A raw, emotional novella on Alzheimer’s

? What does it mean to lose your grasp on reality? In And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, critically-acclaimed award-winning Swedish author of A Man Called Ove and Anxious People, Fredrik Backman, answers that question — and it’s an answer that will likely have you shedding a few tears.

In under 70 pages, Backman hits the reader with a literary uppercut, striking when you indeed expect it, with the knowledge that you’re not turning away. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer follows an elderly man who struggles to piece together the memories of a lifetime, and with each passing moment, something slips away — a loss felt deeply by the reader.

Through the novella, Backman portrays the unforgiving nature of Alzheimer’s, framed as a conversation between grandfather and grandson on a park bench in a dreamscape symbolizing the state between memory and oblivion.

“It rained for a long time here when your Grandma died. I never quite got it back in order after that.” In this dreamlike state, the old man desperately tries to make amends with a past he’s quickly forgetting. He shares his deepest secrets with his grandson, shares a lifetime of regrets and lessons, and tries to make sense of the fragments of his history that are appearing — and disappearing — before his very eyes. Yet, this is no dreamscape, and there is no young boy, but rather a harsh reality masquerading as something sweeter.

Backman is a wordsmith, and this novella proves it. For many great writers, emotional impact of this novella’s extent is difficult to master, but Backman does it effortlessly. The writing is straight to the point, the dialogue is raw and unvarnished, and yet beauty remains present throughout the story.

The novella not only spotlights the struggles of those suffering from Alzheimer’s, but their loved ones too, who have to grieve someone who is still alive. If you find yourself in need of an emotional read that will have you reflecting on the meaning of life, you should look no further.

WHERE TO GET IT- You can grab a hardcover edition from Bibliothek, or buy the e-book on Amazon.