By Rachel Joyce
Paperback - £8.99
Frank’s record shop really does have something for everyone. With an encyclopaedic knowledge of just about every type of music, fuelled by his mother Peg, Frank has an uncanny knack of knowing exactly which record people need at a precise moment.
However, it is 1988 and Frank is under pressure. Sales reps are ever more insistent that he must move away from vinyl and start stocking CDs. Along with his charmingly inept assistant Kit, he strives to offer customers a unique service, despite lack of funds. His wider community is also under threat. He is one of a loyal band of shop owners on Unity Street who are increasingly badgered to sell their homes and businesses to a development company.
Into this world appears the exotic Ilse Brauchmann; a German woman who, encouraged by Frank’s enthusiasm, requests his guidance on music. Unfortunately her relationship with Frank remains complicated and unsure. Frank is adept at explaining what music means to him, but only Ilse can persuade him of how much he means to everyone else.
This wonderfully nostalgic novel is the latest from Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.