![My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry: A Novel by [Backman, Fredrik]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q%2BSOKe%2BPL._SY346_.jpg)
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“Fredrik Backman has a knack for weaving tales that are believable and fanciful. Backman’s smooth storytelling infuses his characters with charm and wit… a delightful story.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
“Every bit as churlish but lovable as Backman’s cantankerous protagonist in his debut, A Man Called Ove (2014), precocious Elsa will easily work her way into the hearts of readers who like characters with spunk to spare. A delectable homage to the power of stories to comfort and heal, Backman’s tender tale of the touching relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter is a tribute to the everlasting bonds of deep family ties.” (Booklist (starred))
“Full of heart, hope, forgiveness, and the embracing of differences, Elsa’s story is one that sticks with you long after you’ve turned the last page.” (Library Journal)
“Firmly in league with Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman. A touching, sometimes funny, often wise portrait of grief.”
“I can't remember the last time that I read a book where I alternately cried and laughed, and sometimes both at the same time.” (Marilyn Dahl, Shelf Awareness )
“Precocious, feisty, almost-eight-year-old Elsa only has one friend: her granny. Granny has instilled in Elsa a belief that she is different, and that this is a good thing. Granny would know. From midnight zoo break-ins to shooting neighbors with her paintball gun, Granny's hijinks constantly antagonize those around her. As the story unravels, Elsa is given a task that compels her to get to know the neighbors in her apartment building and learn that everyone has a history. Heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure.” (Emily Adams, Third Place Books (Seattle, WA) )
"Another treasure from Fredrik Backman! We may have snow piled up higher than it has ever been on Cape Cod these days but Elsa is warming our heart!" (Elizabeth Merritt, Titcomb's (East Sandwich, MA) )
"It’s so good. I love the voice, the very human and real characters, and the whole apartment dynamic." (Sarah Bagby, Watermark Books & Café (Wichita, KS) )
"Another brilliant, heartfelt novel from the author of A Man Called Ove. Seven-year-old Elsa describes herself as "different," and her grandmother is her best friend, so when her grandmother dies, she's devastated. But her grandmother has left her a puzzle of sorts - one that forces Elsa outside of her comfort zone and into contact with her neighbors and others - leading to adventures and insights, along with some heartbreak. Anyone who enjoyed Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time will love this book!" (Carol Schneck Varner, Schuler Books and Music (Michigan) )
"It's a wonderful story about learning to be different in a world that often does not accept our differences. It's about the love between a grandmother and granddaughter. It's a story that will make you laugh, make you cry and love the characters only Fredrik Backman's can bring us." (Anna Flynn, Watermark Books (Wichita, KS) )
"I can't even say how much I loved this book. Elsa is the absolutely best almost eight year old narrator I have ever had the pleasure to meet." (Laura Cummings, White Birch Books (North Conway, NH) )
"The ability to write with both humor and sadness, to tell fairy tales without becoming sappy, to convey real love and grief, these are the remarkable gifts of Fredrik Backman. Elsa is 7 years old and you will hear people describe her as precocious, but she is more than that. She is curious about everything, braver than most adults, often difficult, and acutely aware of being an outsider. Her eccentric grandmother loves her fiercely and is willing to do many unusual, some may say crazy, things to bring joy and magic to Elsa’s life. When her grandmother passes away, Elsa discovers that some of that magic may be more than just a wonderful story spun by the woman that loved her. As Elsa unearths the roles played by the quirky inhabitants of her life, she also begins to find her way through her grief and to the discovery that being different may be the magic that saves them all." (Luisa Smith, BookPassage (Bay Area) )
“I loved A Man Called Ove and I wound up loving his latest even more!.... Cleverly constructed as a kind of treasure hunt, this is a book of colorful, unforgettable characters, warmth, humor - and wonderful lessons on living well. This one is full of heart. Highest recommendation.” (Andy Lillich at University of Oregon )
"After reading the first several pages of the novel I didn't want to put it down. Elsa is seven-years-old and her best and only friend is her perky 77-year-old grandmother. Elsa loves to spend evenings with Granny listening to the magical tales her imagination conjures up that take them into the Land-of-Almost-Awake where everybody is different and no one needs to be normal. For Elsa, this makes Granny a bit of a dysfunctional superhero. But when Granny dies, leaving behind letters of apology to everybody she has wronged, Elsa's adventures begin. If you enjoy characters with spunk, Elsa finds them and they will work them into your heart in this tender tale of the relationship between a grandmother and her granddaughter that comfort and heal. This is a story about life and death that will leave you believing in the right to be different. Granny used to say, "Only different people change the world"." (Carol Hicks, Bookshelf Stores Inc. (Truckee, CA) )
“From the author of one my favorite books of last year, A Man Called Ove, this book packs a similar emotional punch at the end, but has some significant differences. It is told from the point of view of Elsa, a seven-year-old child who loves Harry Potter, fairy tales, and her grandmother. Once I stopped trying to make the story fit my adult view of the world and entered into Elsa's world, I had a whale of a time.” (Janet Lockhart, Wake County Public Libraries (Cary, North Carolina) )
Praise for A MAN CALLED OVE:
“A charming debut…You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll feel new sympathy for the curmudgeons in your life. You’ll also want to move to Scandinavia, where everything’s cuter.” (People)
"An inspiring affirmation of love for life and acceptance of people for their essence and individual quirks. A Man Called Ove is a perfect selection for book clubs. It's well written and replete with universal concerns. It lacks violence and profanity, is life-affirming and relationship-driven. The book is bittersweet, tender, often wickedly humorous and almost certain to elicit tears. I contentedly wept my way through a box of tissues when I first read the novel and again when I savored it for a second time.” (BookBrowse.com)
"A Man Called Ove is exquisite. The lyrical language is the confetti thrown liberally throughout this celebration-of-life story, adding sparkle and color to an already spectacular party. Backman's characters feel so authentic that readers will likely find analogues living in their own neighborhoods." (Shelf Awareness (starred review))
"Readers seeking feel-good tales with a message will rave about the rantings of this solitary old man with a singular outlook. If there was an award for 'Most Charming Book of the Year,' this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down." (Booklist, Starred Review)
“A funny crowd-pleaser that serves up laughs to accompany a thoughtful reflection on loss and love… The author writes with winning charm.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
“This charming debut novel by Backman should find a ready audience with English-language readers… hysterically funny… wry descriptions, excellent pacing… In the contest of Most Winning Combination, it would be hard to beat grumpy Ove and his hidden,generous heart.” (Kirkus Reviews)
"There are characters who amuse us, and stories that touch us. But this character and his story do even more: A Man Called Ove makes us think about who we are and how we want to live our lives. A Man Called Ove seems deceptively simple at the start, yet Frederik Backman packs a lifetime's worth of hilarity and heartbreak into this novel. Even the most crusty curmudgeon will love Ove!" (Lois Leveen, author of Juliet's Nurse and The Secrets of Mary Bowser )
“One of the most moving novels I have read this year. I defy anyone to read this book and look at a quiet withdrawn person the same way ever again.” (Cayacosta Reviews)
"I finally had the opportunity to read A Man Called Ove, and have already hand-sold it to two other people. I laughed, I cried, and then laughed some more. It is absolutely lovely and moving without ever being saccharine. It speaks to the power of love, of community, and of the little everyday moments of life. It reminds me of the time I called my mother on Valentine’s day, crying that my boyfriend hadn’t done anything much special for me. My mother (who had been married to my father for sixty-six years when she died) told me that a relationship is built on day to day kindnesses, no tspecial event fanfare. I couldn’t help think of that when reading about Ove."
Review
“Fredrik Backman has a knack for weaving tales that are believable and fanciful. Backman’s smooth storytelling infuses his characters with charm and wit… a delightful story.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
“Every bit as churlish but lovable as Backman’s cantankerous protagonist in his debut, A Man Called Ove (2014), precocious Elsa will easily work her way into the hearts of readers who like characters with spunk to spare. A delectable homage to the power of stories to comfort and heal, Backman’s tender tale of the touching relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter is a tribute to the everlasting bonds of deep family ties.” (Booklist (starred))
“Full of heart, hope, forgiveness, and the embracing of differences, Elsa’s story is one that sticks with you long after you’ve turned the last page.” (Library Journal)
“Firmly in league with Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman. A touching, sometimes funny, often wise portrait of grief.”
"In his second offering, Backman (A Man Called Ove) continues to write with the same whimsical charm and warm heart as in his debut." (Publishers Weekly)
“Every bit as churlish but lovable as Backman’s cantankerous protagonist in his debut, A Man Called Ove (2014), precocious Elsa will easily work her way into the hearts of readers who like characters with spunk to spare. A delectable homage to the power of stories to comfort and heal, Backman’s tender tale of the touching relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter is a tribute to the everlasting bonds of deep family ties.” (Booklist (starred))
“Full of heart, hope, forgiveness, and the embracing of differences, Elsa’s story is one that sticks with you long after you’ve turned the last page.” (Library Journal)
“Firmly in league with Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman. A touching, sometimes funny, often wise portrait of grief.”
