Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn

A Novel

By: Renee Swindle

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Francine Stevenson's chance encounter with a ten-year-old who shows up at her doorstep after her mother's sudden death spirals into an adventure for the ages

Francine Stevenson gets more than she bargained for when she rescues ten-year-old Davie from a group of bullies clamoring to snatch his beloved iPad. From that day forward the puzzlingly direct boy continues to show up at her door until the two develop a unique understanding. Their Pixar movie nights and Davie’s random Steve Jobs factoids slowly work to soothe the ache of her mother’s recent passing.

When Francine learns Davie is in foster care, she decides to introduce herself to his foster parents who she can’t help but judge for allowing the kid to spend evenings with a literal stranger.

To Francine’s surprise Davie’s foster mother is none other than Jeanette, her fiery high school crush. Their reintroduction forces Francine to face her severely single reality. And hearing her dreaded old nickname brings up long-buried issues she never dreamed of confronting.

Tired of being used by the women she meets on dating apps, Francine grows closer to the very-married Jeanette, until all her other priorities begin to cloud over, and Davie is only on the periphery of her mind. After a consecutive string of bad choices, Francine is left wondering how to free herself from an incredibly hot but toxic entanglement, as she works to become the kind of person Davie can depend on. What follows is a tumultuous journey of self-discovery told by one of the zaniest voices in fiction.

A tale of found family and hijinks, Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn will wiggle deep into even the most resistant hearts.

Critic reviews

"I inhaled and relished every word of Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn, a heartbreakingly funny and honest story which captures how the traumas of our past can break us—or just might help us build the love and family we need. Renee Swindle paints our world's vast, chaotic beauty—gender, neurodiversity, class, culture, color, science, and magic— with an understanding, wise, and brilliant pen, reminding us why we should cherish the families of our hearts. I loved, loved, loved this novel.”
—Randy Susan Meyers, The Many Mothers of Ivy Puddingstone

“I’ve never read a character quite like Francine Stevenson, but goodness, I’ve needed her. With sharp wit, radical empathy, and unending charm, Renee Swindle has written a novel that will stay in your heart forever.”
—Allison Larkin, The People We Keep

“Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn manages to be both a story about making bad choices, and a gripping tale of found family. Renee Swindle has written a, well, spectacular page-turner. I cannot wait for readers to get their hands on this novel!”
—Devi S. Laskar, The Atlas of Reds and Blues

"A whip-smart, emotionally layered journey that will make you cheer for Francine as she navigates love, loss, and the messy business of figuring out who she wants to be. This story is a gem for anyone who’s ever stumbled their way toward self-discovery."
—Therese Walsh, The Moon Sisters

“While Francine may occasionally crash and burn, she may also be the hero for our times. Swindle’s joyous language, wacky humor, and deep understanding of the foibles of love places readers at the core of Francine’s heart in this topsy-turvy-rollercoaster of a novel.”
—Linda Lenhoff, The Girl in the ’67 Bettle

“I didn’t want to put this authentic, engaging book down! Francine, a well-intentioned misfit who finds herself in a hot mess, crashes and burns and eventually learns.”
—April Sinclair, Coffee Will Make You Black

Great humor heavy but light read

I have been a fan of Renee Swindle and her style of writing for several years. She did not disappoint once again with her latest novel Francines spectacular crash and burn. This was such a heavy but light read. Touching on so many aspects of life but also humor. This was a page turner. If you are looking for your next read for yourself or as a bookclub THIS IS IT hands down!! Every member in my bookclub enjoyed this one 📚

I loved this story

Francine is such a unique character! The entire book is told from her perspective. I laughed multiple times while reading this story, I also cried. Bonnie Turpin's narration was excellent

Great book!

Wow! Really loved this book! So funny and poignant. I was entranced by the characters and Renee really keeps the reader on their feet with the story line. Unlike a lot of new books where you can predict how each character will act, Francine’s Spectacular Crash and Burn takes the reader on a wild ride I would be happy to go on again and again.

Great storytelling!

I truly enjoyed this book. So many complicated relationships and complicated characters. This book was entertaining but had depth. This book touched on so many important social issues. Stand out character tho had to be Davie. Loved him! A great book from beginning to the end.

"I was sad when it ended".

I loved the story! I wanted to keep listening and listening and was sad when it ended. The characters all came to life, literally off the page with this beautiful narration/reading. Francine faces challenges, endures hardships and yet, despite all her trials and tribulations, she bounces back time and again with her resilience, beauty and humor. This book made me reflect on faith, love, hope and more.