📚 Fredrik Backman is no stranger to sob stories — in fact, they’re what he does best. Going into his latest full-length novel, My Friends, you might expect to shed a few tears here and there, but what we did not anticipate is that we would be crying all the way through. Translated to English by Neil Smith, the New York Times bestseller is a dissection of friendship, heartache, and the overwhelming weight of grief.

Louisa has nothing to her name — no family, no home, no possessions. Escaping from her foster home after the death of her only friend, she sets her sights on a museum where a painting she longs to gaze upon is housed. She sneaks in, gets into trouble, and gets kicked out. Outside, she finds protection with a homeless man and his cat. The unlikely duo confide in each other, and towards the end of their interaction, it’s revealed that this is no homeless man, this is the world-famous artist who has long inspired Louisa — and he’s dying.

Eventually finding herself in possession of a painting worth USD mns, Louisa begins to trace its history and the stories of the people it depicts — who are the teenagers in the painting? What happened to them? In her attempt to find answers, an unlikely friendship blossoms between her and the artist’s closest friend, setting up an incredibly emotional journey where the reader is left to confront life and all its unpleasant surprises.

Backman is a rare wordsmith. The Swedish author shows commendable restraint with his words; knowing just how much to say, and how little to give away. For a novel that so viscerally uncovers the reality of grief, it is one that also features Backman’s signature wit and poignant humor — which is to say: we laughed, and we cried.

My Friends — as the title suggests — is an ode to the power of human connection. The novel spans decades, leaving readers to pick up the pieces one chapter at a time. The ending could perhaps be surmised early on, yet as has become expected of Backman, the novel is one about the journey, not necessarily the destination.

WHERE TO GET IT- Keep an eye out for a restock of the hardcover edition at Diwan. You can find the ebook on Amazon and Kobo.

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