Book Recommendation – The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

“You’ll never regret being kind even when people aren’t kind to you.”

The truth quoted above is just one of many I found inside my latest read. I added it to my “Want to read” list after seeing the title. “Borrowed life” intrigued me. Author Anna Johnston was new to me as well. I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife began to show up in blogs I follow, on a list of books whose titles all follow the “The _________ _______ of Character Name” format, and then as a Goodreads suggestion. The suggestion read: “For readers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and A Man Called Ove,” both of which I really enjoyed.

The book had me laughing and crying at times. There are so many things in the book that I could relate to. Despite the main character, Frederick, doing some pretty unbelievably insane things, he is very likable. You understand why he is doing what he is doing, and pull for him. I’m jumping ahead here. Before I go further, let me give you the Goodreads synopsis:

For readers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and A Man Called Ove, a warm, life-affirming debut about a zany case of mistaken identity that allows a lonely old man one last chance to be part of a family.

‘Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.’

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head—as long as his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up.

Denise Simms is stuck breathing the same disappointing air again and again. A middle-aged mom and caregiver at Bernard’s facility, her crumbling marriage and daughter’s health concerns are suffocating her joy for life. Wounded by her two-faced husband, she vows never to let a man deceive her again.

As Fred walks in Bernard’s shoes, he leaves a trail of kindness behind him, fueling Denise’s suspicions about his true identity. When unexpected truths are revealed, Fred and Denise rediscover their sense of purpose and learn how to return a broken life to mint condition.

Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a hilarious, feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family.

Through a series of mishaps and misunderstandings, lonely Frederick suddenly finds himself amongst some very unique people at the nursing home. He is quick to be nice to everyone he meets there. He befriends patients and staff, many of whom cannot believe the change in personality of “Bernard.”

Many of the situations he finds himself in will have you laughing out loud. The kindness and compassion Fred extends to everyone will warm your heart. The struggle and guilt Frederick feels inside with each day at the nursing home will break your heart. Then there are situations that make you wonder just how he’s going to get out of the mess he’s created.

I don’t want to give too much away, so I will just say that this book is simply wonderful! It is definitely one of the best books I have read this year. I was surprised that this is Anna Johnston’s debut novel. She did such an amazing job of expressing the various feelings that characters were experiencing. I felt the anger, the grief, the disbelief, and the happiness right along with them. That doesn’t happen very often for me.

This incredible story is one that I will remember for a very long time.

5 out of 5 stars.