Frank Returns

Frank returns is a sharp, funny but pitch-black novel about the struggle for a happy life in the face of a constantly nagging and destructive sense of being a social outcast. The eponymous Frank grew up in a socially disadvantaged family in which it was seen as fun to throw coins at his braindamaged father, who would busk on the high street with his guitar. Thea comes from the ultimate cultural and economic elite. They meet and fall for each other at university in the 90s, but when Thea is expecting her first child Frank disappears during a kayak trip. He turns up again just as Thea is about to give birth with an explanation she finds hard to believe. Meanwhile, a suitor in a yellow T-shirt has been making moves to take over Frank’s role as Thea’s partner and father of the newborn child. Thea’s mother is a media celeb, so the clash between the contending ‘parents’ becomes news. Thus the drama is played out both across the media and in real life. The whole world seems to be revelling in the story, and everyone has an opinion about where the truth lies.

About the author 

Kristian Bang Foss (b. 1977), debuted in 2004 with The fish’s window. Since then she has published two novels, The storm in 99 (2010) and Death drives an Audi (2012), which was his international breakthrough work. Kristian Bang Foss has been translated into 17 languages and has won several awards, including the EU’s Literature Prize and the Danish Academy’s Beatrice Prize.

Text translated by Paul Larkin