The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81

J.B. Morrison

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QTY:

English

Pan
02 February 2015

Fiction & Literature; Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

"""Kelly Christmas made Frank feel like getting out of bed in the morning. She was like a replacement hip. His half an Aspirin a day. She was his stair lift and his Zimmer frame, Kelly was his grab rail and his large button telephone. She was his bath hoist. She was his easy to grip scissors, his one touch battery operated jar opener and his long handled shoehorn. Kelly was all the vitamin supplements he needed."" Frank Derrick is eighty-one. And he's just been run over by a milk float.

It was tough enough to fill the hours of the day when he was active. But now he's broken his arm and fractured his foot, it looks set to be a very long few weeks ahead. Frank lives with his cat Bill (which made more sense before Ben died) in the typically British town of Fullwind-on-Sea. The Villages in Bloom competition is the topic of conversation amongst his neighbours but Frank has no interest in that. He watches DVDs, spends his money frivolously at the local charity shop and desperately tries to avoid the cold callers continuously knocking on his door. Emailing his daughter in America on the library computer and visiting his friend Smelly John used to be the highlights of his week. Now he can't even do that.

Then a breath of fresh air comes into his life in the form of Kelly Christmas, home help. With her little blue car and appalling parking, her cheerful resilience and ability to laugh at his jokes, Kelly changes Frank's life. She reminds him that there is a big wide-world beyond the four walls of his flat and that adventures, however small, come to people of all ages.

Frank and Kelly's story is sad and funny, moving, familiar, uplifting. It is a small and perfect look at a life neither remarkable nor disastrous, but completely extraordinary nonetheless."

By: J.B. Morrison
Imprint: Pan
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 127mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 318g
ISBN: 9781447252740
ISBN 10: 1447252748
Pages: 304
Publication Date: 02 February 2015
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Born in London ages ago to his two parents, Frank and Jenny, J.B. Morrison is a musician and already the author of two novels - Storage Stories and Driving Jarvis Ham. Goodnight Jim Bob is an autobiographical account of his ten years as singer with punk-pop band Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine. With Carter USM J. B. Morrison had 14 top 40 singles and a number one album. He played all over the world, headlined Glastonbury and was sued by The Rolling Stones. He's also made a ton of solo albums and written the screenplay for a film. Plus he was in a musical, in 2010 at the Edinburgh Fringe. Is there no end to his talents? Yes. Everything not mentioned here. Don't ask him to put up a shelf or cook you dinner. The shelf will fall off the wall and you won't like the food.

Reviews for The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick, Age 81

Warm and funny, this book will leave you with a satisfied smile Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg, bestselling author of The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules If you want a novel with some laugh out loud lines and a truly endearing central character, look no further -- frannyandperks The novel rescues the elderly for us, paints them as just older versions of ourselves, with the same anchors in shared popular culture and the same wish to be interested, involved, inspired -- Lloyd Shepherd A book that made me laugh out loud Fluffyowlsadventure Frank's story is not only very funny, it's touching and warm too. J B Morrison has a way with words that draws the reader in so completely, and Frank becomes the centre of your world randomthingsthroughmyletterbox Warm and funny, this book will leave you with a satisfied smile Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg, bestselling author of The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules If you want a novel with some laugh out loud lines and a truly endearing central character, look no further -- frannyandperks The novel rescues the elderly for us, paints them as just older versions of ourselves, with the same anchors in shared popular culture and the same wish to be interested, involved, inspired -- Lloyd Shepherd Frank's story is not only very funny, it's touching and warm too. J B Morrison has a way with words that draws the reader in so completely, and Frank becomes the centre of your world randomthingsthroughmyletterbox