Frannie in Pieces

FRANNIE IN PIECES: Delia Ephron: HarperTeen: Young Adult: 374 pages

When fifteen-year-old Frannie’s father dies, she discovers a wooden box with the words Frances Anne 1000 carved on the outside and a handmade puzzle inside. As Frannie works on the puzzle, she is transported into a different time and place and finds her father as he existed at that time.

Frannie’s work with the puzzle is the inspiration for the title of this book and runs through the entire novel, but her time in the world of the puzzle is actually the least satisfying portion of the story. As Frannie works on the puzzle, she is also working as an arts and crafts camp counselor for children (she helps them create a collage about household poisons—mothballs, hairspray, markers), dealing with her best friend’s new romantic relationship, and struggling to see her mother and stepfather as something other than a burden. Frannie’s real life and the answers she finds there create a light, humorous story about overcoming trials, deftly handled by Ephron, the author of well-known screenplays, including The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and You’ve Got Mail.

MBC