"My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry" Review

“My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry”

By Fredrik Backman

Published by Washington Square Press

Finished 6/27/16 – 5/5 stars

 

I cannot tell you when I last loved a character as much as I love almost-eight-year-old Elsa – she is a quirky, smart little girl who is bullied at school and finds comfort in the stories her grandmother tells her about the Land-of-Almost-Awake.  I also adore Granny – she is a firecracker that will make you laugh out loud.  All the tenants in the building are uniquely special – wonderful characters, each with their own story to tell.  Some a little more intertwined than others.  This all comes to light as Elsa begins her “treasure hunt” to find and deliver letters from her recently deceased grandmother to tell others she’s sorry.  As Elsa delivers the letters, she learns more about the people in her building and a little more about Granny and her past.  This in turn gives her additional insight into the stories Granny would tell of the Land-of-Almost-Awake. 

This is an absolutely wonderful, feel good book.  I recently read his first book, “A Man Called Ove” and loved it, which is why I picked up this one when I saw it.  I’m so glad I did!!  And now I’ll have to pick up his third book that just came out last month – “Britt-Marie Was Here”.  Britt-Marie is one of the characters in “My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry” so obviously I’m anxious to get my hands on that one too.  This author has a talent for telling a good story so I’m sure it will be fabulous as well.