ABOUT THE BOOK:
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and Beartown delivers an insightful and poignant holiday novella about a man who sacrificed his family in the single-minded pursuit of success and the courageous little girl fighting for her life who crosses his path.
It all begins with a father telling a story to his son on Christmas Eve. But this isn’t your typical Christmas story. The father admits to his son that he’s taken a life but he won’t say whose—not yet.
One week earlier, in a hospital late at night, the man met a five-year-old girl with cancer. 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 the man tells his son about this plucky little girl, he slowly reveals more about himself: while he may be a successful businessman, idolized by the media and his peers, he knows he failed as a parent. Overwhelmed by the responsibility of fatherhood, he took the easy way out and left his wife and little boy twenty years ago to pursue professional success. Now he is left wondering if it’s too late to forge a relationship with his son, who seems to be his opposite in every way—prizing happiness over money, surrounded by loving friends in a cozy town where he feels right at home.
Face to face with the idea that something is missing, the man is given the unexpected chance to do something selfless that could change the destiny of the little girl in the hospital bed. But before he can make the deal of a lifetime, he needs to find out what his own life has actually been worth in the eyes of his son. And so, he seeks him out and tells him this story…
Written with Fredrik Backman’s signature humor, compassion, and “knack for weaving tales that are believable and fanciful” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), The Deal of a Lifetime reminds us that life is a fleeting gift, and our only legacy is how we share that gift with those we love.
LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT:
MY REVIEW:
The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman is a 2017 Atria Books publication.
Backman continues to amaze-
Every year there are a handful of holiday themed novels I never managed to read before the season was over, and this one falls into that category.
If I had been able to get my hands on a copy before Christmas, I wouldn't have had any problems working it into my schedule. In fact, I would have pushed it to the top of the pile, no matter how short or long it was. But, I missed any and all ad campaigns for this book, somehow, so by the time it cropped up on my radar the wait time at the library was so long I thought it might be NEXT Christmas before I got a copy.
Well, I obviously didn’t have to wait quite long- but the story was worth waiting for-
This is a very, very short story, and the plot line is written in such a way that to expound upon it, even briefly, would give too much away.
So, let me just say, this is a very thought- provoking story that prompts the reader to take stock, to cherish the small moments, to live life to its fullest, and to keep your priorities straight, and remember what is truly important in this life.
Although the story is a fantasy, it is very emotional, a little dark, and very atmospheric. As the holidays are often a time of reflection, Christmas was a perfect backdrop for this story to unfold.
But, despite the big Christmas tree on the cover, which clearly suggests this is a Christmas-themed story- it is one that can, and should be read and reflected upon all year round.
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Deal-Lifetime-Fredrik-Backman-ebook/dp/B075RLXL3T/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-deal-of-a-lifetime-fredrik-backman/1127620222
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Fredrik Backman, a blogger and columnist, is the New York Times bestselling author of A MAN CALLED OVE and MY GRANDMOTHER ASKED ME TO TELL YOU SHE’S SORRY. Both were number one bestsellers in his native Sweden and around the world, and are being published in more than thirty five territories. His latest novel is BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE. He lives in Stockholm with his wife and two children. Visit him online at his blog: FredrikBackman.com, on twitter @backmanland, or on instagram @backmansk.
