How many authors can continuously churn out books that rake in well more than a 4 star average? Not many, but Fredrik Backman is one of them. He’s a prolific author, and it’s amazing he’s able to have the kind of quality to his writing considering the quantity of work he’s released. I have literally never read a Backman book I didn’t love. And I’ve never read one that didn’t make me cry, that’s for sure. This novel may very well be his best in overall depth of feeling. Like all his others, he crafts a story not with action sequences, thrills, and mysteries. He makes a work of art. Shades of people, light and dark, that all blend together to make something perfect and powerful.

There is a literal work of art at the center of this book, a painting whose fame and notoriety could never fully encapsulate the beauty, anguish, heartache, and joy experienced by the tiny figures that dot the pier of the painting. Most people, the snooty ones especially, think of it as just a picture of the sea. But Louisa sees them, and she feels a kinship to these tiny people she can’t really comprehend. Unwittingly, she finds herself in possession of the priceless painting and on a quest to discover the truth behind its origin and the people who inspired it.

Look… I needed a novel about friendship for my reading challenge, but I would have totally read this one anyway. It just happened to be applicable. And good God, is it applicable. Describing this as a novel about friendship is putting things very simplistically. It’s about the way some friendships are able to shape us, mold us into the humans we become, and in some instances save us from the humans we could become. It’s about the sheer power that exists within the family we choose, and the protection that power can give, even protection against the families into which we had no choice but to be born. Friendships blur all boundaries and can develop in the most unexpected of places and in the most unexpected ways. Love is complicated because people are complicated.

My love for Backman’s work isn’t complicated. I swear, this man must have the highest emotional IQ of anyone else on Earth. His books are a form of therapy for a reader. He makes us face our own fears, insecurities, regrets, and he challenges us to see the beauty in the trauma of living in such an unforgiving and unbelievably marvelous world. Really, I just can’t say enough about Backman. No analysis of plot, character, pacing, language, and all the other bullshit could express how intricately flawless he is in his embrace of the imperfection that is humanity.

Published May 6, 2025 by Simon & Schuster Audio. ISBN 9781668131602. Runtime 13 hrs. 7 mins. Translated by Neil Smith. Narrated by Marin Ireland.