Author: Fredrik Backman
Published: October 31st 2017 by Atria Books
Format: Hardcover, 96 pages
Genre: Holiday Novella
This is the most beautiful heartbreaking story that I have ever read. A Christmas story reminiscent of
“It’s a Wonderful Life”, yet goes further in the meaning of sacrificing a life in order to save a life.
The woman in the story wears a grey knitted jumper. She walks the hospital halls with a folder containing all their names and each night the little girl hides from her. The woman does not make the decisions, she just looks “after the logistics and transportation”. The man in the story only cared about himself and his accomplishments. Yet something about this scared little girl touches him. He grabs the folder with the names and runs. Silly man that is not how this works, a death cannot be swapped for another death. A life has to be swapped for a life. You cannot just give your life -- you have to cease to exist. You will be erased. Your son that you have disappointed will exist, but with a different father and everything you have built will exist but by someone else will have built it.
The man has one last chance to visit with his son so he can see what he will be sacrificing. One last chance to tell his story, tell him how proud he is, and one last chance to say good-bye before he ceases to exist and commit to a final inward jump that will result in a deal of a lifetime.
To understand where this story begins and where the ultimate decisions and promises are made, you will have to read Fredrik Backman’s novella twice. The beginning feels as if you have jumped into the middle, but by the end, you will realize that it is a flowing circle and that you can easily start over and the story will come alive again and all the pieces of the puzzle will finally fit and it will all make sense in its own heartfelt way.
The woman in the story wears a grey knitted jumper. She walks the hospital halls with a folder containing all their names and each night the little girl hides from her. The woman does not make the decisions, she just looks “after the logistics and transportation”. The man in the story only cared about himself and his accomplishments. Yet something about this scared little girl touches him. He grabs the folder with the names and runs. Silly man that is not how this works, a death cannot be swapped for another death. A life has to be swapped for a life. You cannot just give your life -- you have to cease to exist. You will be erased. Your son that you have disappointed will exist, but with a different father and everything you have built will exist but by someone else will have built it.
The man has one last chance to visit with his son so he can see what he will be sacrificing. One last chance to tell his story, tell him how proud he is, and one last chance to say good-bye before he ceases to exist and commit to a final inward jump that will result in a deal of a lifetime.
To understand where this story begins and where the ultimate decisions and promises are made, you will have to read Fredrik Backman’s novella twice. The beginning feels as if you have jumped into the middle, but by the end, you will realize that it is a flowing circle and that you can easily start over and the story will come alive again and all the pieces of the puzzle will finally fit and it will all make sense in its own heartfelt way.
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