WOW I adore Backman's writing. This was so so good and made me feel more optimistic about humans in general :) I wasn't the biggest fan of the fairy tale plotlines, but it worked well enough, and the character development and relationships more than made up for it.

This was an absolutely gorgeous read and Backman is becoming a favourite of mine. I sometimes think I'm horribly emotional and sensitive when I read these books, but by the end of it, I realise the beauty in emotion and how the pain hurts but heals. Love love love this.

P L O T
Elsa is tasked with distributing apology letters from her late grandmother. The tone is definitely sad, though the story is not about loss but rather about unexpected connections when you get to know someone past face value.

T H E   G O O D   &   T H E   B A D
“It’s been a long time since I had such an amazing reading experience. You almost never do, once you grow up, things are at their peak when you’re a child and then it’s all downhill from there… well… because of the cynicism, I suppose. I just wanted to thank you for reminding me of how things used to be.”

I highlighted several quotes and found the book to be a beautiful story. However, I'm not sure if I could claim I enjoyed it because of the emotional tone. The nostalgic feeling Elsa brought to the story was uplifting, her belief in fantastic ideas and the exciting and creative things her Granny came up with to make her feel special, but it also made me feel sad. It reminded me of the fear of being misunderstood and the fear of losing the few people who truly understand you. There is no doubt that the book was wonderful, but it was also a challenging read emotionally.

An extremely moving novel discussing the complexity of grief and the stories that live on long after. Elsa is such a spunky kid and her wise yet youthful mind cuts through so much sadness.