House of Frank

By: Kay Synclaire

Narrated by: Imani Jade Powers

A warm and hopeful story of a lonely witch consumed by grief who discovers a whimsical cast of characters in a magical arboretum—and the healing power of found family.

Powerless witch Saika is ready to enact her sister's final request: to plant her remains at the famed Ash Gardens. When Saika arrives at the always-stormy sanctuary, she is welcomed by its owner, an enormous, knit-cardiganed mythical beast named Frank, who offers her a role as one of the estate's caretakers.

Overcome with grief, Saika accepts, desperate to put off her final farewell to her sister. But the work requires a witch with intrinsic power, and Saika's been disconnected from her magic since her sister's death two years prior. Saika gets by at the sanctuary using a fragment of a fallen star to cast enchantments—while hiding the embarrassing truth about herself.

As Saika works harder in avoidance of her pain, she learns more about Frank, the decaying house at Ash Gardens, and the lives of the motley staff, including bickering twin cherubs, a mute ghost, a cantankerous elf, and an irritating half-witch, among others. Over time, she rediscovers what it means to love and be wholly loved and how to allow her joy and grief to coexist.

Warm and inventive, House of Frank is a stirring portrait of the ache of loss and the healing embrace of love.

©2024 Kay Synclaire (P)2024 Podium Audio

Critic reviews

“House of Frank bravely calls upon the fine line between love and grief, illustrating the complex emotions death dispenses. Kay Synclaire’s writing is full of hope and sorrow, creatively exhibiting the connection formed through communal grief. Brought me to tears.” —Deirdre Morgan (@DeirdreRoseMorgan), BookTok influencer

“Wow. Just wow. A heartbreaking, magnificent debut that offers space to sit with grief—and reads like a warm hug.”—Rebecca Thorne, bestselling author of Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea

“In House of Frank, Kay Synclaire balances the expansive experience of grief with the transformative impact of found family in a way that stirred me to my core. I will be thinking about this book for years to come. This heartwarming story is a gift to anyone searching for healing and home.”—Meg Hood (@megstearoom), book influencer

Incredible cast of characters

It was difficult to stop listening to the book. The storyline kept me on the edge of my seat. Sad but very heartwarming as well at the end.

Amazing story

Five stars isn’t enough for this book. What an amazing journey of loss and love, all in a world of magical creatures. They are all perfectly imperfect characters I fell in love with. I cried with them, laughed with them, and went through a rollercoaster of emotions all while finding my own healing. The story is so unique. I have no words to express how good this is, other than it’s my top book of 2024.

So sweet!

This story was so heartwarming and whimsical. The reader did a wonderful job! I would highly recommend this audiobook.

this helped me grieve

I had lost my partner less than two months ago and could not bring myself to listen to any of the books I had started before it happened.
Because of the subject of this title, I gave this new book a chance.

I did not expect it to bring me to tears and lift me up along with the protagonist on her journey.

The second it ended, I started it again.

Enjoyable

Characters developed in a satisfying and positive way. Well imagined and described both setting and people.

The experience of losing and surviving.

This was a good story. It was difficult to hear if you have ever lost someone through death and learned to survived. It helped me to acknowledge they have passed but are always with you.

A little bittersweet

Lovely story of found family. It was a little bittersweet but I’d still call it cozy. Wonderful characters.

Beautiful story

It's a beautiful story about losing loved ones and learning to let go, friendship, love, and finding a place to call home.

A lovely book about grief and found family

The book is a delight. The story revolves around a witch, Saika, who travels to Ash Gardens, a unique location where people can plant the ashes of their loved ones. The witch, who is planning to plant her sister, Fiona, is still mired in grief and is not ready to begin the ritual. So instead of planting Fiona, she begins to work at Ash Gardens. While there, she becomes a part of the group of odd characters who have been drawn to this magical graveyard by its caretaker, Frank. This book is a fun, touching, and beautiful study of grief and how it draws people together. The characters who make up at Ash Gardens are all well-developed and the family they have created makes you want to be a part of it. The narration was excellent and brought everyone to life.

Must read

This book was surprising in many ways, a unique surrealism with themes of grief and loss