The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman

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Oh my heavens. Julietta Henderson has given us a gift. I feel like I have spent time with close friends that I don't want to part ways. I laughed out loud, I sighed, I cried, I smiled and I hurt. When Sadie shares the problem with Leonard Cobcroft, the OAP employed as a cleaner by her racist, sexist, misogynistic bully of a boss, under the Age UK employment scheme, she expects commiseration, not action. But she underestimates Len: he’s ex-Army, IT savvy, supremely organised and talented in many fields, thanks to adult education courses.

One of those gorgeous books that completely lifts your spirits and restores your faith in humanity' - Ruth Jones, co-creator of Gavin and Stacey and bestselling author of Us ThreeOne of those gorgeous books that completely lifts your spirits and restores your faith in humanity. An utterly lovely tale. * Ruth Jones * What a delightful read! Hilarious and heartwarming, with one "helluva" brave, wise and lovable hero. Three cheers for Norman Foreman.' Hazel Prior, author of Away with the Penguins This is a wonderful book. A sweet and tender tale of friendship, love, family and learning to live for the moment. The characters are delightful and beautifully written. Norman is fragile but resilient and Sadie is a better mother than she thinks she is. Leonard is a surprisingly tech savvy octogenarian who is a pure delight with his use of computer graphics and google maps. Their road trip is full of pot holes and diversions, as they stay in some woeful accommodation, experience a local talent quest that erupts in violence, and befriend an unusual mix of characters along the way, and that's all before they even get to Edinburgh. A terrific debut novel - highly recommended! Whispering Stories was established in 2015. The blog is here to share our love of books and the bookish world, alongside our other passions in life. We are based in the UK. Well, that's the way my mother told it anyway. The way my father told it, the doctors gathered around the incubator every morning to discuss whether they'd be having my large intestine or my liver for their lunch, and whether it'd be with chips or salad. And that right there might tell you almost everything you need to know about my parents.

Twelve-year-old Norman Foreman and his best friend, Jax, are a legendary comedic duo in waiting, with a plan to take their act all the way to the Edinburgh Fringe. But when Jax dies, Norman decides the only fitting tribute is to perform at the festival himself. The problem is, Norman's not the funny one. Jax was. Norman – whose left eyebrow is hairier than his right; whose ears move up and down far more than other people’s when he chews; whose skin is plagued by psoriasis……is a small boy with a very BIG HEART.One of those gorgeous books that completely lifts your spirits and restores your faith in humanity. An utterly lovely tale. Ruth Jones Sadie is a single mom who is trying to balance life when her son's best friend, the Rolls-bloody-Royce of best friends, dies. Norman and Jax had 5 year plan to perform as a comedy duo at The Fringe. Now without the other half of the duo, the plan has changed but must go on. Enter Leonard, an elderly co-worker of Sadie's who concocts a plan to get Norman to The Fringe. Then they embark on a roadtrip like no other to get Norman to The Fringe to perform. Lightly yet movingly realised, The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman is one of those rare novels that is both whimsically sweet and soberingly sad, testament to the way in which life is rarely straightforward or cut and dried, with the good and the bad mixing together often in what feels like an unholy and bewildering mess. Best friends Jax Fenton and Norman Foreman are twelve, they love comedy and are a duo like Morecambe and Wise. They have a five year plan with the objective of the Edinburgh Fringe. The unthinkable happens and Jax tragically dies but Norman’s mum Sadie, more than able assisted by colleague and pensioner Leonard Cobcroft, resolve that Norman WILL do the Fringe this year. What evolves is a road trip of fun and discovery. The story is told alternately by Norman and Sadie. Charming, warm and uplifting...there is so much to love about this book."—Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This is How It Always Is

Survival against impossible extraterrestrial odds: Invasion ends its second season with hope … and not? (S2, E6-10) So The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman is as much as how you chart a way out of grief, often haphazardly and with no real grace or elegance but hopefully a new lease on life, and how even as you do something crazy, as Norman does when he seeks to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe in memory of his beloved bestie Jax, you might be actually doing the sanest thing you can do for yourself. Twelve-year-old Norman Foreman had never had any friends – until bad boy Jax came along. Then they were so close that in Norman’s eyes, the best thing about having a best friend was Jax. Norman and Jax were a comedy duo in preparation for the big time. Their plan was for their appearance in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in five years’ time and they worked toward it every day. In between going to school and having the best fun. Set in a small seaside village in Britain, Julietta Henderson’s debut novel, The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman, is a tender tale of comedy, hope and courage, told from the perspective of 12-year-old Norman and his loving single mum, Sadie. In Julietta Henderson's The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman, the title character is a 12-year-old boy who wants to perform his stand-up comedy at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Also known as "the Edinburgh Fringe" or simply "the Fringe," this event started out as an unofficial offshoot of the Edinburgh International Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. It soon became a festival in its own right and is now the largest arts festival in the world.While it’s an interesting description, the bar reference seemed a little out of place when talking about a twelve-year-old. Memories of Jax were pivotal to the story but the action was centred around Norman's quest to fulfill a dream he and his buddy had shared since they were ten. The boys had planned to perform as a comedy duo at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Norman was the straight man to the showy and comedic Jax, a-lá Abbott and Costello. Now Norman is determined to go solo even though he's terrified (and he knows he's not that funny), but the memory of Jax's words give him the courage he needs. The message being that when you’re scared to do something you should just think about the worst thing that could possibly happen and then get in there and have a go anyhow. Norman figures the worst thing has already happened so what does he have to lose. This book goes on my list of all-time Top Ten. I could not stop recommending it to people right after I read it last year. It is tender, heart-warming - without being treacly or saccharine. - and very well-written. Norman will grab your heart. Julietta Henderson grew up in the rainforests of North Queensland, and developed her passion for the written word producing ‘magazines’ for school friends and neighbours with her sister. She has worked her way through jobs as diverse as bicycle tour guide in Tuscany, nanny in the Italian Alps and breakfast waitress in the wilds of Scotland. Like many Australians, her love affair with Europe began when she came to London and stayed for more than a decade. One of those gorgeous books that completely lifts your spirits and restores your faith in humanity. An utterly lovely tale.' Ruth Jones, actress and author of Never Greener