Admittedly, I am a huge fan of Fredrik Backman. A Man Called Ove was probably the best book I've read this year. So, when a dear friend of mine and a fellow teacher recommended Britt-Marie, I was immediately hooked. Britt-Marie starts like Ove, somewhat tragically, though readers do not actually know what it was until they are into the story. Britt-Marie has separated from her unfaithful husband after devoting her life to serving him.
Britt-Marie is fabulously engaging and entertaining character. She is, perhaps, on the Autism Spectrum and struggles with social cues. She is also obsessed with orders and rules, including those governing cutlery drawers. But she also has a great of gold and the ability to empathize with criminally inclined young hoodlums, a drunk and disabled soccer coach, and even a rat. In fact, some of the most entertaining interactions in the novel are between Britt-Marie and the rat.
The only problem with this clever story is the ending. It felt like a betrayal of all of Britt-Marie's character growth up to this point in the story. Britt-Marie has discovered all of that she has to share, and then she proceeds to hide her light with a metaphorical bucket.
Bottom line: a delightful read.
Britt-Marie is fabulously engaging and entertaining character. She is, perhaps, on the Autism Spectrum and struggles with social cues. She is also obsessed with orders and rules, including those governing cutlery drawers. But she also has a great of gold and the ability to empathize with criminally inclined young hoodlums, a drunk and disabled soccer coach, and even a rat. In fact, some of the most entertaining interactions in the novel are between Britt-Marie and the rat.
The only problem with this clever story is the ending. It felt like a betrayal of all of Britt-Marie's character growth up to this point in the story. Britt-Marie has discovered all of that she has to share, and then she proceeds to hide her light with a metaphorical bucket.
Bottom line: a delightful read.
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