The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom

There has been a large gap between the reviews that I have been posting which of course is because of the fact that having a life ( for all those who have ever marvelled at how many books I read in a month, this sentence should be explanation enough for future reference) interferes with reading time! All that aside, I was left with a warm feeling as I set the book aside on completion.

The book does not start with a flourish but the progress of the story paves the way for the reaction I had at the end of it. This book not only draws on the emotions of a student for his teacher and vice versa but also of those relationships (also referred to as bands, this being a musically inclined book) that you are not born into but forge during the journey by your making or that of a higher power. The story begins with Frankie’s funeral. A crucial angle when you try to measure the mark he has made on the world and all who flock to pay respects for their own individual reasons. Swinging between pieces of information being divulged by these visitors and other background information from the time that preceded and immediately succeeded the nugget of information, the story chugs on and ends with the funeral itself.

Frankie is but a man, a talented one but with all the flaws that are embedded somewhere deep in most human psyche. Despite shortcomings, his doings are well worth appreciating as is the book in its entirety.