The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman

April 15, 2021
Twelve-year-old Norman Foreman and his best friend, Jax, are a self-styled comedy duo with a plan to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe, but Jax's unexpected death changes all that. Norman's mother, Sadie, understands his sense of loss; after all, Sadie's series of one-night stands following her father's death resulted in Norman himself, and she's never felt that she is doing enough to give Norman what he needs. With a lot of help from Sadie's elderly friend, Leonard, Sadie and Norman embark on a journey to get to the Edinburgh Fringe for Norman to perform on his own, looking for Norman's father along the way, and discovering a sense of self-worth none of them had but all needed. Henderson's debut novel charms in its descriptions of the trio, each of whom feels a sense of inadequacy but ultimately has so much more to offer than they'd dreamed. Alternating narration allows the reader to see what Sadie and Norman initially cannot. Humor, heart, and hopefulness make Norman Foreman a winner for fans of Julia Claiborne Johnson's Be Frank with Me (2016) and R. J. Palacio's Wonder (2012).

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