The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

by Mitch Albom

[wcs53]

It took me a long time to finally get this book read, but I almost wish I’d read it sooner. On his last visit to Canada before he died, I bought a copy of this for my dad. We had a shared enjoyment of reading Mitch Albom’s books. After his death, my mum and I discovered that a bookmark about halfway through his copy. We both vowed that we would have to finish it for him. It took me a couple more years to manage this, but when I got to it it was a hard one to put down.

Albom is a great storyteller. This book is the story of a fictional, famous guitarist, the Frankie Presto of the title. It is narrated by ‘Music’ and is interspersed with interviews with real musicians, who in the book have gathered for Frankie’s funeral. The story flits back and forth between different moments in Frankie’s life, with the ‘interviews’ revealing more of his life story. In the end everything comes together, for both the reader and Frankie himself, but there are many times during the book when you are left wondering if everything will be revealed or if there are mysteries that will remain unsolved.

If you are a fan of Albom’s other books, then this one is not to be missed. If you have read nothing by him before, then this would also be a great place to start.