Fredrik Backman

It's Christmas Even morning. Years ago a man abandoned his son to pursue professional success; now he wonders if it's too late to forge a relationship with him. One week earlier, in a hospital late at night, the man met a five-year-old girl with cancer. When the man is given the chance to do something selfless that could change the destiny of the little girl in the hospital bed, he needs to find out what his own life has actually been worth in the eyes of his son before he makes the deal of a lifetime.

The Deal of a Lifetime

karina

You’ll never read this. You’ve never sat waiting on the steps outside your mother’s house. I’ve never wasted your time. 

Maybe all people have that feeling deep down, that your hometown is something you can never really escape, but can never really go home to, either. Because it’s not home anymore. We’re not trying to make peace with it. Not with the streets and the bricks of it. Just who we were back then. And maybe forgive ourselves for everything we thought we would become and didn’t. 

You wiped the bar and sorted the glasses and I thought about the love in your hands. You’ve always touched the things you like as though they have a pulse.

kaja

This has always been your town in a way it never was for me; you never tried to find a life, you were in the right place from the start.

The only thing of value on Earth is time. One second will always be a second, there’s no negotiating with that. 

But the vast majority of successful people don’t become bastards, we were bastards long before. That’s why we’ve been successful. 

Gabi🌸🌷

"Ne bojiš se ti. Samo ti je žao. Vama ljudima nikad nitko ne kaže da žaljenje osjećate kao strah."

Maybe everyone feels that way about their hometown: the place we’re from never apologizes, never admits that it was wrong about us. It just sits there, at the end of the motorway, whispering: “You might be all rich and powerful now. And maybe you do come home with expensive watches and fancy clothes. But you can’t fool me, because I know who you really are. You’re just a scared little boy.”

i always love fredrik backman. this one is no exception. lovely and simple but so, so much heart. 

Patricia Nelson

Not at all what I was expecting but a wonderful book. I will likely go back and re-read from time to time.

I am heartbroken. I gave it 5 starts because nothing has shaken me up like this in a while. The idea of the story itself is really interesting and even though it is short and straight to the point it didn’t miss absolutley anything and if it was any longer than this it would’ve just been boring. It is perfect like this. I’ll definetly be under the impression for a while 

dija

brianna

Midori Kobayashi

Maria talarico 

Siya S

Why...why am I (mentally) crying in the office at my desk? Why does Fredrik Backman has to be so good at writing something that hits me right in the damn feels? Once again he has destroyed all of my emotions with a friggin feel train. As a person whose relationship with her father wasn't that great growing up, this really hits wayyy too close to home. Miss you, dad.

Amr Khater 

“I’m scared,” I admitted, but she shook her head. “You’re not scared. You’re just grieving. No one tells you humans that your sorrow feels like fear.” “What are we grieving?” “Time.” I nodded.

Nadine 

Lovely novella on the meaning of “giving a life”

Monae Reads

It’s a talent to write novellas this emotionally impacting in less than 100 pages

Caroline Lewicki

This is the third book I've read by Fredrik Backman and it's official. I'm enchanted by him. His writing is fabulous and gripping. Like his other writings, The Deal of a Lifetime is sweet and heartbreaking and so wonderful. I'm dedicated to reading everything Backman writes.

It is Christmas Eve and a father and son are meeting for the first time in years. The father has a story he needs to share before it's too late. As he tells his son about a courageous little girl lying in a hospital bed a few miles away, he reveals even more about himself; his triumphs in business, his failures as a parent, his past regrets, his hopes for the future. Now, on this night before Christmas, the father has been given the unexpected chance to do something remarkable that could change the destiny of a little girl he hardly knows. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he must find out what his own life has actually been worth, and only his son can reveal the answer. With humour and compassion, Fredrik Backman's novella The Deal of a Lifetime reminds us that life is a fleeting gift, and our legacies rest in how we share that gift with those we love.

The Deal Of A Lifetime

Melissa Minshull

This book was perfect for Frederick Bachmans writing style because he creates characters so well and in just the 70 pages or so of this story I felt like I knew the main character. It was also the perfect length for this story, I wasn't left thinking "I wish this was longer it shorter" I was just satisfied. Also the illustrations were great. It's a sad story but I knew that going in, so imagine my surprise when I teared up at the end anyway (I only usually cry at sudden unexpected sad/bittersweet). I really liked this book, it was a quick powerful emotional read and I only knew it existed because I saw it in my local library 

Hala Abdulaziz 

How does he keep doing that ?? How does he manage to punch you in the gut with so few words?

Marija M

This was my first experience reading Fredrik Backman's work and I must say - I'm thrilled! I love his writing style and will definitely read more of his novels in the future. This was a short, beautifully written and emotional read. I highly recommend it!

Krystal Pollock

A great fast paced novella! Was done it within 20 minutes but worth every word!!

ellie

“most of us so desperately want to believe that every heart which stops beating is missed equally. if we’re asked, ‘are all lives worth the same?’ the majority of us will reply with a resounding ‘yes!’. but only until someone points to a person we love and asks: ‘what about that life?’”
“i failed you. i tried to make you tough. you ended up kind.”
“you’re not scared. you’re just grieving. no one tells you humans that your sorrow feels like fear.”

The Deal of a Lifetime

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