Let Me Be Frank by Frank BrunoMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
When I began reading this book I had no idea what to expect since I could recall mostly being disappointed at the negative publicity Frank Bruno received during the days when he fell from grace, and admittedly, feeling very little sympathy for this ‘National Treasure’ who seemed to have the world at his feet but apparently blew it. However, after reading just a few pages of his honest revelations and quite upsetting treatment, both during his bipolar bouts and when being sectioned, I very quickly had to agree with his deliberately ambiguous book title! What a great line – “Let Me Be Frank”. There are many points in the book when you can see which way things are going to go for Frank if he continues to take the attitude and course of action that he intended. I had to exclaim, “No!” a couple of times and had so much sympathy for his family and close friends who seemed to Frank to be ganging up against him. But his openness, when explaining where he was coming from at the time, was just so understandable, and it made me angry with the various authorities who lacked empathy and the correct procedures needed when dealing with individuals suffering from mental illness.
The strength of character, kindness, affection and genuine respect that Frank Bruno feels for all others on this planet are inspirational. He goes out of his way not to name people with whom he has a justifiable grievance, but instead consults many others, knowledgeable in the field of such illness, in order to support and create organisations that can help fellow sufferers. You feel as though you have accompanied this remarkable man from beginning to end on his remarkable journey. Surely, there can be no better person to front the current, necessary, changes in the treatment of mental health. This is a highly recommended, inspirational, read.
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