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A review by starrysteph
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“It's an awful thing to miss someone who's still here.”
Very painful, very affecting, very human.
Backman has the skill to unfurl these beautiful, specific characters within the most narrow parameters. This is a haunting yet earnest tale, following a old man with a dementia diagnosis. He is losing his memories and struggling to hold onto the essence of himself ... but is supported by his family. Specifically framed is the relationship between the man and his young grandson.
The grandfather is written with care, the relationships are beautiful, and there is brilliant precision in the layering threads of floating memories that all comes together by the end.
Very painful, very affecting, very human.
Backman has the skill to unfurl these beautiful, specific characters within the most narrow parameters. This is a haunting yet earnest tale, following a old man with a dementia diagnosis. He is losing his memories and struggling to hold onto the essence of himself ... but is supported by his family. Specifically framed is the relationship between the man and his young grandson.
The grandfather is written with care, the relationships are beautiful, and there is brilliant precision in the layering threads of floating memories that all comes together by the end.
This is a clearly a personal story & a bit of a love letter - and I also think it would be a perfect piece to read with a young person with a grandparent or someone in their life affected by dementia who would be going through these exact pains.
CW: dementia, death, death of parent, grief, medical content, terminal illness
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Medical content
Minor: Terminal illness