If there was an Olympic team for worrying, twelve-year-old Frankie Parsons would be its captain. His family are equally unusual and, at times, completely disagreeable, but somehow you can't help getting wrapped up in their world and liking them very much. In this award-winning novel for teenagers, Frankie and the reader walk hand in hand through pages that gleam with hope and humour, towards a closer understanding of the sadness of life and problems that just can't be solved.