Book Review - The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom {Weekends Are For Reading}

Does Mitch Albom sound familiar? He's the writer of Tuesdays With Morrie. I read it ages ago along with The Five People You Meet in Heaven. I remember loving both books. Then, and I'm not sure why, I never really crossed paths with another Mitch Albom book until now.

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is Mitch Albom's newest book, and it's a book I am so grateful to have had landed on my "to read" pile this year. The voice of Music narrates the journey of Frankie Presto from newborn to adult. Only Music knows the whole story of Frankie's life, so Music must be the one to share his story with us. The tone of this book is very much redolent of Forrest Gump. Frankie is a gifted musician, and Music tells us how Frankie navigates the music world throughout his life. At times charming and at times heartbreaking, Music also tells you its thoughts on money, love, drugs, violence, and family.

Peppered throughout the book are chapters written by others who knew Frankie Presto, each sharing their own anecdotes and memories of Frankie with their distinct voices.

The book itself is profoundly lyrical. I found myself often pausing after reading certain lines from the book because I just wanted to savour the words I had read a little longer.

"All humans are musical.

Why else would the Lord give you a beating heart?"

"Suddenly it was terribly quiet, as if the earth itself were too stunned to breathe. I know this sound; silence is part of music. But just because something is silent doesn't mean you aren't hearing it."

"You're never in love with anyone the way you are when you're eighteen, on a beach, at night, with your shoes off." 

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto was descriptive, engaging, and full of powerful messages. I loved Music as the narrator. Such a unique idea that very much works in this book. I could clearly see Frankie Presto growing up and changing throughout this book. I'm not a musician, and I still deeply loved the story of Frankie Presto. I am captivated by stories that dance and and weave themselves together within a novel, and Mitch Albom certainly accomplished that with this book. So much so that I was actually in tears near the end of the book because of how invested I felt with this enchanting story. This is 100% true. I was at Starbucks carving out some time to finish reading and then found myself in the corner at my table quietly trying to wipe tears away, so no one would notice.

I wanted so bad to post a photo of the line that brought me to tears, but my husband told me it's too close to a spoiler, so this is the photo I took right before things got real.

Overall, I firmly believe anyone who reads The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto will finish the book feeling warm and deeply touched to have been part of Frankie's life. Keep this one in mind for a holiday gift idea. I've read a lot of books in 2015, and this is one of my favourites!

xo
Jenn

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Disclaimer - I received a copy of this book for review purposes from TLC Book Tours. All thoughts, opinions, and obsessive need to take photos of books and lattes together are entirely my own.