Finding Frank: A Memoir

by Rachel Townsend

How do you find love when all you’ve known as a child is violence and abuse?
How do you find your way back from the clutches of a terrible drug addiction and stop yourself sinking deeper and deeper into a dark and debilitating depression? How do you carry on when you finally open your heart and then lose the one you love in the most tragic of circumstances?
Rachel’s story is a tale of triumph over adversity. Set in a tropical island paradise in the West Indies, Rachel’s journey takes her away to boarding school in England and on to the Middle East for the school holidays, where she first sets eyes on Frank.
Remarkably, Rachel not only finds a way to make peace with the terrible traumas of her past, but she manages to turn her life around completely and along the way, she finds love… a love she once believed was lost to her forever.

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2020

About the author

Rachel Townsend is a fully qualified, BACP registered counsellor, Supervisor and holistic therapist based in Cornwall in the UK. She specialises in trauma and recovery and also works with couples experiencing relationship problems.
Rachel was born on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall in the late 60’s. At the time, her father was employed by a large international telecommunications company and wherever his work took him in the world, his family was never far behind. Rachel’s early life experiences, therefore, were very much influenced by the vast cultural differences of her immediate surroundings. By the age of seventeen, she had lived in the West Indies, the Middle East and the United Kingdom.
Rachel's life took several unexpected twists and turns, with many incredible adventures but also, untold tragedy and terrible loss. On more than one occasion, she fought hard to get her life back on track.
Rachel only began to write about her experiences in her early fifties. Writing provided Rachel with a welcome platform for what would ultimately become her very first book, Finding Frank.

Reviews

[Esther Peacock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Frank by Rachel Townsend
Bravely and exceptionally written from the heart, this extraordinary memoir is a rare personal insight into Rachel's mental and physical abuse; you feel like a fly on the wall as you accompany her through her journey, experiencing all of the battles, triumphs, and failures.
It is an evolving, honest account of Rachel's life growing up in an abusive household, to her first feeling of young love, the struggles with drug addiction, fighting debilitating depression, trust issues, marriage, children, devasting loss, and finally, Finding Frank.
Nothing is worse than loving someone who doesn't love you back; you can be yourself, wait and wish that your unrequited love turns to requited love someday, or you can take steps to move on and hope they change their mind. Or maybe just maybe they were to shy to say.
I hope there will be more from Rachel; I will be one of the first to buy. A highly recommended read.

[Nick Dowdney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant book, it made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me sad, angry and happy! What more could you ask for. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

[_sassy_39 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When he finally walks in, my heart does a somersault."

Finding Frank is a memoir written under the pen name Rachel Townsend. Rachel was born in Cornwall in 1967. She has four siblings. When she was a kid, her mother was sweet but later she started becoming unhappy, angry, etc. Her father moved to many countries so Rachel's mother can be happy with a new environment but she kept on becoming violent.

When Rachel was eleven years old, her mother decided to send her kids to boarding school in England. Rachel was ecstatic with the idea of being away from her violent mother. During the school holidays, Rachel and her siblings spent good time in Bahrain. Her father was busy in work so he bought the Dilmun Club membership for the kids. She met Frank at the club. He was the best pool player in the club. Rachel was having a good time with Frank in Bahrain but her happiness didn't last longer as her mother came there and then they were expected to go more on family outings. Soon, Rachel leave for Barbados with her family but before leaving she received a letter from Frank and she was happy to find that Frank love her too.

Grab a copy of this memoir and get to know yourself what will happen next. Language of the book is simple to understand. Cover photo could have been more creative. I am glad that Rachel finally found joy in life. Title of the book is related to its content. Narration is smooth. Rachel's story is worth reading and I am glad to read it.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written first book from Rachel Townsend. Will be waiting to see if she writes others as I enjoyed the style and pace of her memoir.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gentle honest memoir - the impact of childhood hurt and adult loss can be healed with quiet determined fortitude and love.

This is a really beautiful, honest, moving memoir. Rachel goes on a journey and she takes you gently by the hand and allows you to stand side by side with her as she shows you different scenes from her life in such a way, that you feel like a very trusted confidante. Rachel’s voice is so frank that it’s impossible not to experience a whole range of emotions but at the end of the memoir I felt inspired and so very happy for Rachel, that I just wanted to reach through the pages and give her the biggest hug.

Such a mellow, unique voice that draws the reader in to her story from the start. I really hope to have the opportunity of reading more from Rachel Townsend.

[Suzi Daykin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gripped from the start of this book. Rachel writes beautifully and with deep emotion about her roller coaster life. It's hard to believe it is a memoir - she experienced so much is her life and remembers the most minute details.
Be prepared to not want to put this book down once you start. Well worth reading.

[Suyogaya Awasthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Struggles is more or less an inevitable part of human existence however the extent of the same is considered to being a form of struggle that everyone goes through which makes it a part of life and on the other hand comes another which makes life living hell and the same happens to the case of the author who has penned down this memoir which tells us a brief account of the abuse she had endured during her childhood at the hands of her violent mother and how this distorted her childhood. It must be noted that the author has given the required details which paints a complete picture of reality as the same can be witnessed in the starting chapter of the book where the presence of her mother did caress her mind and this pattern entailing a holistic presentation of her life and a perfect flow of the plot running at the required pace and thereby recounting her further struggles which came in the form of a drug addiction summed with depression. However amidst all the losses and tragedies which the readers would discover in the book gradually there comes the angle of Frank which happened to be a young love and this time the feelings being mutual and all this makes it imperative on the readers to see how this would turn out to be

It is to be observed that the author has used lucid presentation and has been very open about all phases of life and at the same time has maintained the required proportion of elements which makes it an interesting read and at the same time the author has also laid down honestly her heroics connoting the fortitude which she had to overcome all the adversities, thereby making this book a must read for everyone

[Ankita Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

All her life Rachel has known nothing but anger and violence coming from her mother. The anger issues rose to such heights that Rachel and her siblings felt tormented, unsafe, and trapped at the house they grew up in. Rachel was ecstatic by the idea of going to boarding school in England, away from her mother. She was having the time of her life with her siblings. They would visit Bahrain for the holidays. There she met Frank and experienced love for the first time. But the odds don't seem to be in her favor when her mother returns to her life.

The author has penned the book bravely, and she is transparent about everything she faced in her life. She gets away from her mother as she grows up but falls into the ditch of drug abuse and depression. Finding happiness was hard for her, especially when all of her life she has seen nothing but nonchalance from her father and instability from her mother. Something about the writing keeps you hooked to the book. Most importantly, the book shows that no matter how dark things get, there's always that glimmer of light waiting for you to reach out.

The book is very atmospheric, and it makes you feel like you're living Rachel's life beside her. It stirs up a lot of emotions, and at the same time, makes you experience a certain kind of tranquility at the end. This book is one of those books that deserve much more appreciation, and I'd be happy to recommend this story to everyone I know! I hope this book encourages people to get help for children facing abuse at home or for friends suffering from depression. I'm happy to have come across this story and hope to read more from the author.

[Prashant Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to trust anyone . It is hard to find Love. But how will you find Love when you don't even know what Love is. For Rachel it was something like that. All her life she has only witnessed violence and abuse by her mother. After years of just bearing her anger ,finally a good change happens for them as Rachel and her siblings get sent to England. And every summer holiday they can visit Bahrain. That was the first time she met Frank. And instantly grew a strong attraction towards him.

Due to bad circumstances her Mother came back to the family and made their a personal living hell. As she grows up she eventually moves away from her mother and finds a life of her own. Even then its not as ravisishing. She falls deep into darkness when she gets pregnant , she gets into drugs and she keeps getting deeper and deeper into depression. She finally finds the courage to be open for Love but she keeps getting taken advantage of or left alone buy herself. Losing herself more and more. With all these circumstances how do you continue to live on with a happy facade.

The story involves the journey of Rachel's highs and lows. Her happiness and her sadness. The Love and the betrayal. Sometimes we don't know what people are going through. Why they are the way the are in the present. Everyone should gain wisdom for experiences whether its their own or someone else's. So get your part of experience and purchase your copy of Finding Frank : A Memoir

[Funboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed Review Of "Finding Frank: A Memoir" By Rachel Townsend

Thanks to author for the review copy.

Genre - Children's Science Fiction

Ratings 4.6/5

Finding Frank is an amazing story of rachel who has faced lots of issue which has traumatized her still able to find peace with it and fall in love with frank and how all the things move around with him. Read book to know all.

Story is very intriguing and kept you hooked with it throughout the end and also it's a fast pace story.

Character and plot are developed at proper pace and author has shown very nicely the arc of characters.

The language of the book is very easy so even if you're a beginner reader you can read it easily. The vocabulary of the book is also very good.

Title of the book is very nice and it's a highlight for me. Author has narrated this story very nicely.

The cover of the book is also very amazing and look very cool. I really loved the way it looks.

Moreover it's an amazing read and I would highly recommend this book to all the readers.

[Himani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding Frank is a moving, extraordinary and honest memoir, which is written straight from the heart.

Rachel perfectly narrates her personal account, from growing up with an abusive mother, to her first feeling of young love, heartbreaks, betrayal her struggles with drug addiction, depression, anxiety, marriage, miscarriage, trust issues, losing a loved one and then ultimately finding the love of her life.. Frank.

I was hooked from the beginning. I felt so many emotions throughout the book. I laughed, I smiled, I felt happy when she was happy, I was horrified and shocked at certain parts and then I was sad and sometimes angry too!

The language is fairly simple and the narration is smooth. The best part about this memoir is Rachel's honesty. It was raw and real. She never once attempts to cover up or blame others for what went wrong, even if she messed up, she admits it and owns it.

Overall, It was great! Rachel's fortitude was remarkable and I am so glad she finally found happiness in her life.

[Jane Dennish · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir shows Rachel’s journey to survive and overcome her mother’s horrific abuse. It recounts her various relationships, whether friendship or romantic, and how they impact her healing process. Thank you to the author for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!