Arms Around Frank Richardson

A beautifully rendered novel. Love Reading. A story of strength, resilience and hope. I cannot recommend this book enough. Plumbbobmummy book blog. The shadows of childhood stretch long into adulthood for Frank, Alice and Henry, three lives shaped by early wounds they never chose.

Frank grows up on a rundown Eastleigh estate, surviving abuse at the hands of his mother's boyfriend. Alice, physically fragile, learns early how easily the world can overlook her. Henry, the less gifted son of ambitious parents, lives in the constant shadow of a brilliant brother he can never quite rival.

From starkly different beginnings, each must navigate the hand fate has dealt them. Years later, by chance, their paths converge in Italy, forcing past and present to collide.

Spanning three decades, this compelling novel explores the enduring impact of childhood trauma with insight, compassion and beautifully honed prose.