Britt-Marie Was Here: from the bestselling author of A MAN CALLED OVE

by Fredrik Backman

Henning Koch (Translator)

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A MAN CALLED OVE, NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING TOM HANKS

The number one bestseller: a funny, poignant and uplifting tale of love, community, and second chances

For as long as anyone can remember, Britt-Marie has been an acquired taste. It's not that she's judgemental, or fussy, or difficult - she just expects things to be done in a certain way. A cutlery drawer should be arranged in the right order, for example (forks, knives, then spoons). We're not animals, are we?

But behind the passive-aggressive, socially awkward, absurdly pedantic busybody is a woman who has more imagination, bigger dreams and a warmer heart than anyone around her realizes.

So when Britt-Marie finds herself unemployed, separated from her husband of 20 years, left to fend for herself in the miserable provincial backwater that is Borg - of which the kindest thing one can say is that it has a road going through it - and somehow tasked with running the local football team, she is a little unprepared. But she will learn that life may have more to offer her that she's ever realised, and love might be found in the most unexpected of places.

'Impressive and heart-warming . . . there are unexpected delights to being stuck with Britt-Marie' Literary Review

• ISBN10: 1473617235
• ISBN13: 9781473617230
• Publish Date: 17 November 2016 (first published 3 May 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Imprint: Sceptre
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

If I had to pick one word to describe this story, I would say "sweet".

A year turned into several years, and several years turned into all the years. One morning you wake up with more life behind you than in front of you, not being able to understand how it's happened.

From page 1, I was in love with Britt-Marie. She just had this honesty about her that I loved. As each recollection and truth about Britt-Marie's life is revealed, my heart swelled more and more. She lived a life of no existence. She went from living in the shadow of her sister, to being part of a marriage where she continued to lose herself even more. It's astounding that at 63, she had reached her limit and fled her non-life. This journey took her to Borg, a little down on its luck village, which embraced her, and allowed her to feel as though she was needed, necessary, important.

As if when she jumped into the air when Ben scored, she came back down to the earth as a different person. The sort of person who jumps.

There are too many lovely moments in this book to count, and I also laughed, a lot. Then there was the crying part (NO!). I really enjoyed taking this journey of self discovery with Britt-Marie. So many wonderful, colorful, and interesting people made this journey worthwhile.

"She always said that in the middle of all the crap, in the thick of it all, you always had a sunny story turning up. Which makes it all worthwhile." The next words that come are smiling: "You're my sunny story, Britt-Marie."

Overall: Smile inducing story, but I had hoped for a little different ending.

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[kimbacaffeinate]

Five reasons to grab your earbuds and listen to Britt-Marie Was Here

• The story begins when sixty-three year old Britt-Marie no longer able to ignore her husband’s infidelities packs up and leaves after forty years of marriage.  Britt-Marie is a creäture of habit, whose self-esteem was wiped out long ago by her husband’s patronizing. What begins is a lot of first for Britt-Marie. She seeks employment for the first time, lives on her own, has to make decisions and make new friends as she finds herself living in a depressed town called Borg.


• When I tell you, I adored Britt-Marie it is an understatement. When she is stressed she cleans and cleans all of which made me laugh aloud. She is curious, cautious and lord how I enjoyed her! Her OCD tendencies, HER LISTS, and need for things to be PROPER were brilliantly captured. I saw myself cleaning when upset and identified with her feelings.  Britt-Marie is lonely and has been for a very long time. In this story, she spreads her wings and must choose between the comforts of familiarity and the chance for happiness.


• Through a clerk at the job center Britt-Marie lands a job of sorts in the hamlet of Borg at the recreation center. Upon arrival, she is immediately struck in the head by a football (soccer ball) and thus her relationship with the unattended youth in Borg begins. Backman brought this hamlet to life sharing their daily struggles and love of football as she fleshed out the characters who will eventually wiggled their way into my heart.


• Humorous, poignant, and beautifully written Fredrik Backman brought the world around Britt-Marie to life, allowing us to relate to the characters, cheer for the underdog and watch Britt-Marie blossom. Through his characters, he shares a story of life, love, loss and our strong desire to be needed.


• While I will cherish my signed copy, Joan Walkers narration brought this story to life in vivid 3-D. It highlighted Britt-Marie’s quirks and deadpan humor. Walker captured the tone and emotions of the characters enhancing my enjoyment of the story. I devoured this and found listening completely addictive.

Audiobook provided by publisher, This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer