The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman Book Review

The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman Book Review

The lowdown from Goodreads

Publication Date October 30, 2017

In this short story enhanced with beautiful illustrations, the bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown delivers an insightful and poignant tale about finding out what is truly important in life.

A father and a son are seeing each other for the first time in years. The father has a story to share before it’s too late. He tells his son about a courageous little girl lying in a hospital bed a few miles away. She’s a smart kid—smart enough to know that she won’t beat cancer by drawing with crayons all day, but it seems to make the adults happy, so she keeps doing it.

As he talks about this plucky little girl, the father also reveals more about himself: his triumphs in business, his failures as a parent, his past regrets, his hopes for the future.

Now, on a cold winter’s night, the father has been given an 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 that answer.

With humor and compassion, Fredrik Backman’s The Deal of a Lifetime reminds us that life is a fleeting gift.

The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman Book Review

Frederik Backman is an amazingly gifted writer. Match his writing with the brilliant & unrivaled voice of Santino Fontana & I’m a goner.

Frederick Backman Just Gets It

Backman has a unique ability to tap into human nature. His books are about regular people, seemingly common towns & yet the narratives are all so incredible. He doesn’t shy away from the gritty stuff. Instead, he matches the worst of us with the best of us.  I seem to leave his books hopeful & thankful for the journey.

Time

This book speaks about time, which is the greatest gift we all have. We meet a young girl with cancer & a man who could use some redeeming. This is no Christmas Shoes or Scrooge situation, rather a look at life & what it’s worth.

Backman alludes to death using a woman walking around with a clipboard. She’s hovering, you’ve seen her, she’s noticed you & one day she will be asking for you. This notion gives me chills & is my favorite part of this short story.

Listen to This Book

First, I LOVE Santino Fontana’s voice. Yes, he voices Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, but he’s also Greg Serrano from my fave, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. More than that, he’s a hugely talented theatre actor. He is such a great choice for this book & a huge reason I would encourage you to check out the audio. Also, if you’re not a huge audiobook lover, this story is so short it may be a great introduction to the joy of listening to books.

THE VERDICT

I am Really Into This book. This audiobook will be added to my yearly holiday list. It’s such a quick & impactful listen. No doubt the meaning & the story will resonate year after year. Read it if you’re looking for a short & meaningful tale about time, love & family. Skip it if…actually, don’t skip it no matter what. It’s just that good.

You can check out my review for Fredrick Backman’s A Man Called Ove here.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: FREDERIK BACKMAN

Fredrik Backman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, and Britt-Marie Was Here, as well as a novella, And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer. His books are being published around the world in more than thirty-five languages. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden, with his wife and two children.