Frankie was a war orphan raised by a blind music teacher in Spain. He is sent to America when he turns nine, with an old guitar and six strings. As the story develops, we find that this unbelievably talented young man and his magic strings spent a lifetime affecting other musicians. We read excerpts from these musicians as Music tells Frankie's story, and we see that Frankie was touched by much of the music that made the 20th century great.
In Albom's story, Burt Bacharach, Wynton Marsalis, and Tony Bennett, to name a few, were fascinated with Frankie and his magical music. Bacharach swears he would have traveled the world to hear him play. Marsalis tells of meeting Frankie in a monastery and being fascinated by this man who hadn't spoken in three years. His music was his voice. Tony Bennett says that Frankie was the most purely musical guitarist he had ever met. These are three of the many voices that Albom gives to us in a book that confuses the reader as we try to decide if it is fact or fiction.
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is filled with love, music and the kind of story that is sure to keep Mitch Albom in the heart of his fans.
- Beverly
Publisher - HarperCollins Publishers
Date of Publication - November 10, 2015