The chapters in the book are short for some. The entire life story of Frankie Presto was told through close friends, acquaintance and most of all, music personified. If you have some appreciation of music terms, you will be able to see the inferences littered throughout the novel. The love-hate relationship of Frankie with Aurora, for example, followed that of a symphony of four movements - Allegro, Adagio, Minuet/Scherzo and Rondo. Each movement was a significant stage of their lives; each movement was another phase of their relationship. What is truly enduring is the love Aurora had for Frankie. The faith she had that he still loved her and will always loved her was amazing to the point of incomprehensible. How simple was the love that surpassed all understanding, even through the times where Frankie was married to the actress Delores Ray. Below is one of my favourite dialogue from the entire book:
"Are you done with that actress"? She asked.
"Yes."
"Paperwork finished?"
"Yes."
"We can get married now?"
"If you want."
"The real way?"
"The real way."
Simple dialogue; uncommon love.
Another uncommon love so deeply narrated in this book was the love of the hairless dog, the faithful companion from Frankie's childhood. The dog was supernatural in many ways, because it was a miracle sent by music to protect Frankie. The dog was there when Frankie learnt guitar from the Maestro for many years; he was there when the enemy caught Baffa and caused a diversion for little Frankie to escape. He miraculously stood outside the wall of the orphanage in Detroit, waiting to catch him when he sneaked out. He was with Frankie through those years he searched for Aurora, until finally when his duties were done, he jumped into his chose grave, the river. A faithful companion for Frankie through those lonely times of his childhood, the hairless dog renamed nameless in the story, but touched the heart of the readers more than any other named character.
At the late stage of Frankie's life, his love for his adopted daughter Kai kept him going even after Aurora passed. It was because of Kai that Frankie retraced the steps of his childhood and unrevealed many mysteries left unexplained in the earlier chapters. The memories and what he found in this life journey was painful even to the reader, but it was necessary, to close the loops of many stories that started but not quite ended. One very significant open loop was the mysterious heavily hooded person that popped up following Frankie and his family off and on in the last section of the novel. The love of this pitiful women, one filled with guilt all her life, was understated, but finally given full credit in the end. She finally revealed to Frankie the identity of his true father and mother, providing closure to Frankie on the disappearance of his beloved Maestro.
When Frankie stood on the stage for one last time in his life, he played together with his beloved daughter and got the chance to be reunite with the first love of his music - Franciso Terrega's Lagrima. Like a teardrop, Frankie's mother sang this song to her new-born years ago. Thus it is fitting that Frankie would play this piece as his final song to the world. Because of this novel I was brought to the link below with a most beautiful rendition of this sweet sad music. Because of this novel, I knew love, bitter sweet love that existed so exquisitely in the world of Frankie Presto.
Everyone joins a band in this life; I am glad I joined Mitch Albom's band through the Magic Strings of Frankie Presto.
Book Challenge:A book with a title that's a character's name; a bestseller.
Book Challenge:A book with a title that's a character's name; a bestseller.
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