Fredrik Backman

Britt-Marie can't stand a mess, but when she walks out on her cheating husband, she has to fend for herself as a caretaker amidst children, locals, drunkards, and a handsome new policeman.

A Novel

Britt-Marie Was Here

Ian Brakspear

It took me soooo long to get into, but I persevered. Because I'd told myself there was absolutely no way I was going to DNF a Fredrik Backman book!!

Tali 🧸ִֶָྀི𓂃

Alex 

A very wholesome story teaching the significance of following your own path and allowing people into your life. 

Elizabeth Denny

(3.75) Started out a little slow but the character development kept me hooked, and I couldn't help but root for Britt-Marie and the kids of Borg. Made me think about what life is about. Well-written. Loved the ending!

Alyssa

Liana

Dana Kraft

Had to abandon this one. Britt-Marie just kept getting more annoying than likable.

Cassie Annesi

Characters that just jump right off the page at you. You always know who someone is down to their very core when reading Backman; it's an experience unlike any other. Britt-Marie, a force to be reckoned with.

I was first introduced to Britt-Marie in Backman’s novel My Grandmother Sends her regards and her apologies & I have to be honest and say that she was not the most loveable character in that book and so when I found out that she had her own book I was Sceptical about giving it a read thinking that it would be a book I wouldn’t enjoy but I’m glad to report that this was totally different then I was expecting and I was blown away at how lovable a character Britt-Marie is in this one. 

I was drawn into the Humour and the world created by Backman. Throughout the course of the book I began to see and understand why Britt-Marie is the way she is and that its lovable in her own unique way and there where so many points where I was agreeing with Britt-Marie and her point of view & by the end of the book I just wanted to be Friends with her!
  
At the age of sixty-three, Britt-Marie is on her own. She has left behind a cheating husband and is in search of employment for the first time in decades. Arriving in the run-down town of Borg, she may not really be making a step in the right direction. After all, how can one gain a sense of independence when there are very few opportunities and the economy has shut down the majority of the businesses in town? "… the only two noticeable things in Borg are soccer and the pizzeria. Throughout the course of this book you are introduced to places, Characters that help to bring the story to life as well as Britt-Marie herself and through the Children she learns all about the game of Soccer and she finds herself in charge of the team, which then starts a spark inside her. Then, what began as a light-hearted story turns into a truly heartwarming tale about what it means to stand together despite all odds, learning to forge friendships in the most unlikely places. Fredrik Backman manages to create such endearing characters; ones that won’t soon be forgotten. I have two more of his novels to go, and hope he has many more yet to follow.

"She wonders how much space a person has left in her soul to change herself, once she gets older. What people does she still have to meet, what will they see in her, and what will they make her see in herself?"

The number 1 European bestseller by the author of New York Times bestseller and international phenomenon A Man Called Ove, Britt-Marie was Here is a funny, poignant and uplifting tale of love, community, and second chances. For as long as anyone can remember, Britt-Marie has been an acquired taste. It's not that she's judgemental, or fussy, or difficult - she just expects things to be done in a certain way. A cutlery drawer should be arranged in the right order, for example (forks, knives, then spoons). We're not animals, are we? But behind the passive-aggressive, socially awkward, absurdly pedantic busybody is a woman who has more imagination, bigger dreams and a warmer heart than anyone around her realizes. So when Britt-Marie finds herself unemployed, separated from her husband of 20 years, left to fend for herself in the miserable provincial backwater that is Borg - of which the kindest thing one can say is that it has a road going through it - and somehow tasked with running the local football team, she is a little unprepared. But she will learn that life may have more to offer her that she's ever realised, and love might be found in the most unexpected of places.

Helen Borham

What a lovely book. 

We were introduced to Britt-Marie in another of Backman’s book. She was portrayed as a difficult woman who is very set in her ways but you’re given a glimpse of her good heart. This book really expanded on this following Britt-Marie on a journey of self-discovery

At its heart this is a book about hope and learning to love and respect yourself. The community of Borg also show the importance of togetherness, teamwork and looking out for one another. This book really tugged at the heartstrings and had me sobbing at the end. It wasn’t quite the ending I wanted but I can see why it was the right ending for Britt-Marie’s journey

Caroline Lewicki

Once again I'm impressed by Fredrik Backman. He has quickly become my favorite author.

Britt-Marie Was Here has so much heart, I flew through it. It's a wonderful underdog story and I found myself rooting for Borg and the children of Borg throughout the novel. Britt-Marie is eclectic and sometimes you'll find yourself wanting to grab her by the shoulders and give her a violent shake but she's still a very lovable character.

The end was the only thing I felt left something to be desired. It was a bit open ended and while some may enjoy that, I craved that last little bit of closure for Britt-Marie.

While this one wasn't my absolute favorite of Backman's it was still so wonderful.

Elena Enns

This book captured my heart, and also broke it.

Emily C Peterson

Yeah. I'm definitely done with Fredrik Backman.

Pratiksha  Wadhwa

This is a witty, heart-breaking but feel-good story. Britt Marie, our protagonist, is like any next-door neighbour who cleans, cooks, buys groceries, maintains her to-do list and has OCD for cleanliness and orderliness. 
Having always lived for her family- parents, husband and kids, her life is thrown-off when she walks out of her marriage of 40 years. At the age of 63, she tries to get a job as she is afraid no one will notice if she were to die. Having got a temporary job as a caretaker of a recreation centre in a small run-down village called Borg, she sets on a journey to navigate her life on her own.

Initially, Britt Marie is not loveable- she is very grumpy, socially awkward and somewhat rigid. I fell in love with her, as the story progresses- laughed at her satirical thoughts, sobbed with her when she dealt with her deepest feelings of loneliness

A Man Called Ove is one of my favorite reads of 2018 and I think Fredrick Backman is going to be one of my favorite authors now onwards.

Amy Buckle

Britt-Marie Was Here revolves around 63-year-old Britt-Marie, a woman who finds herself living alone after her husband has a heart attack and cheats on her with another woman. Needing to start a live on her own, she goes to the job centre and doesn’t leave until she has a job. Britt-Marie then finds herself moving to Borg – a dying town with not much left going for it, and residents who are either stuck there or too set in their ways to move. But when Britt-Marie experiences the children’s passion for football, she begins to uncover other things about this unsuspecting place, things which may just convince her to stay.

Having loved Beartown and adored A Man Called Ove, this just really didn’t cut the mustard for me. I found Britt-Maire interesting as a character; like Ove she displays a lot of stereotypes typical of her generation and has opinions on a lot of things, but unlike Ove, she’s just not likeable. I did find myself warming to her towards the end, but by then, I just wasn’t that invested in her story. There were moments that I liked, like the fact she leaves a snickers out to feed a rat, or her obsession with a specific brand of cleaning product. For other people these moments, I’m sure, would culminate into a love for Britt-Marie, but I just never got there with her.

To put it bluntly, I don’t like football. In fact I hate it. And given there is so much football in this book, and the characters’ passion for football is what should make this book compelling, I think that was probably why I could never get on board and relate to them in a way I feel I could with Backman’s other books. Unlike the hockey-mad town of Beartown, I never felt the camaraderie for football in Borg.

If anything, the story I was most invested in was Vega, Omar, and Sami’s. This sibling relationship was compelling and beautiful and their storylines did redeem this book for me – it felt more like the Backman I was used to and I was grateful to get to know them. With them in mind, the quietly impactful moments are what makes this book almost good; I know the power of Backman’s writing so the lesser-focussed on relationships in this novel and the plethora of interesting side characters were actually the thing I wanted him to focus on more.


All in all, I am not going to tell you not to read a Backman book because I know how great his books can be. Prolific authors always run the risk of quantity over quality and Britt-Marie Was Here just didn’t do it for me, but I’ve no doubt that someone else will love it, and despite my experience with this, I can’t wait to read all of Backman’s other books too!

Walking away from her loveless marriage and taking a job in a derelict, financially devastated town, sixty-three-year-old Britt-Marie uses her fierce organizational skills to become a local soccer coach to a group of lost children.

The Nature of Pages

I won’t say any spoilers, but I will say I cried at least three times reading this. It was absolutely beautiful.

Rachel Schommer

When I started reading this book I was 100% sure I wouldn't like it. the main character reminds me of so many people I don't have much patience for, but chapter after chapter I was still reading, and it has 5 stars from me. As for those people I don't have much patience for...I think I need to re-evaluate where I'm using my patience.

Janet Doré

A heartwarming story about a curmudgeonly older woman and a host of other wonderfully quirky characters. A reminder that it’s never too late to do ANYthing.

Britt-Marie Was Here A Novel

Reviews

Highlights