nomadreader

Dear Caroline Preston, You hold a special place in my heart. I've always been a reader, but before I started blogging, I wasn't nearly as aware of all the new release books . When I was in high school, I discovered your first novel, Jackie by Josie , on the new release shelf at my local public library and checked it out. I loved it. I'm still drawn to fictional depictions of real women, and I loved that as much as the book was about Jackie O, it was more about Josie and her research. Your second novel, Lucy Crocker 2.0 , about a woman who designs video games despite having no knowledge of technology, lived on my shelves for years (and moved a few times) before I finally stayed up late to read it at my mother-in-law's house the week Mr. Nomadreader and I moved to New York in 2008. I love when books stick in my mind so clearly I remember where I was when I read it. When The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt  came out in 2011, I read it immediately and loved it . I gave my mo...

The backstory: I've been eagerly awaiting Caroline Preston's latest novel since I first heard about it. The basics: The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt  is, aptly, a scrapbook Frankie Pratt has made of her life. It's a novel in pictures, but not quite a graphic novel. Preston's words are as illuminating as the objects she pairs them with. Amazon allows you to download a sample , and it is worth seeing for yourself. My thoughts: I've enjoyed all of Caroline Preston's previous books, which are all so different, and this one is certainly no exception. I devoured this historical scrapbook even as I savored it. I could not wait to see where Frankie's adventures would take us, yet I hesitated to turn the pages because there was so much visual treasure to explore. In many ways it's a difficult novel to write about because the writing, which is quite strong, is not the star of the novel. It's a visual delight with remarkable depth and character development. ...