Friday, April 6, 2018

Britt-Marie Was Here

by Fredrik Backman
324 pgs


Britt-Marie, who was introduced as a side character in Backman’s My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, is a 63-year-old woman who arrives in the small town of Borg, having recently left her husband after discovering his infidelity. She’s socially awkward, an obsessive tidier and cleaner, and the type of person who believes people should behave a certain way, and doesn’t have much patience for them when they don’t. During her 40-year marriage, Britt-Marie rarely left her flat, and as a result, is, as her husband describes her “socially incompetent.”

Upon arriving in Borg, Britt-Marie gets a job as the caretaker for the rundown Recreational Center, where she meets a group of youth who love to play football (soccer), but who lack both skill and talent for the game. They also lack a coach for their ragtag team and somehow manage to convince Britt-Marie to fill the vacancy.

As the story progresses it’s hard to tell whose life is affected more by the relationships that form between Britt-Marie and the kids. Britt-Marie applies her fastidious nature to caring for the kids, and the kids, in turn, broaden Britt-Marie’s understanding and love for the world she’s been sheltered from for so long. They both grow thanks to the other, and by the end, it’s clear why Backman gave the book the title he did.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

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