3 out of 4 stars
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This humorous novel follows the epic adventure of Father Francis Gold, who simply calls himself frank. A young English catholic priest, who sets off to his first parish in America with high hopes, but things didn’t go quite as planned. It became obvious even after his seminary training that he had a lot to do. And even with his chastity vows he wasn’t prepared on how to deal with the flirtatious women he’s surrounded with. Not only is the English language in America different, where a chemist is called a drugstore which sounded illegal to frank, but they also drive on the wrong side of the road.
In addition, he had to battle a rich and domineering parishioner by the name of Gene Charmois who contributes almost ninety nine percent of the church revenue; thereby he becomes a subject of unsubstantiated rumors, with his congregation and income at stake and without the support of his diocese. Frank happens to stumble upon dangerous and illegal dealings going on at Gene’s farm with the help of his parish administrator, Martha. A local judge, who is also a car dealer, Karl. And an atheistic doctor, Ginny.
The novel is not only hilarious but captivating; it is full of unexpected events that would delight the reader. Father Frank is most times blunt and confused. The reader would definitely want to read more. Not only is there humor in father frank’s mishaps, but the author writes it in such a way that it is relatable and with natural flow. As funny as it is, the humor is unexpected and it eases when frank’s situation becomes more puzzling. As a person, he simply wants to help people and helping people turned out not so easy after all. And as a priest, the expectations weigh on his shoulders and the issues he faces later turned out to be a mission to rescue a group of exploited Mexican migrant workers.
Father Frank and his crew are a distinct set of characters with everyday personalities. They are well developed and delightful characters, even though there were a few typos and some improper dialogue tags. The author also couldn’t resist putting a last minute romantic finish, which I think is not important. Owing to the fact it was between the judge and the parish administrator who is rather vigilant in her religious opinions.
Aside from that, I love the fact the story is full of substance. It brings together the subject of compassion, corruption and that team work is important. The narration is in such a way the reader is glued and wants answers to unanswered questions.
The plot raised my interest and I found myself laughing so hard, especially at the start of some chapters. The verses clearly depict what each chapter was all about. It is a story conveyed in an engaging, comical and relatable style. For that reason I give Can I Be Frank? A rating of 3 out of 4 stars. I strongly recommend it for anyone who loves having a good laugh when reading. It’s a book that is suitable for anyone and it will definitely make you laugh.
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Can I Be Frank?
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