究竟是何种程度的无奈和绝望，迫使一个中年人在新年来临前的早晨，用一把玩具枪抢劫一家无现金银行。行动失败的劫匪仓皇之中逃进一间位于大楼顶层的待售公寓，里面全都是正在看房子的潜在买家。由此开始，抢劫案变成了劫持人质案。
然而事情的发展出乎预料，没有警匪对峙、没有致命一击，漫长的一天过后，八名人质安然无恙得到释放，劫匪却完全不见踪影。警察对人质逐一展开讯问，却发现他们每个人都有一肚子的抱怨和疑问，可是谁也说不清楚并且不关心劫匪究竟去了哪里。
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婚姻、工作、家庭、育儿、投资、医疗、人际关系，现如今的生活，任何事情都会引发焦虑，没有人敢说自己一点儿都不焦虑。我们都是辛苦又脆弱的小人物，一边吐槽，一边还在咬牙坚持过下去。小说《焦虑的人》关照的正是平凡的你我。
作者巴克曼，写治愈暖心小说真的是一把好手，他的小说一大特点就是又好笑又好哭，不会刻意卖惨，但是在阅读中又不知不觉被感动、被温暖、被戳中。他的作品非常关注底层人群、弱势人群，关照平凡大众的喜怒哀乐。比如暴躁但正义的外婆、刻板但坚强的布里特-玛丽、臭脸但温柔的欧维。这些人都有缺点、遭遇困境，很容易让我们联想到身边人甚至是自己。
《焦虑的人》主角是一个愚蠢的银行抢劫犯和一群正在看房子的奇葩买家，本以为这个故事应该惊险刺激，但剧情的走向完全出乎预料。这群人共处一室带来一场闹剧，嬉笑怒骂背后却是令人唏嘘的人情冷暖和现代社会问题。不仅如此，故事的后半段，还有一个巨大的秘密等着读者去发现。
在《焦虑的人》里，面对艰难的人生之路，有些人放弃了，有些人还在尽力而为。而巴克曼的故事唤醒我们的同理心和共情力，在任何时候，爱、理解、宽恕和希望都能拯救我们。

In this bestselling and “charming debut” (People) from one of Sweden’s most successful authors, a grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.
Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents’ association to their very foundations.
A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, Fredrik Backman’s novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. “If there was an award for ‘Most Charming Book of the Year,’ this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down” (Booklist, starred review).

死的人是我，但被埋葬的是你們
被他擊碎的是我，但憤怒的是你們
比身為受害者更不幸的，是你們在我手中成為受害者
我無法修復你們的傷，無論我多麼想
這是有關愛的故事，有些人被愛、有些人相愛、有些人不愛了，有些人只是彼此的「錯誤」。有時候好人會做出可怕的事，因為他們相信如此能保護所愛之人。有時候恨一個人是如此輕而易舉。
當一個男孩，冰球隊的耀眼新星，強暴了一個女孩。大家就此失去方向。相信謊言很簡單，真相太困難。但是在謊言裡，每個人逐漸分崩離析。夫妻不再緊握彼此的手、有良知的人因愧疚而不斷傷害自己、失去信念的人迷失在酒精裡、年輕人會在黑暗的森林裡互鬥至死、有祕密的人招架不住沉默的壓力，暴力就這樣在這裡蔓延。
然而，這是他們的小鎮。兩支冰球隊之間的敵對狀態演變成一場金錢、權力，以及生死存亡、彼此糾纏的瘋狂掙扎。還有所有圍繞著冰場跳動的心，那些依然懷抱夢想，努力拚搏的人們，如何彼此扶持。有些人會陷入愛河，其他人則被擊垮；會有非常成功的日子，也有一塌糊塗的時候。然而，這個小鎮會重新透出生氣，但是星星之火也同時悄悄燃起。我們將會聽見一聲震天巨響。因為，他們賭上一切，對上全世界。
本書特色
★百萬暢銷作家菲特烈．貝克曼最新長篇小說，又深感人心的溫暖之作。
★菲特烈．貝克曼《明天別再來敲門》、《清單Hold不住的人生》、《阿嬤要我跟你說抱歉》三部作品英文版銷售超過千萬冊。
★《明天別再來敲門》改編電影二○一七年奧斯卡最佳外語片決選入圍。
★本書出版即上美國《紐約時報》排行榜小說前五名。
★本書即將改編同名影集，眾所期盼。
★喬喬‧莫伊絲（電影《我就要你好好的》原著作者）、張亦絢（作家）、宋怡慧（作家、丹鳳高中教務主任）感動推薦
媒體讚譽
貝克曼重回為冰球痴狂的瑞典小鎮，重續《終將碎裂的我們－大熊魂1》裡小鎮居民的熱情、暴力、堅毅、以及人性。貝克曼這本出色的小說結合了斯堪地那維亞傳說和希臘悲劇的特色，黑暗和挫折伴隨溫柔及生氣，毫不保留為小鎮氛圍注入活力。──《出版人週刊》
這部貝克曼的作品具有豐沛的讀書會討論主題潛力；他探討了暴力、政治手腕、社區、女性主義、性別差異、犯罪、運動在社會中的角色，以及令我們每個人感到坐立不安的隱憂。──《圖書館期刊》
貝克曼筆下個性迥異的主角們彼此糾纏串聯，終於引發一場無法避免的大爆炸，固然令大熊鎮更哀傷，或許卻也更睿智。貝克曼描寫的這座小鎮，尤其能與置身種族歧視、恐同、以及憎恨女性等問題的社區居民產生共鳴。──《書頁評論》
貝克曼藉本書傳達對世俗的諷刺和希望，而他的寫作技巧使此兩者令人難以抗拒。──《柯克斯評論 》
在菲特烈貝克曼的作品中，我們看見絕妙的文字和洞悉事件真義的卓越眼光──對與錯、恐懼與勇氣、愛與憎恨、友誼和忠誠的重要性與極限，不一而足。貝克曼是現今世上最棒、最有趣的小說家。和全世界的優秀小說家站在一起，他的身影媲美巨人──而這位巨人的分量仍在與日俱增之中。──《華盛頓時報》
貝克曼創造了情感細膩的國度，遠比書中的瑞典小鎮還龐大……一本能令讀者深陷其中的小說。──《芝加哥論壇報》
本書以敏銳的角度探索復原與重生。──《美國周刊》
假如亞力山德麥考史密斯和梅芙．賓奇的小說有愛的結晶，必會是瑞典作家菲特烈．貝克曼的作品。貝克曼以幽默的態度接納人類的惡習與失敗，他與眾不同的風格中還結合了對筆下人物既寬廣又富同情心的視角。他的小說吸引了廣大的書迷，不是沒有原因的。這本小說帶我們目擊了社區的傷口復原、家庭重整、主角們成長的過程。──《華盛頓郵報》
無庸置疑，貝克曼所有的小說都以令人屏息的優雅手法描繪出人性的真實面。──《柯克斯評論 》

A must-read for fans of Rachel Joyce's The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Heartbreaking and hilarious in equal measure, the new novel by the author of the internationally bestselling phenomenon A Man Called Ove will charm and delight anyone who has ever had a grandmother. Everyone remembers the smell of their grandmother's house.
Everyone remembers the stories their grandmother told them.
But does everyone remember their grandmother flirting with policemen? Driving illegally?
Breaking into a zoo in the middle of the night? Firing a paintball gun from a balcony in her dressing gown?
Seven-year-old Elsa does.
Some might call Elsa's granny 'eccentric', or even 'crazy'. Elsa calls her a superhero. And granny's stories, of knights and princesses and dragons and castles, are her superpower. Because, as Elsa is starting to learn, heroes and villains don't always exist in imaginary kingdoms; they could live just down the hallway.
As Christmas draws near, even the best superhero grandmothers may have one or two things they'd like to apologise for. And, in the process, Elsa can have some breath-taking adventures of her own . . .

他們才十五歲，整個世界卻在一個晚上崩解
在這個地方，已經不再有對與錯，只有生存
大熊鎮，這個荒山野林中的小鎮，只剩下冰上曲棍球──它是令人無法抵抗的迷幻藥。鎮上每個人都在期待，期待那個英雄帶他們一起登上榮耀。他是他們的希望，是小鎮的未來。可是，那個晚上，他犯下了無可饒恕的錯誤。
那個受傷害的女孩，一直試圖壓抑一切，不要表露出來，以保護她所愛的人。但是她承擔不住其他人的痛，除了自己的，她無法連帶應付別人沉痛的哀傷。
那天早上，當她站在窗戶邊時，她已經知道這個鎮會如何對付她。
當多數人保持沉默的時候，寥寥幾個聲音就足以造成每個人都在怒吼的假象。
在事情變得更糟之前，他們是否還要繼續沉默？深藏他們心中的大熊魂，能否讓他們找到正確的方向？
本書特色
★ 百萬暢銷作家菲特烈．貝克曼最新長篇小說，又深感人心的溫暖之作。
★ 菲特烈．貝克曼《明天別再來敲門》、《清單Hold不住的人生》、《阿嬤要我跟你說抱歉》三部作品英文版銷售超過千萬冊。
★ 《明天別再來敲門》改編電影二○一七年奧斯卡最佳外語片決選入圍。
★ 本書出版即上美國《紐約時報》排行榜小說前五名。
★ 本書即將改編同名影集，眾所期盼。
得獎紀錄：
二○一九年愛爾蘭國際IMPAC都柏林文學獎入圍。（Longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award 2019 Ireland）
二○一八年美國奧迪獎決選（Shortlisted for the Audie Awards 2018 (Fiction) US）
二○一七年德國讀者票選（Der Leserpreis）年度最佳小說決選（Shortlisted for Der Leserpreis (Best Fiction of 2017) Germany）
二○一七年美國Goodreads Choice 年度最佳小說獎決選（Shortlisted for Goodreads Choice Awards (Best Fiction) US 2017）
二○一七年瑞士年度最佳書獎決選（Shortlisted for the Book of the Year Award Sweden 2017）
名人推薦
★ 喬喬‧莫伊絲（電影《我就要你好好的》原著作者）、張亦絢（作家）、宋怡慧（作家、丹鳳高中教務主任）感動推薦
媒體讚譽
《終將破碎的我們──大熊魂1》既是能救人性命的成長小說，也是高潮迭起的懸疑小說；它有大部分經典同時兼顧革新與穩健的美妙特質，還發揚了體育與哲學，交相辯論的精彩傳統：我毫無保留地，推薦它給所有的性別、每個大人以及小大人。──張亦絢，作家
貝克曼是一位爐火純青的作家，他筆下的角色既親切又獨特，雖然各有缺點卻又極具故事性。……本書中有令人熱淚盈眶的場景，也有肝腸寸斷的絕望，以及幽默的吉光片羽……如同《勝利之光》，本書描述的不僅限於熱愛運動的年輕人，更是一本關於青少年成長的自覺小說，同時討論了道德墮落議題，更循序漸進揭露在一樁團體迷思事件中，一個意料之外的英雄如何挺身而出，將不只一位居民從自我毀滅中拯救出來。這本書透徹地檢視脆弱的人性，引起的共鳴將會持續長長久久。──《柯克斯評論》（Kirkus Reviews），美國
也許讀者會以為冰球是本書的主角，但事實上，貝克曼筆下色彩鮮明的主角們，以及他描述孤立小鎮中一場悲劇及其效應的熟練手法才是焦點。縱使部份故事情節色調暗沉，但是愛、犧牲、朋友與家人之間的凝聚力卻閃閃發光，結局令人見到希望和救贖。──《出版者週刊》，美國
《終將破碎的我們──大熊魂1》情節豐富多樣的書頁讓它成為一本文學奇葩──這也是讀者會充滿自信地將本書送給親朋好友，並且附上一句「我相信你會喜歡它」的原因之一。……透過純熟的說故事技巧和真誠的文字，這本書是貝克曼的另一部代表作，甚至超越他最受讚賞的《明天別再來敲門》。──亞馬遜書評，美國
一本關於運動的出色小說，描述冰上曲棍球隊在一個小鎮上，對居民們造成的影響。──《DI週報》，瑞典
我打從心底對運動，任何運動，都毫無興趣。但是卻一口氣看完這本書。──《快遞晚報》，瑞典
《終將破碎的我們──大熊魂1》這本書的未來發展，肯定不會侷限於書頁之間。──《今日新聞報》，瑞典
本書圍繞著對運動和骨肉既濃郁又盲目的愛。《終將破碎的我們──大熊魂1》探討了：無論兒女是受害者抑或加害者，父母都願意不惜一切保護兒女。──《今日晚報》，瑞典
菲特烈貝克曼用純熟的畫筆描繪出撐起全書大局的主角群像。……在揭露不堪的大男人文化之餘，也同時令男性審視自己並且成長。書中傳達了希望。在砰砰聲之後，一切完全改觀。故事涵義在轉捩點之後變得更加深遠，貝克曼接下來做了一件重要的事：他給處境艱難的少女一個勇敢的聲音，並且將自己在書裡甚至真實大環境中的立場堅定地表達出來。……這本書表達出對運動的熱愛，《終將破碎的我們──大熊魂1》就跟星期天上午體育館裡的黑咖啡一樣有力。──《歌特堡郵報》，瑞典
菲特烈貝克曼的寫作風格鮮明……從情節編寫方面說來，這本小說的架構技巧純熟，雖然沒有謀殺案發生，但是緊張的故事氣氛漸漸升高，媲美懸疑小說……一部令人信服，以高明手法寫就的小說，尤其是有關冰球的描述（由此可見一斑，因為我本人對這項運動絲毫不感興趣）。──《南瑞典日報》，瑞典
這本小說尖銳地寫出一支冰上曲棍球隊對一座苟延殘喘小鎮的意義……對運動文化極富深刻洞察力的描寫……絕妙地演繹出兩個十五歲少女之間的友情。──瑞典公共電視台
和貝克曼前幾部小說相較，《終將破碎的我們──大熊魂1》的力道和陰暗更勝一籌。書中的情節觸動人心，藉由書中令人久久不能忘懷的角色，讀者將會深思忠誠、友誼、規範和排擠的意義。──《阿勒斯雜誌》，瑞典
如同貝克曼其他著作，本書的結局哀痛和溫暖參半……可能是瑞典最棒的一本以運動為主題的小說。──TT新聞社，瑞典
《終將破碎的我們──大熊魂1》是一個有關家庭、友情、忠誠、不平等、女性弱勢處境、男性情誼以及為人父母的故事。……每個人的故事都有它的重量，貝克曼一個也沒漏掉。……《終將破碎的我們──大熊魂1》是一部有著寬大胸懷的小說。──《延雪平市早報》，瑞典
在冰上曲棍球的旁白基礎上，故事情節與主角們緊緊相扣。……（菲特烈貝克曼）一針見血地描寫出運動左右人際關係的機制；除此之外，他也指出運動終將限制或腐蝕人的本性。──《赫爾新堡報》，瑞典
（菲特烈貝克曼使用）張力十足、描畫入微的手法，將日常生活片段串聯成一部既緊湊又豐富，撼動人心的故事。《終將破碎的我們──大熊魂1》雖然是一齣社會問題劇，但是作者技巧地保持了情節的戲劇性，卻又不致失控。創作出發點始於現實社會中的問題，並且成功地表達出日常生活的正反兩面。這是一部無出其右的出色小說。──BTJ圖書館連線，瑞典
這一本菲特烈貝克曼的創作比之前的作品更沉重、更嚴肅，並同時注入懸疑的氣氛、強烈的情緒表達和道德上的掙扎。……我深受故事內容感動，久久無法釋懷。──厄斯特日報，瑞典
藉由一支冰上曲棍球隊的大起大落，整個社會裡所有的問題都在本書中被點出。失業、貧富之間的經濟差距、族群隔離、女性厭惡、恐同、和惡少問題都被包括在本書裡，但是作者也同時描寫了愛、友情和忠誠／……／菲特烈貝克曼的扣人心弦的寫作手法，打造出一本引人入勝的傑作。──諾柏騰日報，瑞典
菲特烈貝克曼寫就了一部瑞典版的《勝利之光》／……／他很清楚冰上曲棍球和在地社區密不可分的關係／……／他本人也藉著大熊鎮，成為更成熟的作家／……／（菲特烈貝克曼）對社會階級差異的直覺感受，幾乎近似美國作家，我認為能夠與湯姆沃爾夫相媲美。他確切知道每一個筆下人物的社會階層，在我看來是瑞典作家少有的觀察。──耶夫勒日報，瑞典
在他的新作裡，菲特烈貝克曼拋去樂天的寫作風格，雕鑿出包圍著社區和一支冰上曲棍球隊的不安感。／……／讀者仍能認出菲特烈貝克曼慣用的平易旁白風格。每一章裡都有精挑細選過的文字，組成有力的點睛句。這些充滿戲劇張力的文字，足以令讀者為之顫抖，並迫不及待地翻開下一頁／……／（大熊鎮）是一幅描寫以冰上曲棍球俱樂部為中心，既富感情又撼動人心的人生群像。──諾蘭民主日報，瑞典
這本書重要到應該規定所有的父母、高中生、正坐著公車去看冰上曲棍球賽的人，都得拜讀。沒有一個字是無關緊要的贅字，特別是某幾句話，會一拳將你的靈魂打到瘀青。──ＳＲ　Ｐ４電台，瑞典
《終將破碎的我們──大熊魂1》這個故事，足以令你的五臟六腑為之翻攪，它成功地點出身分認同、陽剛崇拜和團體互動主題。總的來說：這本小說好得不可思議。──ＳＲ　Ｐ４電台，瑞典

Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers slowly begin opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths.
First is Zara, a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else until tragedy changed her life. Now, she’s obsessed with visiting open houses to see how ordinary people live—and, perhaps, to set an old wrong to right. Then there’s Roger and Anna-Lena, an Ikea-addicted retired couple who are on a never-ending hunt for fixer-uppers to hide the fact that they don’t know how to fix their own failing marriage. Julia and Ro are a young lesbian couple and soon-to-be parents who are nervous about their chances for a successful life together since they can’t agree on anything. And there’s Estelle, an eighty-year-old woman who has lived long enough to be unimpressed by a masked bank robber waving a gun in her face. And despite the story she tells them all, Estelle hasn’t really come to the apartment to view it for her daughter, and her husband really isn’t outside parking the car.
As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people.

Have you ever seen a town fall? Ours did.
Have you ever seen a town rise? Ours did that, too.
A small community tucked deep in the forest, Beartown is home to tough, hardworking people who don’t expect life to be easy or fair. No matter how difficult times get, they’ve always been able to take pride in their local ice hockey team. So it’s a cruel blow when they hear that Beartown ice hockey might soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in the neighboring town of Hed, take in that fact. As the tension mounts between the two adversaries, a newcomer arrives who gives Beartown hockey a surprising new coach and a chance at a comeback.
Soon a team starts to take shape around Amat, the fastest player you’ll ever see; Benji, the intense lone wolf; always dutiful and eager-to-please Bobo; and Vidar, a born-to-be-bad troublemaker. But bringing this team together proves to be a challenge as old bonds are broken, new ones are formed, and the town’s enmity with Hed grows more and more acute.
As the big game approaches, the not-so-innocent pranks and incidents between the communities pile up and their mutual contempt intensifies. By the time the last goal is scored, a resident of Beartown will be dead, and the people of both towns will be forced to wonder if, after everything, the game they love can ever return to something as simple and innocent as a field of ice, two nets, and two teams. Us against you.

The bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry returns with an irresistible novel about finding love and second chances in the most unlikely of places.
Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. A disorganized cutlery drawer ranks high on her list of unforgivable sins. She begins her day at 6 a.m., because only lunatics wake up later than that. And she is not passive-aggressive. Not in the least. It's just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention. She is not one to judge others—no matter how ill-mannered, unkempt, or morally suspect they might be.
But hidden inside the socially awkward, fussy busybody is a woman who has more imagination,bigger dreams, and a warmer heart that anyone around her realizes.
When Britt-Marie walks out on her cheating husband and has to fend for herself in the miserable backwater town of Borg—of which the kindest thing one can say is that it has a road going through it—she is more than a little unprepared. Employed as the caretaker of a soon-to-be demolished recreation center, the fastidious Britt-Marie has to cope with muddy floors, unruly children, and a (literal) rat for a roommate. She finds herself being drawn into the daily doings of her fellow citizens, an odd assortment of miscreants, drunkards, layabouts—and a handsome local policeman whose romantic attentions to Britt-Marie are as unmistakable as they are unwanted. Most alarming of all, she’s given the impossible task of leading the supremely untalented children’s soccer team to victory. In this small town of big-hearted misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs?
Funny and moving, observant and humane, Britt-Marie Was Here celebrates the unexpected friendships that change us forever, and the power of even the gentlest of spirits to make the world a better place.

Winning a junior ice hockey championship might not mean a lot to the average person, but it means everything to the residents of Beartown, a community slowly being eaten alive by unemployment and the surrounding wilderness. A victory like this would draw national attention to the ailing town: it could attract government funding and an influx of talented athletes who would choose Beartown over the big nearby cities. A victory like this would certainly mean everything to Amat, a short, scrawny teenager who is treated like an outcast everywhere but on the ice; to Kevin, a star player just on the cusp of securing his golden future in the NHL; and to Peter, their dedicated general manager whose own professional hockey career ended in tragedy.
At first, it seems like the team might have a shot at fulfilling the dreams of their entire town. But one night at a drunken celebration following a key win, something happens between Kevin and the general manager’s daughter—and the next day everything seems to have changed. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected. With so much riding on the success of the team, the line between loyalty and betrayal becomes difficult to discern. At last, it falls to one young man to find the courage to speak the truth that it seems no one else wants to hear.
Fredrik Backman knows that we are forever shaped by the places we call home, and in this emotionally powerful, sweetly insightful story, he explores what can happen when we carry the heavy weight of other people's dreams on our shoulders.

Britt-Marie, 63, är faktiskt inte passivt aggressiv. Det är bara det att smuts, repor och felaktigt organiserade besticklådor får henne att skrika på insidan. Hon har just lämnat ett 40-årigt äktenskap och liv som hemmafru, och det enda arbete hon kan få finns i Borg, ett finanskrisdrabbat samhälle vid en väg där allt är nedlagt utom den ölstinkande pizzerian.Britt-Marie avskyr fotboll, Borg har inget annat än fotbollen kvar. Det är sannerligen inte en början på en underbar vänskap. Men när byns ungdomslag behöver en tränare så desperat att de till slut är redo att ge jobbet till vem som helst,då bryr de sig inte om petitesser som att hon absolut inte vill ha det. När Britt-Marie dessutom blir utbjuden på dejt av en polis och bryter handen i ett solarium finns det ingen återvändo."Britt-Marie var här" är en kärlekshistoria och en kärleksförklaring. Om en kvinna som väntat ett helt liv på att hennes ska börja, och om samhällen vid vägar där fotboll och pizzerior är det sista som överger människorna.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown delivers an insightful and poignant holiday novella about a man who sacrificed his family in the single-minded pursuit of success and the courageous little girl fighting for her life who crosses his path.
It all begins with a father telling a story to his son on Christmas Eve. But this isn’t your typical Christmas story. The father admits to his son that he’s taken a life but he won’t say whose—not yet.
One week earlier, in a hospital late at night, the man met a five-year-old girl with cancer. She’s a smart kid—smart enough to know that she won’t beat cancer by drawing with crayons all day, but it seems to make the adults happy, so she keeps doing it.
As the man tells his son about this plucky little girl, he slowly reveals more about himself: while he may be a successful businessman, idolized by the media and his peers, he knows he failed as a parent. Overwhelmed by the responsibility of fatherhood, he took the easy way out and left his wife and little boy twenty years ago to pursue professional success. Now he is left wondering if it’s too late to forge a relationship with his son, who seems to be his opposite in every way—prizing happiness over money, surrounded by loving friends in a cozy town where he feels right at home.
Face to face with the idea that something is missing, the man is given the unexpected chance to do something selfless that could change the destiny of the little girl in the hospital bed. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he needs to find out what his own life has actually been worth in the eyes of his son. And so, he seeks him out and tells him this story…
Written with Fredrik Backman’s signature humor, compassion, and “knack for weaving tales that are believable and fanciful” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), The Deal of a Lifetime reminds us that life is a fleeting gift, and our only legacy is how we share that gift with those we love.

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.
Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him
, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?
Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.

Looking at real estate isn't usually a life-or-death situation, but an apartment open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes a group of strangers hostage. The captives include a recently retired couple who relentlessly hunt down fixer-uppers to avoid the painful truth that they can't fix up their own marriage. There's a wealthy banker who has been too busy making money to care about anyone else and a young couple who are about to have their first child but can't seem to agree on anything, from where they want to live to how they met in the first place. Add to the mix an eighty-seven-year-old woman who has lived long enough not to be afraid of someone waving a gun in her face, a flustered but still-ready-to-make-a-deal real estate agent, and a mystery man who has locked himself in the apartment's only bathroom, and you've got the worst group of hostages in the world.
Each of them carries a lifetime of grievances, hurts, secrets, and passions that are ready to boil over. None of them is entirely who they appear to be. And all of them—the bank robber included—desperately crave some sort of rescue. As the authorities and the media surround the premises, these reluctant allies will reveal surprising truths about themselves and set in a motion a chain of events so unexpected that even they can hardly explain what happens next.
Humorous, compassionate, and wise,
is an ingeniously constructed story about the enduring power of friendship, forgiveness, and hope—the things that save us, even in the most anxious of times.
Includes short story -

Things My Son Needs to Know About the World collects the personal dispatches from the front lines of one of the most daunting experiences any man can experience: fatherhood.
As he conveys his profound awe at experiencing all the “firsts” that fill him with wonder and catch him completely unprepared, Fredrik Backman doesn’t shy away from revealing his own false steps and fatherly flaws, tackling issues both great and small, from masculinity and mid-life crises to practical jokes and poop.
In between the sleep-deprived lows and wonderful highs, Backman takes a step back to share the true story of falling in love with a woman who is his complete opposite, and learning to live a life that revolves around the people you care about unconditionally. Alternating between humorous side notes and longer essays offering his son advice as he grows up and ventures out into the world, Backman relays the big and small lessons in life, including:
-How to find the team you belong to
-Why airports explain everything about religion and war
-The reason starting a band is crucial to cultivating and keeping friendships
-How to beat Monkey Island 3
-Why, sometimes, a dad might hold onto his son’s hand just a little too tight

Now an HBO Original Series

“You’ll love this engrossing novel.” —People

Named a Best Book of the Year by LibraryReads, BookBrowse, and Goodreads

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anxious People, a dazzling and profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

By the lake in Beartown is an old ice rink, and in that ice rink Kevin, Amat, Benji, and the rest of the town’s junior ice hockey team are about to compete in the national semi-finals—and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Under that heavy burden, the match becomes the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown.

This is a story about a town and a game, but even more about loyalty, commitment, and the responsibilities of friendship; the people we disappoint even though we love them; and the decisions we make every day that come to define us. In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world.