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. "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 Renee Swindle’s bestselling first novel, Please Please Please was a #1 Blackboard Bestseller and a Literary Guild Alternate Selection. She lives in Oakland, California and is also the author of Shake Down the Stars and A Pinch of Ooh La La. chapter one I'm not going to spend too much time telling you about my mother's death. I have to tell you about it because it's what started everything, but her passing isn't the point. I mean, it's not the focus. Not really. I will say that even after all the therapy in the world I still sometimes blame myself for what happened, or I'll blame Aunt Liane, even though neither is true; no one was to blame. Prior to her death there was nothing going on in my life-just the days sort of bleeding into each other. I was twenty-five years old, living at home, and I spent most of my time with my mother. And yes, it was as pathetic as it sounds. Mom gave astrological readings and motivational talks. I was in charge of filming her YouTube channel. She was corny as hell, but her followers liked her videos and trusted her readings. At the time she had over a hundred thousand subscribers. Anyway, Sunday, two days before she died, she sat behind her desk wearing a bright yellow raincoat and hat like a meteorologist stuck in a storm. She used all kinds of props and costumes in her videos; the garage was filled wit