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The Trouble with Sister Francis
- Author
- Matt Coyne
- Narrator
- Colin R Campbell
- Publisher
- Headline
- Publish Date
- 27 August 2026
- Run Time
- 12 hours 4 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
'This might just be my feel-good read of the year . . . prepare to be transported back to the early 1980s and to lose your heart several times on the way back '
JANICE HALLETT
'Matt Coyne is a genius. I defy you to read this book without smiling, laughing and weeping'
CLARE POOLEY
'A nostalgic masterpiece . . . A funny, heart-warming and heartbreaking story of ordinary heroes, quiet rebellions and unexpected hope'
WOMAN & HOME
'I cannot express how much I enjoyed this gorgeous story . . . I also snort-laughed on more than one occasion.'
JENNIE GODFREY
'We promise this nostalgic book will reduce you to tears - of heartache and laughter . . . it's a masterpiece'
SUNDAY POST
'Matt Coyne is an extraordinary storyteller . . . everyone needs this heartwarming novel in their lives'
SARAH TURNER
READER REVIEWS:
'It's a little piece of magic'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Transported me back to childhood and a time before social media dominated our lives'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A beautiful read - Matt Coyne can do no wrong!'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I gasped and I swore'
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
_______
Sister Francis is an unlikely nun.
She's sixty, sweary, drives like a lunatic and smokes like a stacked chimney . . . and she runs the Blessed Assumption Boys Club.
Richie, Bennett, Kenny and Stan are four best friends from the Whittle council estate with little to do but get up to no good. After a run-in with local bullies, they discover the crumbling, forgotten club and find themselves in the company of the most remarkable person they will ever meet.
Set against early 1980s Britain, THE TROUBLE WITH SISTER FRANCIS is a funny, heartwarming, and heartbreaking story of unlikely heroes, quiet rebellions, fierce loyalty and unexpected hope.
And at the centre of it all lies a long-forgotten journal that might just change everything.
_______
More praise for THE TROUBLE WITH SISTER FRANCIS:
'Hilarious and heartwarming'
MY WEEKLY
'A novel full of heart and humour - Matt Coyne is the master of unlikely friendships and beautifully drawn characters'
FREYA NORTH
'Another hilarious, heartfelt triumph from Matt Coyne . . . the kind of immersive, timeless storytelling we are all yearning for right now'
SOPHIE COUSENS
'A heartwarming story with a fantastic premise'
HELEN RUSSELL
'A joy of a read'
CLOSER
'A heartwarming, uplifting read'
HEAT
'Few stories balance laughter and grief as well ... impossible to read without laughing and crying ... it's a story that will stay with you long after the final page.'
YOURS
'Hilarious, heartwarming and heartbreaking . . . nostalgic and downright funny'
PLATINUM MAGAZINE
'With nostalgic 80s references including chopper bikes, plus the relatable banter between the boys and their unexpected ally, this is a heartwarming story.'
CANDIS MAGAZINE
_______
Praise for FRANK AND RED:
'A lovely feel-good treat' The Times | 'Simply perfect' Daily Mirror | 'Hilariously funny . . . and beneath it all really quite lovely' Metro | 'Brilliant, just brilliant' Huffington Post | Debut of the Year Woman and Home | Prima Book of The Year
Critics Review
-
Matt Coyne has created an icon in Sister Francis, and a beautifully immersive coming of age story that is so much more than a group of young boys and their unconventional mentor. Prepare to be transported back to the early 1980s and to lose your heart several times on the way back. Wonderfully written, tender, funny and absorbing, this might just be my feelgood read of the year.
JANICE HALLETT, bestselling author of THE APPEAL
-
Sister Francis is an icon, and Matt Coyne is a genius. I defy you to read this book without smiling, laughing and weeping.
CLARE POOLEY, New York Times bestselling author of THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT
-
I cannot express how much I enjoyed this gorgeous story, and fell in love with its characters. Matt Coyne is a brilliant storyteller with an eye for detail that makes his imagined world come alive. I also snort-laughed on more than one occasion.
JENNIE GODFREY, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS
-
Another hilarious, heartfelt triumph from Matt Coyne. Full of nostalgia, unforgettable characters and the kind of immersive, timeless storytelling we are all yearning for right now.
SOPHIE COUSENS, New York Times bestselling author of THIS TIME NEXT YEAR
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
A heartwarming story with a fantastic premise
HELEN RUSSELL, author of international bestseller, THE YEAR OF LIVING DANISHLY
-
Warm, funny, nostalgic, I defy any reader not to fall in love with the legend that is Sister Francis. Another triumph from a huge talent.
BECKY HUNTER, bestselling author of ONE MOMENT
-
Matt Coyne is an extraordinary storyteller, Sister Francis is an icon and everyone needs this heartwarming novel in their lives.
SARAH TURNER, Sunday Times bestselling author of STEPPING UP
-
A nostalgic masterpiece . . . their banter and childhood innocence are charming, capturing the humour of the era while revealing a more poignant, emotional edge. A funny, heart-warming and heartbreaking story of ordinary heroes, quiet rebellions and unexpected hope.
WOMAN & HOME
-
A novel full of heart and humour - Matt Coyne is the master of unlikely friendships and beautifully drawn characters
FREYA NORTH, author of THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF EADIE BROWNE
-
Hilarious and heartwarming
MY WEEKLY
-
A joy of a read
CLOSER
-
Heartwarming
THAT'S LIFE
-
Few stories balance laughter and grief as well . . . impossible to read without laughing and crying . . . it's a story that will stay with you long after the final page.
YOURS
-
A heartwarming, uplifting read
HEAT
-
We promise this nostalgic book will reduce you to tears - of heartache and laughter . . . it's a masterpiece.
SUNDAY POST
-
Hilarious, heartwarming and heartbreaking . . . nostalgic and downright funny.
PLATINUM MAGAZINE
-
With nostalgic 80s references including chopper bikes, plus the relatable banter between the boys and their unexpected ally, this is a heartwarming story.
CANDIS MAGAZINE
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Matt Coyne
- Narrator
- Colin R Campbell
- Duration
- 12 hours 4 minutes
- Release Date
- 27 August 2026
- ISBN
- 9781035425099
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Headline
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Fiction: literary and general non-genre, Humour
Synopsis
A heartwarming and hilarious new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of FRANK AND RED'This might just be my feel-good read of the year . . . prepare to be transported back to the early 1980s and to lose your heart several times on the way back 'JANICE HALLETT'Matt Coyne is a genius. I defy you to read this book without smiling, laughing and weeping'CLARE POOLEY'A nostalgic masterpiece . . . A funny, heart-warming and heartbreaking story of ordinary heroes, quiet rebellions and unexpected hope'WOMAN & HOME'I cannot express how much I enjoyed this gorgeous story . . . I also snort-laughed on more than one occasion.'JENNIE GODFREY'We promise this nostalgic book will reduce you to tears - of heartache and laughter . . . it's a masterpiece' SUNDAY POST'Matt Coyne is an extraordinary storyteller . . . everyone needs this heartwarming novel in their lives'SARAH TURNERREADER REVIEWS:'It's a little piece of magic' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Transported me back to childhood and a time before social media dominated our lives' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A beautiful read - Matt Coyne can do no wrong!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I gasped and I swore' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐_______Sister Francis is an unlikely nun.She's sixty, sweary, drives like a lunatic and smokes like a stacked chimney . . . and she runs the Blessed Assumption Boys Club.Richie, Bennett, Kenny and Stan are four best friends from the Whittle council estate with little to do but get up to no good. After a run-in with local bullies, they discover the crumbling, forgotten club and find themselves in the company of the most remarkable person they will ever meet.Set against early 1980s Britain, THE TROUBLE WITH SISTER FRANCIS is a funny, heartwarming, and heartbreaking story of unlikely heroes, quiet rebellions, fierce loyalty and unexpected hope.And at the centre of it all lies a long-forgotten journal that might just change everything._______More praise for THE TROUBLE WITH SISTER FRANCIS:'Hilarious and heartwarming' MY WEEKLY'A novel full of heart and humour - Matt Coyne is the master of unlikely friendships and beautifully drawn characters'FREYA NORTH'Another hilarious, heartfelt triumph from Matt Coyne . . . the kind of immersive, timeless storytelling we are all yearning for right now'SOPHIE COUSENS'A heartwarming story with a fantastic premise'HELEN RUSSELL'A joy of a read'CLOSER'A heartwarming, uplifting read'HEAT'Few stories balance laughter and grief as well ... impossible to read without laughing and crying ... it's a story that will stay with you long after the final page.'YOURS'Hilarious, heartwarming and heartbreaking . . . nostalgic and downright funny'PLATINUM MAGAZINE'With nostalgic 80s references including chopper bikes, plus the relatable banter between the boys and their unexpected ally, this is a heartwarming story.'CANDIS MAGAZINE_______Praise for FRANK AND RED:'A lovely feel-good treat' The Times | 'Simply perfect' Daily Mirror | 'Hilariously funny . . . and beneath it all really quite lovely' Metro | 'Brilliant, just brilliant' Huffington Post | Debut of the Year Woman and Home | Prima Book of The Year
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