Author: Fredrik Backman
Published: May 3rd 2016 by Atria Books
Format: Hardcover, 324 pages
Genre: Fiction
Though you do not need to read Backman’s books in published order, if you had, you would remember Britt-Marie was first introduced in “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry”.
Suddenly traversing the world on her own since she can no longer tolerate her husband coming home with perfume on his shirt, Britt-Marie moves out and suddenly finds herself in an unemployment office with no skill set other than cleaning with bicarbonate of soda and her very particular brand of window cleaner. The woman in the office is as tolerant as a person can be with the Britt-Marie who has a way of offering suggestions that come out as criticism, but that it not her intention. With daily pressuring, a job is secured and this is truly where Britt-Marie’s life begins.
Borg is a depressed roadside town that is mostly shut down due to the local trucking company going out of business leaving the few remaining, mostly those that cannot get out and orphaned children, to get by as best as they can. As the overseer of the recreation center, Britt-Marie sets out cleaning the place and even befriending a rat. It is football (soccer) that holds this town together. They each have their favorite teams and the children are determined to play in the local tournament even though they can only practice on an asphalt pitch and need car headlights to light their way.
It is the children that start to melt this nag-bag of a woman’s heart. Since she has never had her own, she eventually learns their names and life stories. She tries not to be shocked, but when their realities become her own, she finds an inner strength to fight for them in a way that no one ever fought for Britt-Marie. Borg is becoming her town, her people, and a place that finally feels like home.
Of course, as she becomes settled, her husband comes looking for her and since Britt-Marie only knows how to be a wife, she is emotionally drawn back into that role - but is that what she truly wants? The local policeman is also knocking on her door and hopes that one day she would knock on his, but what direction will she go as the town is rocked by death and the children need her more than they ever have before. With a repaired car and enough petrol to drive to Paris, where will she go, what will the new Britt-Marie do with her new found confidence and independence.
The middle part of this book is a bit clunky and meandering, but that is all made up for in the end. If it is possible to have a coming of mid-life age book, this is it. You can see Britt-Marie’s growth and you can see that she has found her purpose if only she continues to have enough courage in herself to be the person that she has always wanted to be.
Suddenly traversing the world on her own since she can no longer tolerate her husband coming home with perfume on his shirt, Britt-Marie moves out and suddenly finds herself in an unemployment office with no skill set other than cleaning with bicarbonate of soda and her very particular brand of window cleaner. The woman in the office is as tolerant as a person can be with the Britt-Marie who has a way of offering suggestions that come out as criticism, but that it not her intention. With daily pressuring, a job is secured and this is truly where Britt-Marie’s life begins.
Borg is a depressed roadside town that is mostly shut down due to the local trucking company going out of business leaving the few remaining, mostly those that cannot get out and orphaned children, to get by as best as they can. As the overseer of the recreation center, Britt-Marie sets out cleaning the place and even befriending a rat. It is football (soccer) that holds this town together. They each have their favorite teams and the children are determined to play in the local tournament even though they can only practice on an asphalt pitch and need car headlights to light their way.
It is the children that start to melt this nag-bag of a woman’s heart. Since she has never had her own, she eventually learns their names and life stories. She tries not to be shocked, but when their realities become her own, she finds an inner strength to fight for them in a way that no one ever fought for Britt-Marie. Borg is becoming her town, her people, and a place that finally feels like home.
Of course, as she becomes settled, her husband comes looking for her and since Britt-Marie only knows how to be a wife, she is emotionally drawn back into that role - but is that what she truly wants? The local policeman is also knocking on her door and hopes that one day she would knock on his, but what direction will she go as the town is rocked by death and the children need her more than they ever have before. With a repaired car and enough petrol to drive to Paris, where will she go, what will the new Britt-Marie do with her new found confidence and independence.
The middle part of this book is a bit clunky and meandering, but that is all made up for in the end. If it is possible to have a coming of mid-life age book, this is it. You can see Britt-Marie’s growth and you can see that she has found her purpose if only she continues to have enough courage in herself to be the person that she has always wanted to be.
2 comments:
I agree with your review - the end saved it for me.
Did you change your blog format? Looks great!
Yes, I did change it. Like to change it up from time to time.
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