When Alice Whitley arrives at the Banning mansion, she’s put to work right away-as a full-time companion to Frank, the writer’s eccentric nine-year-old, a boy with the wit of Noel Coward, the wardrobe of a 1930s movie star, and very little in common with his fellow fourth-graders.Īs she slowly gets to know Frank, Alice becomes consumed with finding out who Frank’s father is, how his gorgeous 'piano teacher and itinerant male role model' Xander fits into the Banning family equation-and whether Mimi will ever finish that book.įull of heart and countless 'only-in-Hollywood' moments, Be Frank with Me is a captivating and unconventional story of an unusual mother and son, and the intrepid young woman who finds herself irresistibly pulled into their unforgettable world. The prickly Mimi reluctantly complies-with a few stipulations: No Ivy-Leaguers or English majors. Now Mimi must write a new book for the first time in decades, and to ensure the timely delivery of her manuscript, her New York publisher sends an assistant to monitor her progress. But after falling prey to a Bernie Madoff-style ponzi scheme, she’s flat broke. 'Mimi' Banning has been holed up in her Bel Air mansion for years. Full of heart and countless 'only in Hollywood' moments, Be Frank with Me is a captivating and unconventional story of an unusual mother and son and the intrepid young woman who finds herself irresistibly pulled into their unforgettable world.Reclusive literary legend M. When Alice Whitley arrives at the Banning mansion, she's put to work right away - as a full-time companion to Frank, the writer's eccentric nine-year-old, a boy with the wit of Noel Coward, the wardrobe of a 1930s movie star, and very little in common with his fellow fourth graders. The prickly Mimi reluctantly complies - with a few stipulations: no Ivy Leaguers or English majors.

But after falling prey to a Bernie Madoff-style Ponzi scheme, she's flat broke.

Be frank with me review