Charlotte May's Reviews> Britt-Marie Was Here

"One morning you wake up with more life behind you than in front of you, not being able to understand how it's happened."

Aw, I loved this! This was my third Backman novel (BeartownandUs Against Youbeing the first two)
Britt-Marie is looking for a job, her first job in 60 years. After divorcing her husband, Britt-Marie is alone, with no friends, no children of her own - and she worries she will die alone and no one would be any the wiser. Hence a new job!
Unfortunately due to her lack of experience the only vacancy offered to her is the caretaker of a recreation centre in a tiny village that has been hit hard by the financial crisis.
Her arrival creates a bit of a stir in the town. Nearly every other business has been closed down - the post office, mechanics, supermarket etc. The one remaining business serves as everything in one - selling anything from pizza and coffee to window cleaner and car parts.

Britt-Marie is a very strange character. She has some obsessive traits, particularly regarding her cleaning methods and her rules on manners. She does take a while to get used to, but once you do, we find she is a wonderful character with a huge heart. As she befriends the locals, and becomes the captain of the children's football team, she is embedded in Borg, and they couldn't imagine life without her.

Overall, this was an uplifting story - just what I needed; but of course with a sharp shock which we would come to expect from Backman.

4 stars

"People want someone to know they are here."