Book
The magic strings of Frankie Presto / Mitch Albom.
"The voice of Music narrates the tale of its most beloved disciple, Frankie Presto, a Spanish war orphan raised by a blind music teacher. At nine years old, Frankie is sent to America in the bottom of a boat. His only possession is an old guitar and six magical strings. But Frankie's talent is touched by gods, and it weaves him through the musical landscape of the 20th century, from classical to jazz to rock and roll. Along the way, Frankie influences many artists: he translate for Django Reinhardt, advises Little Richard, backs up Elvis Presley, and counsels Hank Williams. Frankie elevates to a rock star himself, yet his gift becomes his burden, as he realizes that he can actually affect people's futures: his guitar strings turn blue whenever a life is altered. Overwhelmed by life, loss, and this power, he disappears for years, only to re-emerge in a spectacular and mysterious farwell.-- Provided by the Publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780062294418
- Physical Description: 496 pages ; 20 cm.
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2015.
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Guitarists > Fiction. Rock musicians > Fiction. Orphans > Fiction. Magic > Fiction. Interpersonal relations > Fiction. |
Available copies
- 23 of 25 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Vanderhoof Public Library.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 25 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderhoof Public Library | AF ALB (Text) | 35193000322661 | Adult Fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2015 September #1
At the funeral of guitar superstar Frankie Presto, who disappeared at the peak of his fame, the Spirit of Music looks back on his life from his birth in a church during the Spanish Civil War to his years as "the next Elvis Presley." In Albom's latest mystical tale (The First Phone Call from Heaven, 2013, etc.), Francisco's mother dies after giving birth. The newborn is rescued by a nun, but she's soon overwhelmed and, Moses-like, casts him adrift in the Mijares River, where he's found by Baffa Rubio's hairless dog. Rubio later runs afoul of Franco's thugs, and Francisco, only 9, is smuggled from Spain on a tramp freighter by El Maestro, his blind guitar instructor. In London, surviving as a busker, Francisco meets Django Reinhardt when the legendary guitarist is on his way to play with Duke Ellington in America. Francisco travels with him, his talent soon to earn international acclaim. Though a guitar virtuoso, Francisco neglects the beloved instrument to become a pop star, j oining the glitterati. The moral? "Fame is addictive." Over decades, Francisco meets a litany of musicians, including Roger McGuinn, Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, and Paul Stanley of KISS, who reminisce in separate chapters while Music (imagine James Earl Jones reading poetry) spins out Francisco's life story. There are occasional odd descriptive phrases like "with hair the color of dark grapes," but Albom can elicit tears when he writes about loss, and he has fun with you-are-there butterfly-effect anecdotes, as when Francisco tells Hank Williams not to buy a baby blue Cadillac, the car in which he would ride to his death. "All lonely roads lead back to Music" in this sentimental journey that might be a mashup of the lives of shooting stars like Bobby Darin or Ricky Nelson. Copyright Kirkus 2015 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved. - Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2015 June #1
An author of spiritually engaged fiction and nonfiction, Albom is also a successful songwriter/lyricist. Here he blends the spiritual and the musical to tell the story of Frankie Presto, the greatest guitar player the world has ever heard. Fleeing Spain for America with a battered old guitar, he moves from the Forties to the Sixties, affecting everyone and transforming a few, for that old guitar has six magical blue strings, one for each life he manages to set right. With a 1.5 million-copy first printing.
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