FrankieFrankie Howe has lived a long life, her small flat is crammed full of art, furniture and memories. Damian, her young carer, listens as she gradually tells him parts of her story a story that takes us into a progressive, daring world of New York artists on the brink of fame, aspiring writers and larger than life characters. Travelling from post war Ireland to the dazzling art scene of 1960s New York by way of London, 'Frankie' is an immersive, decade

and a mystery with many answers

but also the food cultures

in less than two decades of writing

How did we get from there to here in a single reign

and reliable checking methods to know when meat is cooked

Stephen Biesty's detailed

She knows that she too is in danger

We learn of its original aspirations towards respectability

recipes and advice

We all understand that time is running out - but do we truly believe it

This book is part-memoir and part-indictment of what happened to her between then and now

Emma Smith shows us why