The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto: A Novel

Mitch Albom has become a go-to author for me. Although this book is listed as “Christian Fantasy” on Amazon, it’s also categorized as “Christian Historical Fiction.” I’ve been an avid fan of music all my life, dumping an insane amount of $$$ into MP3’s, albums, cassettes, and even eight-tracks (yes, I’m old enough to remember them) over the years. The premises of the novel—the story of a genius guitarist in possession of six blue “magic” guitar strings—naturally appealed to me.I’ll start off by saying the story is exceptional. And because it’s Albom, it’s unique with a capital “U.” The Christian element, however, is minimal, and I did find that a bit disappointing. BUT… bear with me on that thought until the end.We follow the life of Frankie Presto from his birth in a church—soon to be consumed by flames¬—through his death, marked as “strange” by many observers. The book starts at Frankie’s memorial service, with the POV character and others reflecting on his life.And who exactly is the POV character? Ready for this—it’s Music.Albom’s work is always “different,” but this one elevated his creativity to a new plane. I was enthralled as Music told Frankie’s tale—from his beginning as an orphan, to his mentorship under a blind guitar teacher (who becomes so much more), through his meteoric rise to fame and the intrusion of those six magic blue strings.There is an eventual downfall, followed by a reinvention for a final near-mystical performance as Frankie’s life (and the strings) come full circle.I’m kind of at a loss how to describe this book.It’s part mystery, part love story, and part family/character drama, with a healthy dose of history and mystical elements intertwined. One of the highlights for me, was the people who look back on Frankie’s life through interview chapters and retrospection. These include (among others) Burt Bacharach, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, Lyle Lovett, Paul Stanley of Kiss, and Tony Bennett, to name a few. In the acknowledgements, Albom relays how each of the musicians he uses in the story, allowed him to weave fictional encounters with Frankie Presto into their lives and careers. It’s all cleverly done. From the days of Elvis Mania to Woodstock, and so much more, Frankie’s life and the lives of others intersect like threads on a loom.Multiple surprises happen along the way—bomb drops that start via small explosions, then morph into larger denotations. Much like a musical composition that moves through frenzied moments into softer pauses and sweeping crescendos, Albom takes his reader on a journey fraught with emotion. It isn’t until the very end that I found myself contemplating the Christian elements. They won’t hit you over the head as you read, but when all is said and done, you’ll realize this is a story about God’s hand in our lives. About forgiveness and trust. The purity of true love.And those blue strings?Pure magic!Fans of music will not want to miss this one. Whether pop culture, classical, or twined with historical elements, music has been a driving, creative force throughout time. Step into this book and let Albom sweep you into a symphony that will linger long after the final curtain drops.

I don't often listen to audiobooks - mostly because I tend to doze off, and then I lose my place. Or I get distracted and stop listening for a moment, and lose my place. Well, some books are just meant to be heard rather than read, and The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is definitely one of them. Read by the author but featuring a few famous names as themselves and other people (including Roger McGuinn, Ingrid Michaelson, John Pizzarelli, and Paul Stanley), it's a brilliant tale that meanders through the history of modern music.In this novel narrated by music, who introduces us to Frankie at the time of his death, Frankie Presto is a Spanish war orphan who is abandoned in a river. He goes on to become a musician comparable in fame to Elvis, the best guitarist who ever lived. Traveling to America in the bottom of a boat at the age of nine, his only possession is a guitar with six magic strings, and his only friend is a hairless dog who refuses to leave his side.When I first bought the ebook, I flipped through the first few pages and had to force myself to stop reading (since it wasn't that book's turn yet, and I try to stick to my list). The use of personified Music as narrator is really interesting stylistically, and I was fascinated with the musical terms that are used to describe the tempo of a day, the crescendo of an emotion and the pause of a rest. It gives the book a magical tone that meshes well with the magical realism of the unlikely coincidences that frame Frankie's life.Beginning at Frankie's funeral, I loved the intervals in which the people who knew him most intimately share the ways in which he affected their lives. Albom actually connected with the famous people whose lives he has inserted this fictional character into, and a lot of them contributed their own words to those sections to make them more authentic. It gives an added layer of richness to the story, and also gives a sense of the community of musicians that came together and played together and created the music that we know today.Towards the end, however, I felt that the story began to drag a little. As Frankie's career rises and then begins to fall, the denouement became depressing. However, right at the very end, Albom brings in an interesting device that ties everything together. It was neatly done, although I think that it could have been done a bit sooner. I don't want to give much away, but I was surprised by the ending, and my own predictions proved to be wrong - it was very clever.This is a brilliant audiobook, and the many voices who tell the story of Frankie Presto give it a richness and a variety that makes it a thrilling story to listen to. A book about music, narrated by music, is absolutely a book that should be heard rather than read, and I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Book Thief, All The Light We Cannot See, and the music of the 1950s-1980s.

The Magic Strings of Frankie Pres to is an extremely unique story. I was very confused in the beginning about who the narrator was. I almost put the book aside. Don't let the unusual beginning discourage you from reading this book. It is a great story, very real to be fiction. It's warm and loving, gentle and moving.

Um dos melhores livros que já li. Emocionante, envolvente, lindo! Não dá vontade de parar de ler, mas ao mesmo tempo, adiei o final o máximo que pude. Simplesmente não estava pronta para me despedir dos personagens.

Though this isn't one of my favourites by Albom, I still enjoyed it very much.

Beautifully written, I am a huge fan of Mitch Albom's books and this one does not disappoint. He gets inside a musician's head and including real life musicians in the interviews was genius. Wonderful, a must read for anyone.

This is one of my favorites books! It's beautifully written and it even motivated me to practise more guitar.

El libro está genial, pero lamentablemente llegó con una astilla de madera que por suerte sólo atravesaba unas 5 o 6 páginas. El envío llegó muy rápido, eso sí.