The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

Title:  The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

Author:  Mitch Albom

Publication Information:  HarperCollins. 2015. 512 pages.

ISBN:  0062294415 / 978-0062294418

Book Source:  I read this book based on the author's other work.

Opening Sentence:  "I have come to claim my prize."

Favorite Quote:  "Music is in the connection of human souls, speaking a language that needs no words. Everyone joins a band in this life. And what you play always affects someone. Sometimes, it affects the world."

Frankie Presto, a legendary guitarist who disappeared from the public eye, dies. People from all walks of life and from all over the world flock to his funeral. Who truly was Frankie Presto? Does anyone truly know? This book is his story. Sounds like a biography, right? In a way, it is, albeit an entirely fictional one.

This book sneaks up on me and makes me care. Admittedly, at the beginning, I am not sure I am going to like it. It begins at an ending - a funeral. So, of course, it's a reflection back. It's been done before, and I already know how it ends. I am not sure I am going to like it.

On page 2 comes a declaration. "I am Music." The book becomes a first person narrative with Music as the narrator. Now, I am really not sure this is the book for me. It sounds allegorical as Mitch Albom's books often are. It sounds like life lessons are coming as is often the case in his books. Can that narrator work? Will the allegory be too obvious? Will the book be preachy? I am not sure.

Then comes a section that reads like an interview. An actual historical person from the music industry is reflecting back on his experiences with Frankie Presto. The book becomes fiction that is a biography. Again, I question whether or not this is the book for me. I have my musical favorites, but am not knowledgeable enough to know the all the people or all the musical terms used in the book. Will the book be difficult to relate to?

Then, the book travels from time period to time period. Frankie's funeral to his birth and back again. From the Spanish Civil War to Woodstock. From Nashville and the Grand Ole Opry to New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. From Detroit to Los Angeles. From past to present and back again. Short chapters showing glimpses into different parts of Frankie's life. As a reader, I think. Can I keep the time periods straight? Do I need to? Am I going to be able to follow the story?

Then, most surprising of all comes the fact that I find myself completely lost in the story and deeply involved with Frankie's life. My questions about the book all recede. I care what happened to Frankie in the past and what happens to him next. I know how it ends - he dies. I know the dramatic circumstances of his birth as revealed at the very beginning. I find myself reading the book straight through in one sitting to learn everything in between. Most importantly, I care.

My favorite writing technique of the book is the repeating refrain of "Everyone joins a band in this life." Each facet of Frankie's life is bookended by this statement. Accompanying this statement are simple statements of his life. Bands end. Bands breakup. Some are favorites. Some are wrong. Some get back together. Some bring joy. Some bring sadness. These statements, stark in their simplicity, leave a lasting impression and create the timeline of Frankie Presto's life.

I don't particularly care for one aspect of the story introduced close to the end nor do I see it coming in the rest of the book. However, by that point, it no longer matters. I am so vested in Frankie's story, that it just works into the story. Of course, by the end, the life lesson is also there as in most Mitch Albom books. However, Frankie and his story are clearly the stars of this memorable book.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The First Phone Call from Heaven

Title:  The First Phone Call from Heaven

Author:  Mitch Albom

Publication Information:  HarperCollins Publishers Inc. 2013. 326 pages.

Book Source:  I read this book based on enjoying other works by the author.

Favorite Quote:  "As happens with all miracles, once life goes on, those who believe retell them with wonder. Those who do not, do not."

Coldwater Michigan is a small town. Sully Harding has just returned home, to rebuild his life after getting out of prison. He comes home to his parents and his young son.

Soon, strange things start happening in the town. People start receiving phone calls from loved ones who have passed away - phone calls from heaven. Is it real or is it a hoax? The whole question goes viral in this day and age of news and the Internet. Media descends upon the town. There are those who firmly believe, and those who firmly disbelieve. Each attempts to prove the other wrong. For Sully, it becomes a mystery to be solved.

I am not going to discuss the spiritual belief or disbelief. To me, that is an intensely personal choice, and each person will choose their own path.

Regardless of whether you believe or not in the possibility of miracles, this is a fun story to read. The book brings out the emotions of loss and of love in so many different relationships and so many different ways. It is also a testament to the power of the media, especially with the Internet sending events viral within a matter of minutes. At the center of it all, it is Sully's very personal story - of guilt, of love, and of rebuilding.

A tale well told regardless of whether or not you look for a deeper meaning.

The Time Keeper

Title:  The Time Keeper

Author:  Mitch Albom

Publication Information:  Hyperion. 2012. 224 pages.

Book Source:  I read this book based on how much I enjoyed some of Mitch Albom's other books.

Favorite Quote:  "Man alone measures time. Man alone chimes the hour. And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of time running out."

The Time Keeper is the fictionalized story of Father Time - who he was, how he came to be Father Time, and what he would change if he could. In the context of the story, of course, is the lesson for all of us. A lesson that can be summarized in the following quote from the book:  "You marked the minutes .... But did you use them wisely? To be still? To cherish? To be grateful? To lift and be lifted?"

Essentially, the story goes that in a time long long ago, no one measured time. Then, one man figured out how and became obsessed with his measurements. The consequence of his obsession turned him into Father Time. However, now he has a chance to redeem himself if he can teach two individuals the lesson he learned too late.

The two individuals come from opposite ends of the spectrum - one feeling like he has no time and needs more and the other feeling like even one more moment of life is too much. They both take steps - drastic steps - to remedy their problem of too little or too much time. Do they learn in time? That is the crux of the book.

The lesson of the book is a useful one, but unfortunately the story seems so contrived and the lesson is too obvious. I could see where the story was going and was not at all surprised when it got there. The characters (Father Time, the old man, the young woman) are not compelling enough to draw me into the story.

So, while I love some of Mitch Albom's other books, I am disappointed by this one.