Frank Lloyd Wrong

by Frances Grote

How many people do you know who can say they come from a “normal” family? Darling Ricardo doesn’t know any, so when people say his family needs to be fixed, why should he believe them? Darling knows his mother isn’t like anyone else’s – for starters, she’s letting her 14-year-old son be in charge. And Darling is just fine with that. Most of the time. He’s never been to school, Cub Scouts, or even some other kid’s birthday party, but he knows how to keep things running while Mother uses some creative ways to support him and his two younger siblings. So when Frank Lloyd comes along and feels entitled to mess things up, it’s clear somebody’s got to go. Darling just didn’t expect that when Frank Lloyd took off, Mother would disappear with him. Did she finally get sick of her kids and ditch them? Or is Frank Lloyd’s barely concealed meanness a warning that something darker is going on? Darling might have no money and two younger kids to take care of, but he’s determined to find out. No matter what it takes.

A unique and compelling coming of age story told with laugh-out-loud humor, Frank Lloyd Wrong looks at the challenging question, what makes a good family? Fourteen-year-old Christian Ricardo, whose grandmother has burdened him with the nickname Darling, is the oldest of three kids being raised by a single mother. Responsibility has forced him to become very mature, while circumstances have kept him incredibly naive in some ways. He can feel that something is "not right" about Mother, but he has no context to help him understand she has a spectrum disorder. After Mother and her menacing boyfriend suddenly take off, Christian has to choose between his version of a quest to rescue his family or settling into the relative safety of life with his grandmother. Frank Lloyd Wrong is a twist on the “coming-of-age” story, told with a great deal of humor and empathy for a family living on the fringe.

280 pages, Paperback

Published July 8, 2024

About the author

Frances Grote is the author of award winning memoir, poetry and fiction. She was a Glimmer Train Short Story Award for New Writers Finalist and her work has appeared in The Del Sol Review and First Person Arts. She served for several years on the Editorial Board of Philadelphia Stories Magazine and is a graduate of Boston’s Grub Street Master Fiction Workshop and the San Juan Writers Workshop. Fire in the Henhouse is her first novel.



Frances is a psychologist with an MBA who supports her writing habit with a day job in Cambridge, MA, where she contributes to the effort to cure cancer. She has four amazing kids who grew up and moved away without taking any of their stuff with them. When she finally realized she was never going to be able to clean out the house she stopped trying and finally got around to writing those stories she was always talking about.

Reviews

[Kathy Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this cleverly titled book by Frances Grote. What a hoot! Poor “Christian/Darling” the oldest boy of 3 children in a very dysfunctional family. Their father left years ago and Mom means well but is limited in how to raise her children so lets the children fend for themselves. “Sister” schemes up some unique cons to get the things they need, food, clothes, candy, a mark. “The Boy” youngest of the lot doesn’t speak so he uses a sock puppet, “Hose Juan” to speak for him. The Boy is a math genius which for some adults comes in mighty handy. Frank Lloyd Wrong comes along and hi-tales it out with their Mom. The book takes you through Christians adventures on keeping his siblings together, safe and to survive, all while trying to navigate himself to adulthood. They wind up in a retirement village, no kids allowed. There they get into all sorts of trouble while still continuing to find a a way out and get back their Mom. While there are some difficult themes in the book for this family and you sympathize with the children, the writing and outbursts from the kids are hysterical and had me laughing out loud at times. It also has you empathizing with them and hoping they find their forever family. I think you will enjoy this book.

[Kathleen M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and this author! Grote's latest book had me laughing out loud in parts and a bit choked up in others. The characters have several layers and the ending surprised me in a good way. Highly recommend

[M G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grote's irreverent humor shines again! A carousel of characters more insane and self assured than the last. Must read!

[CaroleRamos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old time storytelling at it's best! Once you're introduced to the characters-you become part of the family! Hold on for the wild ride! Well done!