Minding Frankie

Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy  381 pp.

I think I've only read one of Binchy's books before and it was probably better than this one. All the way through the book I kept thinking it would be great material for a soap like East Enders or Coronation Street. Alcoholic A dying young woman contacts alcoholic Noel to tell him he is the father of her soon to be born daughter. Noel, his parents, friends and neighbors all become an extended family to little Frankie while conspiring to keep the evil social worker, Moira, from taking her away from him. There are plenty of side stories involving a visiting American cousin, a womanizing restauranteur, Noel's religious fanatic parents, and more. I listened to the audiobook of this. If I had been reading the book I probably wouldn't have finished it.