Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman... A Review

Yes, Britt-Marie was there and I was there until the end, but it took me a while to get there. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman is filled with quirky wonderful characters and a story that will melt your heart at the end, but it is a slow pace towards the middle, and I just had to put it down a few times before the story finally picked up, at which point I couldn't put it down.


Britt-Marie is older, knows how to arrange a cutlery drawer properly and has lists. She's not the kind of person to "jump" but rather contemplates it... sometimes. After living a life of absolute predictability with Kent, her husband, and then finding out her husband was cheating on her, Britt-Marie does something totally unpredictable... she leaves him. And what this means for Britt-Marie is that she will have to learn to adapt at stepping out of the box... just a little. First things first, she must get a job, which lands her in a no nothing town, that finds her more a curiosity than a person, but eventually accepts her into the fold, and from there the adventure starts. It is an adventure in acceptance and understanding, stepping out of your comfort zone and into the fire (or at least turning on the gas burner) and learning about the strength of your character and those of the people who surround you. Britt-Marie is also a story of friendship and love, which Britt-Marie discovers in the no nothing town named Borg, that needs her just as much as she needs it.

Mix together the great quirky characters with a healthy dose of soccer and romance (it will make sense to you once you start reading the book) and you've got a story that will make you smile long after the last page.

So, do you pick up the book that was so slow that I had to put it down a few times before I hit the mark? Absolutely! Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for slow, maybe you'll enjoy the pace more than I did, but when I got past "slow", the story just picked up in such a way I couldn't put it down and loved every minute from then on! You'll be rooting for Britt-Marie way past that last page and will be glad you spent the time with her. Not to mention, she'll make you think about how you are or are not living YOUR life to the fullest!

*P.S. I received an eGalley of Britt-Marie Was Here from Simon and Schuster for my honest opinion and review.