Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.

House of Frank

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

"Reads like a warm hug." —Rebecca Thorne, bestselling author of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea

"A stunning tale of learning to let go." —Shelf Awareness

A warm and hopeful story of a lonely witch consumed by grief who discovers a whimsical cast of characters in a magical arboretum—and the healing power of found family.

Powerless witch Saika is ready to enact her sister's final request: to plant her remains at the famed Ash Gardens. When Saika arrives at the always-stormy sanctuary, she is welcomed by its owner, an enormous knit-cardiganed mythical beast named Frank, who offers her a role as one of the estate's caretakers.

Overcome with grief, Saika accepts, desperate to put off her final farewell to her sister. But the work requires a witch with intrinsic power, and Saika's been disconnected from her magic since her sister's death two years prior. Saika gets by at the sanctuary using a fragment of a fallen star to cast enchantments—while hiding the embarrassing truth about herself.

As Saika works harder in avoidance of her pain, she learns more about Frank, the decaying house at Ash Gardens, and the lives of the motley staff, including bickering twin cherubs, a mute ghost, a cantankerous elf, and an irritating half witch, among others. Over time, she rediscovers what it means to love and be wholly loved and how to allow her joy and grief to coexist. Warm and inventive, House of Frank is a stirring portrait of the ache of loss and the healing embrace of love.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

  • Formats

  • Languages

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 9, 2024
      Synclaire’s emotional debut novel (after the collection The Strange Accounts of Germantown and Other Peculiar Phenomena) is a cozy queer fantasy that occasionally becomes saccharine. Young witch Saika arrives at Ash Gardens, where trees grow from the ashes of the dead, to fulfill her sister’s dying wish that her ashes be planted. Ash Gardens is staffed with magical entities aplenty, including cherubs, a ghost, several witches (one of whom is part gargoyle), and a beast named Frank, who founded the Gardens with his late wife, Kye. When Saika proves unwilling to let go of her sister through the planting ceremony, Frank offers her time to grieve, enlisting her to stay on and help with upkeep of the house, which is battered by puzzlingly frequent and intense storms. Saika soon learns that everyone else living and working in the house has lost someone close to them, which leads to many heartfelt discussions of grief and healing. There’s not quite enough whimsy to counterbalance the therapy speak and all the characters are so unfailingly nice that the plot is sapped of much potential intrigue. Still, fans of The House on the Cerulean Sea looking for something to breeze through on a rainy day will find this does the trick.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Loading