British talk show host and author Graham Norton has blazed a nice trail with his novels and memoirs, and he has impressed me to no end. Now, with FRANKIE, he has penned a work of literary fiction featuring an unforgettable female lead.

Frances Howe is an elderly woman whose nickname is Frankie. Damian, a young caretaker, is given the assignment from his agency to watch over Frankie, who has limited mobility and isn’t equipped to take care of herself. Damian is met by Frankie’s best friend, Nor, who introduces him to his latest charge and stays just long enough to make sure he’s comfortable in Frankie’s home.

"Graham Norton handles everything with a deft hand and a quiet narrative that manages to sneak up on you when you least expect it."

At first, Damian doesn’t know what to make of Frankie. But when she begins to recount the events of her life, he finds her to be fascinating. Her story begins in Ireland in 1950, where she is being set up to marry a much older man in whom she has absolutely no interest. She needs to get away, which means leaving Ireland. This is made to be an absolute necessity when her husband catches her with a young man much closer to her own age. Little does Frankie know at the time that her personal journey will lead her across the Atlantic to New York City.

Frankie meets up with her old friend when she gets to New York and is quite taken aback by Nor’s new lifestyle. This becomes painfully awkward when she goes to a party with Nor and her roommates, only to learn that it’s for lesbians. The hostess is a wealthy woman named Van Everden, whom Frankie feels bad about insulting as she abruptly leaves once she recognizes what the attendees have in common. However, Van is not offended; in fact, she takes a professional fancy to Frankie and offers her a job with her theatrical agency.

Unfortunately, a misunderstanding finds Frankie on the outs with Van and also out of a job. It is this twist of fate that puts her in contact with Joe, a professional driver who takes her from the client’s house where she is abruptly fired back to her Manhattan hotel. Van already has seen to it that Frankie is ousted from the hotel, so Joe takes mercy on her and brings her to his sister’s downtown apartment. Frankie ends up staying there, which gives Joe the opportunity to see more of her, and the two eventually become an item. But numerous twists and turns are in store for Frankie.

Damian listens to all of this in amazement. He is deeply moved by Frankie’s incredible spirit and everything she’s had to endure in her life. You will be too. Graham Norton handles everything with a deft hand and a quiet narrative that manages to sneak up on you when you least expect it.