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Finding Flipper Frank
An eclectic group of characters travel from Montana to Maryland, where they encounter an unexpected mystery when one of them, 82-year-old Izzy Dunleavy, is arrested on a decades-old embezzlement charge. the novel, populated as it is by unusual characters who are forced together by unusual circumstances, has a narrative voice that employs both humor and the frequent use of flashbacks.
- GenresFiction
263 pages, Paperback
First published March 10, 2014
1 person is currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Patrick M. Garry
28 books15 followersFrom the time he began appreciating the great novels, Patrick Garry became intrigued with the imaginative artistry and insights of fiction. He wrote dozens of short stories before beginning his first novel, which took years to write. Since then, he has published seven more novels, and is currently working on a new novel about a disgraced lawyer who finds himself filling in at his sick father’s diner while defending a case that will unexpectedly end up on the front pages of the national newspapers.
The host of a national book review radio program has called Patrick Garry the best undiscovered writer in America. But Patrick Garry is unique in another respect. He writes about themes and ideas that are often absent in the works of contemporary American novelists.
Garry’s novels reaffirm life and the struggle of individuals to live their lives in ways that rise above mere materialism and the stranglehold of destructive temptations. In A Bridge Back, he writes about characters who never quite lose their desire for redemption, no matter how much guilt they feel for the mistakes of the past. Indeed, as the main character in A Bridge Back discovers, the past, no matter how tragic, is not to be feared. Confronting the past can lead to a discovery of truth, which can then lead to the only true freedom. And once the enslavement to fear is ended, a rediscovery of love becomes possible.
In A Bomb Shelter Romance, Garry portrays America as a place that continually changes—and in doing so, continually offers new opportunities for individuals to find what they have always sought to find. This story, of a family ridiculed as it builds the last bomb shelter of the Cold War, reveals how humor and joy can triumph over even the most sudden and traumatic tragedies. The O’Neals are a quintessential American family, if for no other reason than their ability to laugh at their often unenviable state. Yet, as the narrator acknowledges, sometimes you find love when you’re doing absolutely everything to discourage it.
The characters populating In the Shadow of War are nobly (and sometimes even irrationally) trying to make the best of a tough situation. They have been brought together by the narrator’s grandfather, an irrepressible dreamer who still hopes to turn the tiny little ghost town his ancestors once founded into a thriving community. According to the grandfather, the antidote to a past of disappointment is a more intense dream for the future. It is when he is surrounded by the dreams of his grandfather during the summer of his eighteenth year, when the narrator feels guilt ridden over the death of his mentally handicapped brother, that the narrator discovers the reality of love and the beauty of people who decide to let their dreams, rather than their disappointments, define them.
One of the themes Garry explores in his novels is the theme of moral relativism and the modern propensity to let political positions trump moral integrity. In The Price of Guilt, the main character learns in a very harsh way that political attitudes, no matter how publicly exalted, are no substitute for individual morality. In fact, a superficial pursuit of redemption through a seemingly noble outside goal ultimately sends the narrator to prison. The value of core moral beliefs is also reflected in Suicidal Tendencies, where the main character, in his reflexive opposition to anything traditional, discards the very morality that offers the only hope for saving him. Political positions and trendy cultural attitudes not only mask the character’s downfall, but actually end up leading him there.
Life can be simpler, and yet more heroic, than is often portrayed in the modern media, which instead can surround us by a confusion of all that can go wrong with life, rather than clarify for us what lies at the core of life—what defines it and makes it worth living. In Saving Faith, an orphan who spent his entire you
The host of a national book review radio program has called Patrick Garry the best undiscovered writer in America. But Patrick Garry is unique in another respect. He writes about themes and ideas that are often absent in the works of contemporary American novelists.
Garry’s novels reaffirm life and the struggle of individuals to live their lives in ways that rise above mere materialism and the stranglehold of destructive temptations. In A Bridge Back, he writes about characters who never quite lose their desire for redemption, no matter how much guilt they feel for the mistakes of the past. Indeed, as the main character in A Bridge Back discovers, the past, no matter how tragic, is not to be feared. Confronting the past can lead to a discovery of truth, which can then lead to the only true freedom. And once the enslavement to fear is ended, a rediscovery of love becomes possible.
In A Bomb Shelter Romance, Garry portrays America as a place that continually changes—and in doing so, continually offers new opportunities for individuals to find what they have always sought to find. This story, of a family ridiculed as it builds the last bomb shelter of the Cold War, reveals how humor and joy can triumph over even the most sudden and traumatic tragedies. The O’Neals are a quintessential American family, if for no other reason than their ability to laugh at their often unenviable state. Yet, as the narrator acknowledges, sometimes you find love when you’re doing absolutely everything to discourage it.
The characters populating In the Shadow of War are nobly (and sometimes even irrationally) trying to make the best of a tough situation. They have been brought together by the narrator’s grandfather, an irrepressible dreamer who still hopes to turn the tiny little ghost town his ancestors once founded into a thriving community. According to the grandfather, the antidote to a past of disappointment is a more intense dream for the future. It is when he is surrounded by the dreams of his grandfather during the summer of his eighteenth year, when the narrator feels guilt ridden over the death of his mentally handicapped brother, that the narrator discovers the reality of love and the beauty of people who decide to let their dreams, rather than their disappointments, define them.
One of the themes Garry explores in his novels is the theme of moral relativism and the modern propensity to let political positions trump moral integrity. In The Price of Guilt, the main character learns in a very harsh way that political attitudes, no matter how publicly exalted, are no substitute for individual morality. In fact, a superficial pursuit of redemption through a seemingly noble outside goal ultimately sends the narrator to prison. The value of core moral beliefs is also reflected in Suicidal Tendencies, where the main character, in his reflexive opposition to anything traditional, discards the very morality that offers the only hope for saving him. Political positions and trendy cultural attitudes not only mask the character’s downfall, but actually end up leading him there.
Life can be simpler, and yet more heroic, than is often portrayed in the modern media, which instead can surround us by a confusion of all that can go wrong with life, rather than clarify for us what lies at the core of life—what defines it and makes it worth living. In Saving Faith, an orphan who spent his entire you
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 26, 2015
One of the first things I wondered, before I started reading Finding Flipper Frank, was just who (or what) "Flipper Frank" was. Fair warning - if you're wondering about that, you will find out about it, but it won't be until about two-thirds of the way in. And by the time you get there, you'll likely be so involved in the unfolding story that you'll forget you were looking for it in the first place.
On its most basic level, Finding Flipper Frank is the story of a road trip. Three people, mostly strangers to one another, linked by the need to get from Montana to Baltimore...or thereabouts. On the way, they share the same space and get to know one another. There's Izzy, an older man full of stories about his youth and more than willing to tell them at any time, whether his audience wants to hear them or not. There's Moira, a woman in her thirties on her way home, bringing with her an air of optimism and hope in everything she touches. And there's Walt, our uncertain hero, who mostly listens and doesn't feel he has much to contribute. Middle-aged, kind of aimless, not sure where he's coming from or where he's going, Walt is headed to Baltimore to see Cal Ripken break a baseball record in a game he's not even sure he wants to be at.
As with any good road trip story, Finding Flipper Frank isn't really about the destination - it's what happens along the way. Izzy tells his tales (many of which have a suspiciously tall feeling about them), Moira's curiosity leads them down some unexpected paths, and even Walt - ever standoffish and distant - starts to come out of his shell. By the time they arrive in Crawfish Bay (Izzy's destination) and learn the truth about the Blue Point hotel Izzy has been telling them about, they are changed people, grown closer over the course of their journey. As this second act unfolds in Crawfish Bay, what follows is both surprising and, in a way, inevitable.
What I enjoyed most about Finding Flipper Frank is how easy it was to read. The pages slip by as easily as the miles of asphalt under a humming car, carrying me as a willing passenger along for the ride. Garry's tale is not a complicated one, and his prose follows suit - he writes in an uncomplicated, accessible style that works perfectly for the story he's spinning. The words bring the story to life easily, getting out of the way and just letting us take it in at our own speed. Though I do often enjoy the craft of writing and wordsmithing, it was refreshing to read a story so simply told, and one that was also so satisfying.
My wife noticed, as I was reading the last pages of Finding Flipper Frank, that I was sitting forward in my seat, turning the pages eagerly, completely absorbed in it. It may be an uncomplicated tale, but it's also an immensely engaging one. The characters are interesting and vibrant, the pacing steady and confident, the ending thoughtful and thought-provoking. This is the kind of book I can recommend to friends easily - and not just to people who like just a particular sort of book, but to almost any reader of good stories.
I'm no longer sure what I expected when I started Finding Flipper Frank. It didn't take me where I expected to go, but I think it went where it needed to go. And that's just fine by me.
On its most basic level, Finding Flipper Frank is the story of a road trip. Three people, mostly strangers to one another, linked by the need to get from Montana to Baltimore...or thereabouts. On the way, they share the same space and get to know one another. There's Izzy, an older man full of stories about his youth and more than willing to tell them at any time, whether his audience wants to hear them or not. There's Moira, a woman in her thirties on her way home, bringing with her an air of optimism and hope in everything she touches. And there's Walt, our uncertain hero, who mostly listens and doesn't feel he has much to contribute. Middle-aged, kind of aimless, not sure where he's coming from or where he's going, Walt is headed to Baltimore to see Cal Ripken break a baseball record in a game he's not even sure he wants to be at.
As with any good road trip story, Finding Flipper Frank isn't really about the destination - it's what happens along the way. Izzy tells his tales (many of which have a suspiciously tall feeling about them), Moira's curiosity leads them down some unexpected paths, and even Walt - ever standoffish and distant - starts to come out of his shell. By the time they arrive in Crawfish Bay (Izzy's destination) and learn the truth about the Blue Point hotel Izzy has been telling them about, they are changed people, grown closer over the course of their journey. As this second act unfolds in Crawfish Bay, what follows is both surprising and, in a way, inevitable.
What I enjoyed most about Finding Flipper Frank is how easy it was to read. The pages slip by as easily as the miles of asphalt under a humming car, carrying me as a willing passenger along for the ride. Garry's tale is not a complicated one, and his prose follows suit - he writes in an uncomplicated, accessible style that works perfectly for the story he's spinning. The words bring the story to life easily, getting out of the way and just letting us take it in at our own speed. Though I do often enjoy the craft of writing and wordsmithing, it was refreshing to read a story so simply told, and one that was also so satisfying.
My wife noticed, as I was reading the last pages of Finding Flipper Frank, that I was sitting forward in my seat, turning the pages eagerly, completely absorbed in it. It may be an uncomplicated tale, but it's also an immensely engaging one. The characters are interesting and vibrant, the pacing steady and confident, the ending thoughtful and thought-provoking. This is the kind of book I can recommend to friends easily - and not just to people who like just a particular sort of book, but to almost any reader of good stories.
I'm no longer sure what I expected when I started Finding Flipper Frank. It didn't take me where I expected to go, but I think it went where it needed to go. And that's just fine by me.
August 6, 2015
I thought Finding Flipper Frank by Patrick M. Garry was a good story. When Walt Honerman’s uncle dies he gets guilted in to driving his uncle’s friends Izzy Dunleavy and Moira Kelly cross-country from Montana to Maryland. Upon arriving in Crawfish Bay, Izzy is arrested and Moira tries to discover if there is any truth in Izzy’s elaborate stories. Walt is busy trying to help a little boy’s dream come true.
Finding Flipper Frank is a calm story with complex characters. Garry did a great job on creating such unique characters. All the characters are hiding things in their past. Walt was a good nephew and obviously had a huge heart, but his past kept haunting him. I loved the flashbacks of his life which explained why he acted the way he did. Izzy was a loveable character and a great storyteller. I could not help but to read his lines in actor Jerry Stiller’s voice. Moira I was unsure of at first. I knew she had a secret but my guess was slightly off to what it was. The first half of the book focuses on the road trip and the characters getting to know each other. The story really picks up after this and becomes more of a mystery. The ending of Finding Flipper Frank was a huge surprise and caught me off guard.
This is not Patrick M. Garry first book, in fact he has several more out there. If they are anything like Finding Flipper Frank then I as well as everyone else should read them. I really enjoyed Finding Flipper Frank. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story about accepting others.
*I reviewed this book for Reader's Favorite
Finding Flipper Frank is a calm story with complex characters. Garry did a great job on creating such unique characters. All the characters are hiding things in their past. Walt was a good nephew and obviously had a huge heart, but his past kept haunting him. I loved the flashbacks of his life which explained why he acted the way he did. Izzy was a loveable character and a great storyteller. I could not help but to read his lines in actor Jerry Stiller’s voice. Moira I was unsure of at first. I knew she had a secret but my guess was slightly off to what it was. The first half of the book focuses on the road trip and the characters getting to know each other. The story really picks up after this and becomes more of a mystery. The ending of Finding Flipper Frank was a huge surprise and caught me off guard.
This is not Patrick M. Garry first book, in fact he has several more out there. If they are anything like Finding Flipper Frank then I as well as everyone else should read them. I really enjoyed Finding Flipper Frank. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story about accepting others.
*I reviewed this book for Reader's Favorite
January 11, 2015
I found myself identifying with each of the three travelers at times. Unusual trio and unusual trip with an ending that surprised me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews