We met in June at Rockstone Pizza to discuss
Madeleine's choice "A Man Called Ove" by
Swedish author Fredrik Backman. It has been
a while so bear with me if I am incorrect. I recall
that those attending were Madeleine, Julie, Betsy, Sue,
Carol, Julie, Donna, Nancy, Janet, Sarah and Me.
Those who read the book did not start out liking
Ove who was a cantankerous curmudgeon and widower who
lived by order and rules and was annoyed by any who
did not follow the rules in his housing complex.
He was set in his ways such as only driving a Volvo
and breaking up a long term relationship with a
neighbor as he bought a BMW.
However as we learn more about him we start to
like him. We learn about his motherless childhood,
his heartwarming courtship and love for his deceased
wife Sonja, his high principles for doing the right thing.
Ove is trying to commit suicide but is failing miserable
because he gets involved with new neighbors who are
needy Iranians. He forms an unlikely friendship with one of
the children, adopts a messy stray cat, teaches a woman
to drive his Volvo, harbors a gay boy whose
father has estranged him. He is needed by his neighbors to
fix their heating units, helps a boy fix a bicycle. As he
becomes needed and involved he morphs into a generous
caring person. Ironically he dies of a heart attack at the end of
the book just when he had given up ideas of suicide.
Sue chose an Anne Tyler book called "A Spool of Blue Thread".
A date was chosen but had to be cancelled.
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