Review by louisekf - When the Cranes Fly South

louisekf 's review for:

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén

3.25

emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to an advance copy of this book and to Penguin Random House Audio for access to an advance copy of the audiobook, beautifully narrated by Ifan Huw Dafydd , a new-to-me narrator.

When The Cranes Fly South is a look at the final months of an elderly man in Sweden. It is told by him, “Bo”, with short notes from his carer team and his son Hans. Bo is 89 and his health is rapidly failing. He lives on his own, with his beloved dog Sixten, and there’s a team of carers that stop by his house to prepare food for him, clean him, and so forth. (This must be something that happens in Sweden. I don’t think we have anything like it in the United States.) He drifts in and out of the current day, with memories of his wife, who is living in a memory-care facility, and of his cruel father, among others. A large theme of the book is that he’s upset with his son, Hans (almost 60 himself), because Hans feels Bo can no longer care properly for his dog and wants to re-home him. Understandably, this is extremely upsetting to Bo.

It took me a little while to figure out who the “you” was he was talking to in his head, but eventually I figured out that he was “talking” to his wife.

This was a quiet, sweet book, but not the kind I usually gravitate to. If you like books where not a whole lot happens and is sentimental (get the tissues ready!), you will like this more than I did.

Content Warnings