When The Cranes Fly South My Rating: 5.0
Bo is running out of time—yet time is one of the few things he has left. His quiet days are marked by visits from his home care team, with his loyal elkhound, Sixten, as his constant companion. But when his son—whose relationship with Bo has long been strained—insists the dog be taken away, claiming Bo can no longer care for him, everything begins to unravel.
Faced with the possible loss of Sixten, Bo is stirred to reflect on his life, his relationships, and the imperfect ways he has shown love over the years.
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I don’t give out 5-star ratings lightly. This one easily earns more—truly a 10 out of 5. Wow!
I especially love books translated from other languages, and it’s easy to see why this one received such high recognition in Sweden. It won Swedish Book of the Year, along with the Adlibris Awards for both Debut and Fiction of the Year - the first time in the awards’ history that an author has won in two categories. It’s a quiet, deeply intimate story that gently captures the process of dying, drawing you in so completely that you come to love Bo and understand his experience in a very real and personal way.
After her grandfather’s death, the author discovered notes his care team had left for the family during his final days - an experience that clearly shaped the tenderness and authenticity woven throughout this story. One of the most powerful elements is how the story moves between past and present. In one moment, Bo is fishing with his young son, seeing the admiration in his eyes - and in the next, he’s pulled back to reality as his son calls out to him, bringing both Bo and the reader back to the present in a jarring, emotional shift.
My only complaint is that this is the author's only book.
Having cared for many elderly people in their final days, this story deepened my compassion even more for what they go through. It’s a tender, beautiful book that will stay with me long after the final page.
This sounds like a beautiful story. I haven’t heard of it before. I just checked and my library doesn’t have it, I am going to see if they can do an inter library loan.
ReplyDeleteJeana
It was AMAZING even if it is about dying. Done so lovingly. I really think you would enjoy it and hope your library can get you a copy. ♥
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