My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry (Fredrik Backman, 2016)

How I stumbled upon it: Two friends posted about it on Instagram in the same week.  My friend Amanda, (who runs the fabulous blog The Style Brief) and my sweet friend Christian.  If two friends from separate parts of my life were enjoying it, I would too.

What it's about: A precocious little girl, Elsa, spends all her time with her wild and crazy grandmother, going on adventures and learning about the secret magical kingdom that her grandmother has created in her stories.  When her grandmother dies, Elsa is tasked with bringing letters to those that her grandmother wronged during her life.  It leads Elsa on a whirlwind adventure to find out who her grandmother really was. 

What I thought: It was slow to start, but once you get into it, it is brilliant.  The writing is so poignant and the story is incredibly smart--you have to read slowly so that you don't miss out on all of the subtle ways different people and events are tied together.  I cried at the end because I didn't want the book to be over, and because the ending was so beautifully constructed.  The underlying theme of being different and embracing who you truly is woven throughout the novel and is inspiring to read as a jaded adult.  

You can get it here.