A review by gem114
Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Britt-Marie Was Here is the story of an older woman who is struggling to build a new life for herself after she finds out that her husband of 40 years was having an affair.  To describe Britt-Marie as "type-A" is perhaps an understatement.  She lives by her lists, prides herself on being proper, and swears by sodium bicarbonate for solving (most of) life's problems.  When she winds up in Borg, a small town that's been hit hard by the financial crisis, for a job cleaning a recreation center, she's pushed far beyond her comfort zone.  Her relationships with the town's residents, especially the children on the soccer team she coaches, challenge her to come out of her shell.

I listened to Britt-Marie Was Here as an audiobook narrated by Joan Walker.  Although Walker's narration was on point from page 1, it took me a while to buy into the story.  I had just come off reading Legendborn and Grown (YA, diverse, suspenseful), and Britt-Marie is the exact opposite.  Soon, though, I found myself falling in love with Britt-Marie, with Borg, with Omar, Vega, Somebody, Sven, Sami, and all the others.  Regarding narration, I hated Walker's voice for Omar, but the rest were fine, and she's a perfect Britt-Marie.  I often listen to audiobooks while walking my dog, and there were times I found myself laughing out loud as I walked the sidewalks of my town at Backman's dialogue and Walker's delivery.

This was my first Backman novel, and it definitely won't be my last.
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