“A raw and vivid slice of Chicago.”
— Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, New York Times
“Granger has painted the picture of a familiar working class type so brilliantly and with such sensitivity that the experience of living with Frankie Coolin for a few critical weeks of his life is nothing short of revelatory. . . . At the end of his story we are all the better for having walked a long mile uphill in his work shoes. Never mind literary categorizations, Time for Frankie Coolin is a potent and insightful work of art.”
— Stanley Ellin, New York Times Book Review
“A superb novel, the real thing.”
— John D. Callaway, Chicago Tribune
“Demonstrates an uncanny ear for dialogue and a remarkable ability to pull us into the seamy alleys of modern Chicago. This is a gripping novel, a brilliant study of a simple/complex man—who grows on us like an abandoned puppy—and of a loving family closing ranks around him almost against his will.”
— Don G. Campbell, Los Angeles Times
“When the writers who are Chicago’s eternal gift to literature gather in the smoky dark spilled beer taverns of heaven to share their best work, Bill Granger will be bringing along Time For Frankie Coolin. Granger left us with a bunch of terrifically entertaining, solid stories. The November Man series—even with the marketing mischief done in the reissues in changing titles and making a horrible movie—will stand the test of time. But it’s Time For Frankie Coolin that will earn Granger a place at the table with the masters. . . . [A] quiet gem. . . . In these times of racist horror shows, the disappearing middle class and all the changes in what it means to be a family, maybe this book is just what the world needs again.”
— Roger Wright, Huffington Post