I have a confession to make. Even though I’m a librarian, I sometimes balk at reading the authors everyone else is reading. I’ve even heard Fredrik Backman speak, and he loves libraries, but despite everyone’s comments about his novels, such as A Man Called Ove, I haven’t yet read the books. Sometimes, though, I can come at an author’s works via a novella. And Every Morning the Way Gets Home Gets Longer and Longer is just that, a novella that draws in a reader.
It’s a big story in a small package, a story that will break your heart. It’s a story of the love shared by a Grandpa and his grandson, Noah. They share a love of math and fishing, and memories of Grandma. But, Grandpa’s world is changing. They’re in an unfamiliar world that seems to be shrinking. “We’re in my brain, Noahnoah. And it got smaller overnight again.” When Noah asks about pieces of paper, his Grandpa answers, “Those are ideas blowing away and they’ve been doing that for a long time.”
Backman says good-byes are hard. And, they’re hard when everyone knows they’re coming. Grandpa worries he won’t remember his stories. He won’t know what to do when they’re lost in his world. “What do I say to Noah? How do I explain that I”m leaving him even before I do?” And, the wise Noah says he’ll tell Grandpa the stories so they can remember, and, if Grandpa forgets him, he’ll get to meet him all over again, and he’s a pretty nice person to meet.
It might sound hokey to say Backman’s story tugs at your heartstrings. If you’ve ever loved a grandparent or a parent, and watched them age, the novella will break your heart. But, there’s so much love in Backman’s And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer that you’ll want to share this book with others. It’s worth sharing.
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrick Backman. Atria Books. 2016. 9781501160486 (hardcover), 76p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure – Library book
I finally broke down and bought The Man Called Ove. Hope that we both like them~
I'm a little nervous about this one because I lost my mother to Alzheimer's, but Backman's My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry was my favorite book of 2015. I even bought it in paperback after having read the library book, which is unusual for me. An extraordinary book!
This is definitely on my TBR. Seems like Alzheimers is a theme in my reading..but not on purpose. Thanks for the review. I've read the other two books.
This book isn't about Alzheimer's. It's about aging, and the mind starting to shut down before the body. I think you can both read it. It may bring a few tears, but my tears were about the relationship between Noah and his grandpa rather than the loss of memory. That was tough, but this is really a book about love.
My first reaction to your lovely review was tears, Lesa. Then, "no, I'm not quite ready for this yet." But. Based on your comment, I'm going to give it a try. I know I'm going to cry all over it, but you've never steered me wrong.
xxoo
I have read all four of Fredrik Backman's books and they all resonate. This book is especially bittersweet and as I wrote to my wife on the inside of the book cover, I only wish I had the ability to write it. The book is an absolute cannot miss. You owe it to yourself to read it and never forget the sentiment.
It will make you cry. However, what insight into the world of the elderly with dementia or Alzheimer's…. This is beautifully done.
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