A Man Called Ove: A Novel

Brief Description: "A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door"--Amazon.com. Review Quotes: "There are characters who amuse us, and stories that touch us. But this character and his story do even more: A Man Called Ove makes us think about who we are and how we want to live our lives. A Man Called Ove seems deceptively simple at the start, yet Frederik Backman packs a lifetime's worth of hilarity and heartbreak into this novel. Even the most crusty curmudgeon will love Ove!"--Lois Leveen, author of Juliet's Nurse and The Secrets of Mary BowserBrief Description: "First published in Great Britain in 2014 by Hodder & Stoughton"--Title page verso. Publisher Marketing: 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). Review Citations:

Library Journal 11/01/2014 pg. 45 (EAN 9781629239804, Compact Disc)

Audio File 12/01/2014 pg. 31 (EAN 9781629239804, Compact Disc)

Booklist Editors Choice/Media 01/01/2015 pg. 13 (EAN 9781629239804, Compact Disc)

Publishers Weekly 05/05/2014 (EAN 9781476738017, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Booklist 05/15/2014 pg. 15 (EAN 9781476738017, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2014 (EAN 9781476738017, Hardcover)

People Weekly 08/04/2014 pg. 53 (EAN 9781476738017, Hardcover)

Shelf Awareness 07/22/2014 (EAN 9781476738017, Hardcover)

Shelf Awareness 12/12/2014 (EAN 9781476738017, Hardcover)

People 06/08/2015 pg. 42 (EAN 9781476738017, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Backman, Fredrik Fredrik Backman is a Swedish blogger and columnist. "A Man Called Ove", his first novel, has sold more than 500,000 copies in its native country and has been published in more than twenty-five languages all over the world. His second novel, "My Grandmother Sent Me to Tell You She's Sorry", will be published by Atria in 2015.