The Heart of Fortune

Love doesn't care. And that's its fortune ... or at least the fortune as defined by playwright/author Michael Frayn when he discussed his father, even as he acknowledges faults such as his refusal to acknowledge Frayn's mom after her early death and how that has almost completely wiped her out of his upbringing.

Frayn has just released My Father's Fortune in his homeland, a collection of thoughts, anecdotes and inspirations (a memoir, sorta) inspired by his father, a smiling, self-sufficient, salesman always popping in and out. On the one hand, Frayn's pa left him a handful of quid, some slippers and a used hearing aid; he also left him a sense of inspiration and dedication to his craft. They add up to the tale of unquestioning love for a father (not shared by Frayn's sister) and a marveling and (not too strong) questioning of the legacy.