My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises by Fredrik Backman Translated by Henning Koch – Published by Sceptre Hodder & Stoughton, Jun 2015
From the author of ‘A Man Called Ove’ and recognisably so, in his latest book, Fredrik Backman again demonstrates his great talent: making the reader believe in the unlikely or downright impossible.
Is Granny just a batty old troublemaker? Or is she a brave and compassionate woman whose care for others sometimes overcame her obligations as a parent?
And what of Elsa? A precocious fantasiser or just an intelligent and very mature child? Is she like her father, her mother or Granny? It really matters.
Although I didn’t feel the same level of affection I felt for Ove and his neighbours, this is nevertheless, a finely crafted and intriguing story combining a treasure hunt, family relationships and broken and hurting people, with shades of ‘ultimate quest’ stories like the Hobbit.