Book Summary and Reviews of My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

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Charla Wilson

Groovy Grandma
This book is different from most books for adults, because it is written from the perspective of a 7 year old girl. Her name is Elsa and she is very smart for her age. Elsa's Mom works all the time and is also very pregnant. So, Elsa spends most of her time with her eccentric Grandmother who lives in the same group of flats. Grandma is a retired physician, as well as a mischievous, fun loving person that knows how to live life to its fullest. Elsa is being bullied at school, which she keeps from most everyone, with the exception of Grandma. Grandma introduces Elsa to "the land of almost awake" where they both escape from reality. Grandma gets cancer and Elsa is left with the job of fulfilling Grandma's request to deliver a series of letters to all of the people Grandma cared about and had, at one point helped in some way. Coincidentally, all of these people lived in the same block of flats. It is in Elsa's attempt to fulfill this request that she discovers herself and finds out a lot more about the people that live around her. And, each of these people have a unique story and history. At times, Elsa seems so much older than 7, going on 8. However, her best friend is her Grandma. This book will make you laugh, cry, worry, and keep you glued to it until the end. It should really be on everyone's reading list! My new favorite author is Fredrick Backman! If you loved "A Man Called Ove," then you will love this one too!

Lin

Five Star Tale
What a clever story and quick read. The characters come to life. This is truly a feel good book. I highly recommend and plan to read the other related stories.

RebeccaR

Captivating Title Drew Me in to a Unique Tale
As someone who had close and special relationships with both grandmothers, this book caught my eye because of its title. I loved parts of this book and sometimes felt a little bogged down in other parts (where Grandmother's creative tales for her granddaughter are actually written out as fairly detailed parts of the book.) I probably would have liked the option of 4.5 rating for this book. The fairy tale inserts tempted me to rate this book as a 4, but that seemed too low. Readers who are familiar with author Backman's first book, A Man Called Ove, will probably feel more comfortable with the character of Granny as they will be certain that there will be heartwarming surprises and "aha" discoveries as to why some characters are unique and even abrasive at times. The plot and characters are original and fun at times, and I think book clubs would have a lot to dissect and talk about.

GrandmaMary

Loved this book
I kept thinking of my grandson as I read this book. I loved the comments about "real Literature" that Elsa made. Her relationship with her grandmother was priceless & the way the tales her grandmother told her came true with the various residents of the apartment building was fascinating. I think this would be a great book for a book club discussion.

Cloggie Downunder

Funny, sad and truly heartwarming
“…storytelling is the noblest profession of all. The currency there is imagination; instead of buying something with coins you buy it with a good story. Libraries aren’t known as libraries but as ‘banks’ and every fairy tale is worth a fortune”

My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises is the second novel by Swedish blogger, columnist and author, Fredrik Backman. As with his previous bestseller, this book is flawlessly translated by Henning Koch. Every seven-year-old girl needs a superhero of their own, and Elsa (almost eight) has one: her grandmother. Unfortunately, Granny has cancer and dies just a few days before Christmas and Elsa’s eighth birthday, leaving her rudderless. But before she left, Granny charged Elsa with a mission: a treasure hunt of sorts, involving letters of apology to be delivered to some of the many people Granny has offended over the years. Elsa may feel overwhelmed by her task, but Granny made her a knight in the Land-of-Almost-Awake, so she tries to be brave and fearless. And after a while, Elsa realises that Granny has equipped her with what she needs to face the future without her.

Backman has peopled his novel with a wonderful cast of characters, often quirky yet familiar and appealing for all their faults and imperfections. The banter between the characters is enjoyable and often laugh-out-loud funny. Backman’s plot is so cleverly devised that the reader can see events from the perspective of a seven (nearly eight) year old who believes in the fantasy world her granny has created for her, and from the point of view of the adults around her. And that fantasy world, the Land-of-Almost-Awake, is a wonderful thing in itself, with its parallels in the lives, loves and losses of the real-world characters.

Backman given his characters many words of wisdom and insightful observations: “People who have never been hunted always seem to think there’s a reason for it. ‘They wouldn’t do it without a cause, would they? You must have done something to provoke them.’ As if that was how oppression works” and “…sometimes the safest place is when you flee to what seems the most dangerous” and “When it comes to terror, reality’s got nothing on the power of imagination” are examples. He also gives Elsa some excellent retorts to adult statements: for ‘It’s complicated.’ Elsa has ‘Yes, until someone explains it to you!’ and for ‘It’s hard to help those who don’t want to help themselves’ she cleverly objects ‘Someone who wants to help himself is possibly not the one who’s most in need of other people’s help’.

Backman’s second novel is another winner, and readers will be eager to know what he can come up with next. Funny, sad and truly heartwarming.

Catherine

If you enjoyed "A man called Ove", you will love "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry"
You will laugh and cry, you will be amazed too. You will fall under Elsa's spell.
Just loved that book!

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