The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto: A Novel

From the beloved author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven comes his most critically acclaimed novel yet--a stunningly original tale of love: love between a man and a woman, between an artist and his mentor, and between a musician and his God-given talent.

Narrated by the voice of Music itself, the story follows Frankie Presto, a war orphan born in a burning church, through his extraordinary journey around the world. Raised by a blind guitar teacher in Spain and gifted with a talent to change people's lives--using six mysterious blue strings--Frankie navigates the musical landscape of the twentieth century, from the 1950s jazz scene to the Grand Ole Opry to Elvis mania and Woodstock, all the while searching for his childhood love.

As he becomes a famous star, he loses his way, until tragedy steals his ability to play the guitar that had so defined him. Overwhelmed by his loss, Frankie disappears for decades, reemerging late in life for one spectacular yet mystifying farewell.

Part love story, part magical mystery, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is Mitch Albom at his finest, a Forrest Gump-like epic about one man's journey to discover what truly matters and the power of talent to change our lives.

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368 pages

Average rating: 7.86

70 RATINGS

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4 REVIEWS

Community Reviews

erikajanae
Jul 06, 2024
10/10 stars
Truly a masterpiece! This is one of my all-time favorite books. If you are a music lover, it will likely speak to you. I highly recommend the audiobook because being able to hear the music along with the text adds so much more to the experience.
hognixon
Dec 27, 2023
10/10 stars
Beautiful premise for a novel and a wonderful gift of story telling. There are few books I have the patience to reread, but this is certainly a read I could curl up with indefinitely. A must for those who appreciate the wondrous art of music!
DesignsByMeghen
Apr 10, 2023
9/10 stars
This book uncovered a whole new appreciation of music for me. The audiobook is a must with the full cast of narrators! Listening to Frankie’s story through music’s perspective is such a neat concept that I had never considered before. I love that we get his full life story and the influential people he met along the way. I can’t believe maestro was his real father! My heart broke in half once we learned that. But it makes sense. Reading about them together was my favorite part of the whole story.
Skinsfan1963
Aug 20, 2021
8/10 stars
Music was the storyteller in this chronological story, interwoven with interviews with real people. Very easy read.

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