Harper To Publish The Magic Strings Of Frankie Presto By #1 Bestselling Author Mitch Albom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (New York, NY – April 2, 2015) – On November 10, 2015, Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, will publish The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, the latest novel by #1 internationally renowned and bestselling author Mitch Albom.

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is the epic story of a fictional icon – the greatest guitar player to ever walk the earth —and the six lives he changed with six magical blue strings.

In Albom's most original and sweeping novel to date, the voice of music itself narrates the story of its beloved disciple, young Frankie Presto, born in a burning church, abandoned as an infant, and raised by a blind music teacher in a small Spanish town. War rips his life apart, and at nine years old, Frankie is sent to America in the bottom of a boat. His only possession is an old guitar and six precious strings.

But Frankie's talent is touched by the gods, and his amazing journey weaves him through the musical landscape of the twentieth century, from classical to jazz to rock and roll, with his stunning playing and singing affecting numerous stars along the way, including Duke Ellington, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, Tony Bennett, Carole King, Wynton Marsalis and KISS.

Frankie, briefly, becomes a pop star himself. He makes records. He is adored. But his gift is also his burden, as he realizes the power of the strings his teacher gave him, and how, through his music, he can actually affect people's lives – with one of his six strings turning blue whenever a life is altered.

At the height of his popularity, tortured by his biggest mistake, Frankie Presto vanishes. His legend grows. Only decades later, having finally healed his heart, does Frankie reappear—just before his spectacular death—to change one last life.

A lifelong musician, Mitch Albom's passion for the subject shines through on every page. With its Forest Gump-like romp through decades of actual music, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is a classic in the making. Heartrending and inventive, Albom's latest novel is infused with the thematic message that "everyone joins a band in this life" and those connections have the power to change us all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mitch Albom is a bestselling author, screenwriter, playwright and nationally syndicated columnist. The author of six consecutive number one New York Times bestsellers—including Tuesdays with Morrie, the best-selling memoir of all time—his books have collectively sold more than 35 million copies in forty-two languages. He has founded seven charities in Detroit, and operates an orphanage in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. He lives with his wife, Janine, in Michigan.

ABOUT HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS
HarperCollins Publishers is the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 18 countries. With nearly two hundred years of history and more than 65 unique imprints around the world, HarperCollins publishes approximately 10,000 new books every year, in over 30 languages, and has a print and digital catalog of more than 200,000 titles. Writing across dozens of genres, HarperCollins authors include winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals and the Man Booker Prize. HarperCollins, headquartered in New York, is a subsidiary of News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) and can be visited online at corporate.HC.com.