"A saga about three very different British people whose paths cross during the novel’s 30-year time span."
Arms Around Frank Richardson by Sylvia Colley follows the lives of Frank, Alice and Henry from childhood until adulthood, showing how their personal histories reverberate through time. Beginning in 1965 and ending in 1995, each chapter features the viewpoint of a different character, as the story bounces around from Eastleigh to London to Darlington, ending finally in Italy.
Frank Richardson really is the main character of the tome, as he is the heart and soul of the story. As an adult, he works hard to surmount his tragic childhood as an orphan, where he witnessed tragedy and sadness, until he is taken in by a kindly couple who fosters Frank and his sister Kitty. His foster father, Stan, schools him in the art of carpentry, which he develops as an adult and makes him in demand at prestige buildings managed by English Heritage and other historic jobs.
The stories of Alice, an art teacher turned artist, and Henry, an artist, are less developed than Frank’s, which makes their chapters feel more peripheral to the story. But Colley, who is also a poet, writes beautifully, and her apt descriptions of the characters, carpentry, and the British and Italian countryside stay with you. This is a beautifully rendered novel.
| Primary Genre | Family Drama |
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