as a companion to Frank, the writer’s eccentric son, who has the wit of Noël Coward, the wardrobe of a 1930s movie star, and very little in common with his fellow fourth-graders. The longer she spends with the Bannings, the more Alice becomes obsessed with two questions: Who is Frank’s father? And will Mimi ever finish that book? Full of countless only-in-Hollywood moments, Be Frank With Me is a heartwarming story of a mother and son, and the intrepid young woman who is pulled into their unforgettable world. “Julia Claiborne Johnson has struck gold in creating Frank Banning—a one-of-a-kind exasperating, witty, and endearing nine-year-old genius who functions as the beating heart of this marvelous book.” —Julie Schumacher, author of Dear Committee Members

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.

Be Frank With Me LP

Be Frank with Me

‘Frank en wij’ is een perfecte roman voor fans van ‘Het wonderlijke voorval met de hond in de nacht’ van Mark Haddon, ‘Wij’ van David Nicholls en ‘Het Rosie project’ van Graeme Simsion! M.M. Banning – Mimi voor intimi – heeft zich teruggetrokken op haar landgoed in Bel Air. Ze heeft ooit een bestseller geschreven maar nu is ze blut: malafide bankiers zijn er met haar fortuin vandoor gegaan. Voor het eerst sinds tijden moet ze een nieuw boek schrijven. En om ervoor te zorgen dat ze zich aan haar deadline houdt, stuurt haar redacteur een jonge assistente, Alice. Wanneer Alice aankomt, wordt ze direct aan het werk gezet. Ze moet op Frank passen, Mimi’s negenjarige zoon, die zich kleedt als een jarendertigfilmster en weinig vriendjes heeft. Hij is autistisch. Terwijl ze Frank beter leert kennen, vraagt ze zich af waar zijn vader is. Mimi probeert achter gesloten deuren te schrijven, maar het wil niet vlotten. Aan Alice de taak Mimi te helpen met haar boek... ‘Frank en wij’ is een mooie roman van Julia Claiborne Johnson. Vele enthousiaste lezersreacties! ‘Ik vond het geweldig. Grappig en hartverwarmend.’

Julia Claiborne Johnson

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