Frances Whiting

'The Best Kind of Beautiful is the best kind of book: touching, funny, whimsical and mysterious! A special story about a delightful family.' Liane Moriarty A warm-hearted novel from the author of Walking on Trampolines about music, grief, relationships, gardens, love, laughter and family.Florence Saint Claire is a loner. Albert Flowers is a social butterfly. Good friends who think they know each other.But, somewhere between who they are, and who people think they are, lies The Best Kind of Beautiful.Award-winning journalist and author Frances Whiting brings her renowned warmth and empathy to this witty and gentle novel about bringing out the best in each other. PRAISE FOR THE BEST KIND OF BEAUTIFUL'There are moments when Frances Whiting writes about family dynamics and relationships where you wonder if the woman has a hidden camera set up inside your soul. On a single page she'll tickle your ribs with three laugh-out-loud gags then punch your gut with some deep observation on living. All heart. All soul. All kinds of beautiful.' Trent Dalton, author of Boy Swallows Universe'Florence, a fresh contemporary irresistible heroine, holds a cast of fascinating, brilliantly drawn characters together. Frances Whiting at her best, warm, witty, provocative, a wise observer of human nature, family, life...It's true, you can't put it down.' Quentin Bryce AD CVO'Will make your heart sing...Frances Whiting is a beautiful storyteller and she's assembled a lovely cast here. The best kind of summer read.' Herald Sun'Charming and full of feelgood moments, this is a perfect summer read about family, friendship and loss.' Who 'Exploring the unusual relationship between a lonely introvert and a social butterfly, The Best Kind of Beautiful touches on everything from music, grief and gardens to love and relationships.' Stellar'This is a truly delightful, lift-you-up novel that you won't want to put down.' Daily Telegraph'Whiting writes about the pulls and strains of romantic, familial and neighbourly dramas beautifully; there is emotion here but not of the synthetic saccharine variety. Her characters are relatable and empathetic.' Big Issue'The Best Kind of Beautiful is indeed one of those winsome works that charms the reader with its wry treatment of its small cast of players whose paths intersect and dovetail. The rom-com narrative between Florence and Albert, beset with the usual misunderstandings and missteps, is but one joy of this story. Aside from its easy wit and humour, there is a tenderness to the book as the author extends her ministrations to all those in need.' Weekend Australian

The Best Kind of Beautiful

Beatrix

People shouldn’t bother going to cathedrals, they should just look up

There was something endearing about Siobhan Peters, something about her face that was slightly off kilter, making her, he thought, the best kind of beautiful, the almost kind.

A single, purple flower fell on Florence’s shoulder, and she felt the soft shock of Albert’s hand plucking it off.

‘You've had a shock, darling.' Amanda had read somewhere that sugar was the solution for those who found themselves cut loose from their bearings, and it had been the elixir delivered in spoonfuls through all of their childhoods.

‘I didn't know,’ she said. ‘How could I have not known all of this?’

Amanda looked at her daughter. ‘Because I made sure you didn’t,‘ she answered, and everything Florence had thought about her mother tilted.

‘There was always someone, darling,’ Amanda said softly, ‘to give a blue feather to.’

‘They are my most treasured stories of all, and the three greatest loves of my life,’ her mother added.

the Saint Claires were just a family, as glorious and inglorious as any other.

When Albert, awkward and uneasy in social situations, standing just outside the periphery of a group, hesitated to anything, Hamish would throw in, ‘What do you reckon, Albert?’ as if it was the most natural thing in the world that Hamish, and therefore everybody, valued his opinion.

The Best Kind of Beautiful quotes

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