"A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman

I am definitely late to jump on the Fredrik Backman bandwagon! As any voracious reader, my to-be-read pile is so huge that it is impossible to keep up with all the books that get a lot of buzz. However, as far as I can tell every single book that Backman has put out to date has been extremely well-received by readers. 

A Man Called Ove is a story of a 59-year old man whose wife recently died and now he has also been asked to retire from work. He has no other family and is struggling with finding purpose in life. Ove is an extremely likeable character. He is grumpy and set in his ways, but also has an innate sense of justice and desire to be helpful to others (even if he himself would never admit caring much for other people). 

His life begins to take a new turn when new neighbors move in next door and unexpectedly invade his space, his time and, yes, eventually, his heart. This book made me laugh out loud and also shed a quiet tear. It is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, just like real life. It is about finding meaning to one's existence but also realizing what it means to live a meaningful life. Ove is not a man of many words, and when he does speak, he does not always say the most politically correct or polite things. However, his actions, the way he selflessly helps others, speak much louder than any words ever could. 

I adored this book and the characters. A truly new favorite. All the hype that Fredrik Backman is receiving is hands down well-deserved. 5 out of 5 stars. I will definitely read more from this author.