Reviews with content warning for Dementia - And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

A very poignant short story about a man dealing with dementia and the comfort that his grandson brings in the midst of it. I was genuinely impressed by the prose at some points and how the author could truly make you feel such an array of emotions. Really sad, but also really beautiful.

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brogan7's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

2.5

A pretty terrible book for one that is trying so hard to be emotionally relatable.
Overwrought, under-executed.
Its only benefit was it made me bawl even though it was terrible.

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nicholebeaudry's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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avasbookmark's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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melinda_sue124's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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mikaclapson's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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dariarp's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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depmythmoon's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

“What can we do to help Grandpa?” “We can walk down the road with him. We can keep him company.” (~pg. 40)

Man… this may be a short novella, but it sure does pack a punch. I sobbed pretty much from the moment I read the above quote to a few minutes after finishing the book. I’ve never had a book that made me cry like this, which is also why the rating is so high. It just had me thinking about my own grandparents and conversations I’ve had with my brother about how scary of a condition dementia is. Maybe that’s why it hit especially hard.

This novella tells the story of a grandfather with dementia, and preparing his loved ones—mainly his grandson, Noah—for his death. Anything more will pretty much spoil it. I found it cute that the grandpa calls him NoahNoah because he liked his name twice as much as anybody else. Their entire relationship was wholesome, now that I think about it.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel something but maybe doesn’t have the time to read a full-length novel. This will do just fine; I’m impressed by Mr. Backman’s ability to not only tell a beautiful story using his personal experience, but to make it so impactful with no unnecessary filler. Amazing!

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