Review by Sheila Adolwa -- Can I Be Frank? by Rob Wyatt
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Sheila Adolwa
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Review by Sheila Adolwa -- Can I Be Frank? by Rob Wyatt
[Following is a volunteer review of "Can I Be Frank?" by Rob Wyatt.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Father Francis Gold is a young English priest assigned to St Francis of Assisi parish in the Diocese of Florida USA. There was no divine intervention in his becoming a priest. He decided to become a priest during mass one Sunday. The way he thought about it was 'there is no job competition and it has job security, free boarding and lodging, decent working hours and no heavy lifting'.
Father Frank arrives in Florida without knowing what to expect. Father William, the priest who picks him up from the airport compounds the problem. He listens to loud secular music, drives a Dodge Charger like a maniac, and the first place he wants to take him is to a bar. He introduces Frank to a Budweiser and where to get more of it, and he has a cool way of referring to the Bishop as the 'Bish'.
We follow Frank through life in the parish as he celebrates his first mass, buys his first car with help and advice from Father Bill, learns how to use the phone system and try out different foods. Frank had had no experience with women. He is disturbed when he starts noticing them and especially Mrs Carly Charmois who openly fancies him. He finds himself distracted by her beauty during mass. Frank is in hot water when he crosses Mr.Gene Charmois, a power broker and main church benefactor. This leads to a roller coaster of events that include poisoning, the congregation leaving the church, Hispanics moving into the church premises, involvement of a medical doctor and testing of blood samples, a judge, the FBI and CIA. In another twist, some people leave, the congregation grows, and a wedding is being planned. The sequence of events and as to who does what when, can be appreciated by reading the book.
I liked the story. It is a simple story of a priest and the goings on, in what is supposed to be his simple life. There are many issues in society addressed in this story. They range from greed to poverty, to infidelity, to gossip and to illegal immigrants and their ill treatment by employers. The characters are well developed and represent an array of folk found in the society. It is also a story about how one person can make a difference in people's lives.
The book is full of humour; page after page after page. It is such clean humour that I could read this book out loud to my mother without flinching. I must admit to having burst out in laughter several times. Every chapter has a verse from the Bible that depicts what the chapter is about in a most clever manner. 'Wake up you drunkards and weep' Joel 1:15 is on the chapter that details the events after Father Bill and Frank overindulged in alcohol.
The book is categorized under Other Fiction. It could be that most readers will think that the stories are true. Yes, catholic priests do partake of alcohol (maybe even say mass while under the influence). Most have a 'Martha', they get hefty allowances from the diocese, alms from the congregation and live in large parish houses rent free. And they do tend to drive big cars.
I would recommend the book to people who love to read, to people of the catholic faith and especially those that don't take life too seriously, and generally, to anyone who can read. If there were any errors, i must have missed them. It is so well edited.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Can I Be Frank?
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4 out of 4 stars
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Father Francis Gold is a young English priest assigned to St Francis of Assisi parish in the Diocese of Florida USA. There was no divine intervention in his becoming a priest. He decided to become a priest during mass one Sunday. The way he thought about it was 'there is no job competition and it has job security, free boarding and lodging, decent working hours and no heavy lifting'.
Father Frank arrives in Florida without knowing what to expect. Father William, the priest who picks him up from the airport compounds the problem. He listens to loud secular music, drives a Dodge Charger like a maniac, and the first place he wants to take him is to a bar. He introduces Frank to a Budweiser and where to get more of it, and he has a cool way of referring to the Bishop as the 'Bish'.
We follow Frank through life in the parish as he celebrates his first mass, buys his first car with help and advice from Father Bill, learns how to use the phone system and try out different foods. Frank had had no experience with women. He is disturbed when he starts noticing them and especially Mrs Carly Charmois who openly fancies him. He finds himself distracted by her beauty during mass. Frank is in hot water when he crosses Mr.Gene Charmois, a power broker and main church benefactor. This leads to a roller coaster of events that include poisoning, the congregation leaving the church, Hispanics moving into the church premises, involvement of a medical doctor and testing of blood samples, a judge, the FBI and CIA. In another twist, some people leave, the congregation grows, and a wedding is being planned. The sequence of events and as to who does what when, can be appreciated by reading the book.
I liked the story. It is a simple story of a priest and the goings on, in what is supposed to be his simple life. There are many issues in society addressed in this story. They range from greed to poverty, to infidelity, to gossip and to illegal immigrants and their ill treatment by employers. The characters are well developed and represent an array of folk found in the society. It is also a story about how one person can make a difference in people's lives.
The book is full of humour; page after page after page. It is such clean humour that I could read this book out loud to my mother without flinching. I must admit to having burst out in laughter several times. Every chapter has a verse from the Bible that depicts what the chapter is about in a most clever manner. 'Wake up you drunkards and weep' Joel 1:15 is on the chapter that details the events after Father Bill and Frank overindulged in alcohol.
The book is categorized under Other Fiction. It could be that most readers will think that the stories are true. Yes, catholic priests do partake of alcohol (maybe even say mass while under the influence). Most have a 'Martha', they get hefty allowances from the diocese, alms from the congregation and live in large parish houses rent free. And they do tend to drive big cars.
I would recommend the book to people who love to read, to people of the catholic faith and especially those that don't take life too seriously, and generally, to anyone who can read. If there were any errors, i must have missed them. It is so well edited.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
******
Can I Be Frank?
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Sheila Adolwa's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: "Heartaches" by H.M. Irwing
