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A review by beate251
Frankie Nightingale Begins Again by Emma Davies
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.
This is the story of five peoples struggling to stay above water, both financially and emotionally. All work the night shift, all are at risk of redundancy and all are lonely and struggling to make ends meet.
Frankie, in her mid-fifties, has run away from emotional abuser husband Robert and runs a bakery for owner Vivienne. Beth is a nurse and her husband Jake is an ex-farmer who now sits in a wheelchair after an accident. William, 52, works as a nightclub bouncer and has a criminal record. Tam, 49, a former horticulturist, works in a care home after bankruptcy and lives in his car.
Then, one by one, they meet each other by chance, with Frankie's bakery the main drawing point, and this extraordinary story of friendship, kindness, hope and second chances starts to unfold. There is a lot going on in these people's lives but now they have others they can lean on.
"So now… now that I’m awake during the night, I find it easier to be the person I think I am, rather than the one I always pretended to be. Trouble is, pretend too often and you forget who you really are."
Most of these characters are people society would rather forget about - the unhoused, the disabled, the reformed criminals, the victims of gaslighting partners. Nevertheless, this isn't a dreary story, in fact, it is full of emotions and hope - hope for love, connections, new beginnings, better times. The cover is gorgeous but the title puts too much emphasis on just one character instead of the whole group. The ending is maybe a bit too neat to be believable, but trust me, you want to wish all the good in the world on these lovely people. Highly recommended as an uplifting read.
This is the story of five peoples struggling to stay above water, both financially and emotionally. All work the night shift, all are at risk of redundancy and all are lonely and struggling to make ends meet.
Frankie, in her mid-fifties, has run away from emotional abuser husband Robert and runs a bakery for owner Vivienne. Beth is a nurse and her husband Jake is an ex-farmer who now sits in a wheelchair after an accident. William, 52, works as a nightclub bouncer and has a criminal record. Tam, 49, a former horticulturist, works in a care home after bankruptcy and lives in his car.
Then, one by one, they meet each other by chance, with Frankie's bakery the main drawing point, and this extraordinary story of friendship, kindness, hope and second chances starts to unfold. There is a lot going on in these people's lives but now they have others they can lean on.
"So now… now that I’m awake during the night, I find it easier to be the person I think I am, rather than the one I always pretended to be. Trouble is, pretend too often and you forget who you really are."
Most of these characters are people society would rather forget about - the unhoused, the disabled, the reformed criminals, the victims of gaslighting partners. Nevertheless, this isn't a dreary story, in fact, it is full of emotions and hope - hope for love, connections, new beginnings, better times. The cover is gorgeous but the title puts too much emphasis on just one character instead of the whole group. The ending is maybe a bit too neat to be believable, but trust me, you want to wish all the good in the world on these lovely people. Highly recommended as an uplifting read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail