A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.

It's hard to put into words the journey I took reading A Man Called Ove.  I went through a myriad of emotions reading Ove's journey after his wife, Sonya, passed away. All he wanted to do was die so he could join her, not knowing that there was still so much life left for him to enjoy and to give.  

The characters are ecletric and the flashes into the past really give you a solid foundation for the type of man Ove is. Backman, with just a few short, simple words, had me crying, laughing, hopeful, pensive and more on so many levels that I will definitely be reading more from him. 

A Man Called Ove is one of the best books I've read and is definitely on my top 20 list of all time.  It's one you don't want to miss!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.  Wendy