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A Novel
Narrator
Marin Ireland
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Length
13 hours 7 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“In this homage to the friendships that define your life and the art that carries your soul, Fredrik Backman (A Man Called Ove) captures the essence of the human experience. When a lost teen happens upon her favorite artist in an alleyway, her life is inexplicably changed, as much by his art as by his generosity of spirit. The story of his teenage friendships and how they saved him during the hardest times in his life buoys her belief in herself and in others, confirming the age-old understanding that life is worth living with the right people by your side. Gratitude is in abundance in this heartfelt tale. ”
— Casey • Bookshop Santa Cruz
Bookseller recommendation
“This is now my favorite of Backman’s catalog! An absolutely beautiful story about how art can simultaneously create connection, love, and devastation. I knew almost immediately that I wouldn’t be able to forget it. ”
— Mandee • Booktenders
Bookseller recommendation
“This is the most incredible story about friendship that I’ve ever read! It is an effortless five-star book! It’s exquisitely written with so many unforgettable quotes; my favorites are “I love you” and “I trust you.” I fell in love with EVERY character. The story follows four amazing friends, the summer they were 14 years old, an art competition, and so much more! Each of their stories has greatly impacted my life with their friendships, sacrifices, LOVE, and TRUST! I highly recommend this book! ”
— Sandra • Underground Books
Bookseller recommendation
“A beautiful story about friendship, art and grief. One very long train ride with a teenager that doesn’t have a filter and a man that’s too uptight. This book will have you laughing in one sentence and crying in the next. ”
— Scott • The Bookmark
A Most Anticipated Book of 2025: Goodreads • USA TODAY • Marie Claire • BookPage • Literary Lifestyle • Book Riot • Sunset Magazine • Totally Booked with Zibby Owens
#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.
Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.
Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love.
Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art.
Fredrik Backman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt-Marie Was Here, Beartown, Us Against You, Anxious People, The Winners, My Friends, as well as two novellas and one work of nonfiction. His books are published in more than forty countries. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children. Connect with him on Facebook and X @BackmanLand and on Instagram @Backmansk.
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Audiobook details
Author:
Fredrik Backman
Narrator:
Marin Ireland
ISBN:
9781668131602
Length:
13 hours 7 minutes
Language:
English
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication date:
May 6, 2025
Edition:
Unabridged
Libro.fm rank:
#6 Overall
Genre rank:
#2 in Humor
Reviews
Praise for Fredrik Backman“Backman captures the messy essence of being human...clever and affecting, as likely to make you laugh out loud as it is to make you cry.” —Washington Post
“The perfect balance of heartwarming and heart-wrenching…Fredrik Backman has a way of simply yet elegantly describing relationships. We can all be idiots, but we’re still all human beings worthy of connection and love.” –NPR
“Everything Backman’s pen touches oozes with insight and heart.” —Amazon Book Review
“Backman is a masterful writer, his characters familiar yet distinct, flawed yet heroic.”—Kirkus Reviews
“As popular Swedish exports go, Backman is up there with Abba and Stieg Larssson.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Backman is the Dickens of our age, and though you'll cry, your heart is safe in his hands.”—Green Valley News (Arizona) Expand reviews
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