A review by kategci
Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson

3.0

Maybe 3 1/2 stars. A literary agent's assistant is assigned to babysit the famous, reclusive author who cannot seem to finish her second novel. Alice Whitley is sent from New York to LA to make sure M.M. Banning is actually working on the novel she has promised. Banning's son Frank is quite the character, probably on the Asperger/autism spectrum, as he dresses like old film stars and really has a hard time with change, transitions and surprises. Frank made the book for me, his mother Mimi is only redeemed by her love for her son. She is nasty to Alice for no reason and Alice at age 24, takes Mimi's moods and behaviors. The author is in her 50s and should have realized that Mimi was just too old to be that obnoxious. The other characters were flat and filled out the narrative. I needed something light and Frank made me laugh, so this worked on that level for me. I would read the author's next work, as I think she captured Alice and Frank's realationship beautifully.