‘A fascinatingly-detailed account of how a love affair with the mandolin became a love affair with Italy as well. It shows the lengths to which an excellent musician will go to become an even better one.’

Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

The mandolin lesson
A journey of self-discovery in Italy

Virtual signing for The Mandolin Lesson
— A special kind of book signing
buy a signed copy

Frances writes:

As a self-appointed ambassador for the mandolin my mission has always been to raise its profile. Just as I felt compelled to take the opportunity to study the mandolin in its native country I also felt compelled to share my story with other people. For many years I entertained my pupils, people at dinner parties and just about anyone I met with my anecdotes. This wasn’t a one way transaction — people were genuinely fascinated and always asking me searching questions about my experiences. I began to address larger groups of people at workshops and concerts. Sometimes it was exhilarating and other times exhausting, much like my time in Italy. I had always kept notebooks and journals throughout my life because I find writing such a therapeutic activity. It was a no-brainer that I had to document my story since it helped me to process what had happened to me and also allowed me to share my story with so many more people.

Now I would love to share my story with you. Since the publication in 2014 of The Mandolin Lesson I have given readings and performances of the associated music in churches and bookshops throughout Great Britain as well as visiting Germany and Italy. But I can’t be in every local bookshop so I have decided on a Virtual Signing as a way of sharing my story with you. A limited number of books will be available on this website for a short time. If you order from here you will have a special opportunity to tell me who the book is for and if there is a special message. Whatever you ask me to write (as long as it is polite and not too long) I will write in your book and it will be sent directly to you.

Only 200 books will be released in this way and after that the book will continue to be sold as before through all good bookshops, online retailers and directly from the publishers Matador.

I hope that you like this idea and that you are intrigued to learn more about the origin of the mandolin and the Italian way of playing and thinking about the mandolin.

Happy reading and playing,

Frances x

Please type your name, and what you’d like me to write in your copy, click “send”, and then the “buy now” button underneath to pay for your book.

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