A Man Called Ove

by Frederik Backman

If you like the movie Up, you will love this book! It’s the story of a lonely curmudgeon, Ove, in Sweden who screams at his neighbors for parking in the wrong space and punches a hospital clown whose magic tricks annoy him. After his wife’s death, Ove is planning to kill himself when he is interrupted by his nosy neighbors. He cultivates a friendship with his new neighbors and their young children, who find Ove’s grumpiness charming.

Throughout the novel, Ove comes out of his darkness and learns to heal through the help of his neighbors. It was a charming and moving story that had me laughing, crying, and everything in between.