Frankie & Johnnie: A Love Story

by Meyer Levin

Two lovestruck teenagers stumble toward adulthood in 1920s Chicago in a novel by "one of the best American writers working in the realistic tradition" (Norman Mailer).

Johnnie didn't plan on falling for Frankie. She was too young, too na�ve, and his best friend's sister to boot. But from the moment he sees her, Johnnie knows that Frankie is the only girl for him. There's only so much pretending he can do before he admits it. And there's so much to learn--about her, about himself, about life--when he does.

Meanwhile, Frankie used to think all boys were the same, wild and reckless. But sweet, sincere Johnnie is proving that he's different. Plus, when he's not around, her thoughts keep circling back to him. As they spend more time together, their feelings grow deeper--is this real love or just a youthful fling?

Set amid the bustle of 1920s Chicago, Frankie & Johnnie is an emotionally charged story of first love, second chances, and the bittersweet journey to adulthood.

135 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1930

Reviews

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange little piece of 1920s realism. Nothing really happens, but it feels incredibly cinematic in its nothingness, and I found myself wishing this had been turned into a film that captures the strange, elegiac pulse of it all.

[Lola D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Electra · Rating 5 out of 5]

J’ai toujours voulu lire ce roman qui me fait penser à un film du même nom (mais sans rapport). J’ai vraiment aimé ma lecture, que ce soit le style, l’histoire ou les personnages et j’ai trouvé incroyable la modernité de ce roman publié une première fois en 1930.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charmant!