Finding Fran

By Anita J. Jamison

Hurt, confused, guilt ridden and angry, so begins the story of Francie Roberts. An aspiring teenage model who along with her cousin Barbie Roberts starts out in Wisconsin and head to New York City. The city of fabulous clothes, and unlimited adventure. Unspeakable tragedy and loss in Francie's life plays a part in her not being able to accomplish her dream of becoming a high fashion model. An unexpected plot twist unfolds in this heartfelt book and takes the reader on a whirl-wind of emotions. And Francie finds herself returning to her devious ways of the past filled with lies and betrayal. This fiction account of the author's imagination paints a portrait of memories from her own childhood, familial love and how it has endured through the years. So captivating, it exhibits ways in which terrible pain and family chaos can be redeemed in fragments through love and forgiveness. This book teaches about life, death, grief, faith, holding on, and letting go. It will surely make reader think about the things that are sometimes taken for granted. See our beloved Barbie come to life and bring her family members together on a special holiday in this beautiful story that will clearly warm the hearts of millions of readers around the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481706599

Anita J. Jamison

Anita J. Jamison was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. A graduate of the University Of Memphis and is currently employed as a Correctional Counselor. The book Finding Fran is her first literary work. She resides in Memphis with her husband and daughter. She loves to read, write and spend time with her family. Always grateful to God for giving her this gift, this possibility of developing herself through writing, she tries to look at real life situations with an open mind because she believes there is always something positive to learn no matter how dim it appears. A book should not be just a batch of pages. The reader should be able to learn something that will benefit them in their own existence. The lessons of growth, love and faith are the key ingredients that move us all to the next level in this human experience. Writing is good for expressing thoughts and feelings. Whether the story is told through a person, a talking animal or some other character such as a doll, the message should be vivid and inspiring. Anita's motto is, "Don't just read for entertainment, but read for understanding and guidance."

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© 2013 Anita J. Jamison. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 3/5/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-0657-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-0658-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-0659-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013900540

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Dedication

My Inspiration

A Beauty Icon

Chapter One Who Is Francie Roberts?

Chapter Two College Years

Chapter Three Big Dreams

Chapter Four A Ray of Hope

Chapter Five Self- Pity

Chapter six A Family Divided

Chapter seven A Leap of Faith

Chapter Eight A New Horizon

Chapter Nine A Family Affair

Chapter Ten On A Mission

Chapter Eleven The Christmas List

About the Author

DEDICATION

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This story is dedicated to my daughter Jaria and every teenager in the world who dreams that one day his or her dreams will come true. Know that through faith and determination your dreams can become a reality if you choose to do the right things in life.

MY INSPIRATION

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On a beautiful spring day in 2011. I was at my mother’s house clearing out clutter from one of her closets. After working for approximately twenty minutes. I came across a bright green and yellow shoebox. Tucked neatly in the corner on the top shelf. The shoebox appeared somewhat dated. Thinking there were shoes in the box. I opened it and to my surprise it didn’t contain shoes, but a lot of old receipts. Under the receipts was a blonde, blue-eyed paperdoll. Along with the paperdoll were her clothes stacked neatly beneath her. I wondered whose paperdoll it was until I read the inscription between her feet. It read Malibu Francie 1973 Mattel, Inc. I removed the paperdoll from the box. Looking at the paperdoll and her clothes which by the way were in almost perfect condition. I realized that she was one of many paperdolls that my sisters, cousins, neighborhood friends and I played with as children. The way she was positioned in the shoebox with her clothes underneath her is probably how one of us layed her after playing with her. She is a tangible link to my life as a young girl. I began to reminence back to my childhood. A time when life was so simple. A time to be carefree. This paperdoll represented a time when all was well in my world. We would play for hours with our paperdolls. Folding the little tabs attached to her clothing on her, I wondered how she was kept in such good condition for so many years. It was as though she was waiting to be discovered again. I thought about my own daughter who’s now a teenager, but has never played with a paperdoll. She’s my only child. And the world she’s growing up in is very different. Life is not simple anymore. All is not well in the world. As a young girl I was lucky to have sisters and cousins around my age to experience so many fun things with. We have been there for each other throughout the years and to this day remain very close. Always sharing and relying on each other through life’s ups and downs. Discovering this paperdoll and the memories it brought back inspired me to write this story. It’s not about material possessions, money or fame. Happiness can never be found in them. Nor can it be found in other people. Happiness is coming into your own awareness and finding that inner peace through doing the right things in life. Only then, will you find true happiness.

A BEAUTY ICON

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Barbara Millicent Roberts from Willow, Wisconsin started out in this small town as a teenage model. Known as Barbie she quickly learned the modeling business and rose to be one of the highest paid models in the industry. Tall, blonde and blue-eyed, her looks opened up many doors for her. Her beauty and hour-glass figure gave her confidence as she walked fashion runways from New York to Paris. Still loved all over the world, her physical appearance has been a blessing and a curse for her. She is admired by many. However, throughout the years she has also been misunderstood. Her image for many people has been about what’s going on on the outside and not the inside. Adult women and girls have set their standard of beauty based on her. She’s been inmitated but never duplicated. But will she hold true to these negative beliefs about her? Or will she save her family by doing what she knows is right even when she’s being discouraged.

CHAPTER ONE

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WHO IS FRANCIE ROBERTS?

Francie Roberts is Barbie Robert’s cousin. Fran, as she is affectionately called, is attractive and funny. Her personality can light up a room when she walks in. A little shorter than Barbie in height, she doesn’t have the glamour and confidence like Barbie. They both start out together exploring the modeling world. Each wanting to become a model. The two were always close. But after a few years Barbie begins to see a change in Fran. Fran is becoming distant and cold towards her. Fran’s mother Iris died while giving birth to Fran. After her death, Waltron Roberts, Fran’s father, took his baby daughter and moved from San Diego to Wisconsin to be near his family. He’s very protective of Fran. It’s as though he’s trying to make up for the loss in her life. He spoils her tremendously. Waltron has high hopes for his daughter. Like most parents he wants nothing but the best for her. Fran and Barbie are both cheerleaders at Willowtree High School. Although their