What readers are saying about Never, Never, Hardly Ever
“At its heart, Never, Never, Hardly Ever is about characters. Central to the book, of course, are the wildly engaging mother/boss Frankie and her magnificently intrepid daughter/worker bee/ author Kelly. But as the stories unfold, we meet and get to know so many others who cross paths with the dynamic duo. These characters – customers, suppliers, friends, family members and future family members – range from the loving and devoted to the eccentric and curmudgeonly. Kelly describes them with such humor and heart. They add color and richness to the telling of each tale. I appreciated that Kelly arranged the book in a series of short chapters. The adventures of Kelly and Frankie play out in precious morsels, allowing the reader to savor each one like episodes of a beloved TV show. I loved every page.” – Mo L
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“This book is sweet and funny … I was worried I might be lost as I know nothing about Asian antiques, but at heart this book is about their adventures in the shop and traveling abroad, plus their relationships with each other, customers/friends, family members, etc. … I was also intrigued by some of the details of life in the 80s and 90s that I’d forgotten.” – Anonymous
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“What a relaxing and fun book! I didn’t have to dig deep to think about this story yet I was surprised at the little details that made me shake my head thinking, oh yeah, it was like that! Lots of laughs, relatable relationships and the memorable sweet and type-A Francine, holding a gin and tonic in her hand, was all of my childhood friends’ mothers rolled into one.
The author is a great story teller with a sense of the absurd. Highly recommend this book!”
-Bruce W.
Grab a cuppa, snuggle up and enjoy a trip down memory lane with Kelly as she takes you through the years she worked along side her mom, Frankie at FROG – Frankie’s Asian Antique shop in Vancouver during the 80s.
– Carrie I
Please don’t judge me. My pal Mary and I have already made our six dozen 2013 Christmas mincemeat tarts. Yes, I know it’s over seven weeks to Christmas and no,
My sister will probably kill me for sharing this family secret. But it’s Eater Easter and I find myself wooed by the spirit of Mark in the movie Love Actually. Honestly –
Ever since I went to the memoir conference in October, Frankie/Francine, my mom, has been asking me on a regular basis “How’s the book coming along?” This is usually followed up by
Francine Fact #9 – And your name? Guess who’d be turning 102 on September 26th? Our Francine! And as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, our gal loved a celebration. Of
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Kelly McKenzie worked at her mother’s Vancouver Asian antique store for over a decade. After struggling to make her first sale, she went on to become her mother’s dependable right-hand gal, picking up bookkeeping skills, marathon running and a husband along the way.
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